AVPA Launches Africa’s First Catalytic Pooled Fund to Drive Mental Health Investment and Joins Global Coalition for Change

The Africa Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA) has officially opened its 2025 Annual Conference today at the Trademark Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. Scheduled from November 3rd to 5th, the gathering convenes more than 400 delegates from over 30 countries under the theme “Driving Sustainable Investments and Innovations for Resilient Growth.” The three-day event will focus on mobilizing catalytic capital, advancing blended finance, unlocking domestic private capital, and fostering cross-sector partnerships to accelerate Africa’s inclusive and sustainable development.

The conference opened with two landmark announcements that underscore AVPA’s leadership in impact investing; AVPA, as part of the Coalition for Mental Health Investment (CMHI), which includes the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), the Wellcome Trust, Kokoro, and the McKinsey Health Institute, announced the establishment of a new Catalytic Pooled Fund for mental health investments designed to unlock private capital for high-impact mental health initiatives across Africa.

The Fund pools catalytic capital from philanthropies, private investors, impact investors, governments, foundations, and family offices to bridge the financing gap in mental health as one of the most neglected yet very vital components of the continent’s human capital and productivity. By providing flexible, patient, risk-tolerant, and blended financing, the fund will enable the testing and scaling of evidence-based programs. This will cover and but limited to and leveraging new technologies and youth have access to 21st century skills to maximize the continent’s brain economy.

“Mental health is not a peripheral issue; it is foundational to economic productivity and social stability,” said Dr. Frank Aswani, Chief Executive Officer, AVPA. “Through our partnership with the Coalition for Mental Health Investment and the launch of this Catalytic Pooled Fund, AVPA is positioning mental health as an investable priority, one that can deliver both social and economic dividends for Africa.”

Additionally, AVPA signed a strengthened Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Development Innovation Alliance (IDIA). AVPA and IDIA formalized a strategic partnership agreement to mobilize new sources of capital for innovation across Africa and promote collaborative, blended finance approaches among donors, investors, governments, and social enterprises. The partnership will focus on building a continuum of scaling capital for innovators, strengthening knowledge exchange among funders, and accelerating the

Co-creation of sustainable development solutions. Through joint programming, knowledge sharing, and co-investment frameworks, the collaboration will enable proven models to attract institutional capital into high-potential sectors.

“This partnership underscores our shared mission to advance innovation as a pathway to sustainable development,” said Dr Aswani. “By working with IDIA’s global network of over 400 innovation leaders, AVPA will help build stronger bridges between capital, innovation, and impact, ensuring African-led solutions are scaled for global change.”

AVPA’s leadership delivered keynote addresses emphasizing execution and local ownership. “Africa’s development narrative has evolved from aid to ownership. The Mental Health Catalytic Pooled Fund and our partnership with IDIA demonstrate that African capital, financial, human, and intellectual can and will lead the continent’s transformation,” said Mr. Joseph Ogutu, East Africa Board Chair, AVPA.

Ms British A. Robinson, Chair of Africa at the Milken Institute International, was among the keynote speakers. She shared her perspective on mobilizing global and regional capital to accelerate inclusive growth across Africa. Drawing from her leadership at the Milken Institute and deep experience in cross-sector partnerships, she explored the transformative role of private capital, philanthropy, and innovative finance in advancing Africa’s development agenda and positioning Africa as an exciting destination for impact capital.

Over the next three days, participants will engage in plenary sessions, technical workshops, and investor roundtables covering impact measurement and results-based financing, climate-resilient investing, gender-lens and inclusive capital strategies, and the future of blended finance in Africa. The conference reinforces AVPA’s role as the continent’s leading platform for aligning capital with African priorities.

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