Investing in female entrepreneurs with Five35 does not solely provide financial instruments to an underrepresented group in order to spur economic growth, moreover, it helps closing the global inequality gap addressing social and cultural barriers.

I became a 35’er in hopes of improving gender parity in start-up investing on the continent. Women founders in Africa receive less than 7% of funding, despite making up around 20% of founders.

I have been studying African entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship for a few years now. Supporting them as an investor is a natural step to provide resources to these and future entrepreneurs, and to let them know how much faith I have in their capacity for innovations that will shape Africa’s future. I chose to invest in Five35 because gender-lens investing unlocks the great opportunities that are often untapped as most capital flows to male-founded ventures.