Our Story

Kuramo Foundation for Sustainable Development (KFSD) was established in 2023 as a non-profit organization committed to enhancing sustainable development in Africa by increasing access to capital and mobilizing investment into high impact sectors on the continent. We aim to shape a new financial future for Africa; one that is inclusive, equitable, and rooted in African leadership.

Our thematic focus areas include education, gender and social inclusion, inclusive financial services, healthcare, and climate change.

Born out of Kuramo Capital’s decade-long experience investing across the continent, the Foundation was created to close persistent capital gaps, especially for women, youth, and underserved communities. Our ABCD framework underpins our impact model, ensuring a structured and measurable approach to financial inclusion and economic transformation. This proprietary market systems framework ensures every intervention builds upon the last—creating a self-reinforcing cycle of investment-readiness and economic prosperity.

KFSD’s success is predicated on this approach that has been built and tested over the last 10 years by Kuramo Capital.

Learn more about Kuramo Capital

Why we started

Kuramo Capital had backed over 15 funds in Africa, yet one reality stood out: there were few female-led funds in the pipeline.

This was not just a representation issue, it was a systemic barrier with ripple effects across Africa’s entrepreneurial landscape. Female entrepreneurs were missing out on funding, markets were missing out on talent, and entire communities were missing out on solutions.

In 2023, Kuramo Foundation in partnership with Kuramo Capital launched the Moremi Platform – Africa’s first integrated platform dedicated to catalyze female-led funds and also launched our flagship initiative ”the Moremi Accelerator Program.

The Moremi Accelerator

The Moremi Accelerator Program became our proving ground. In its inaugural year, the program supported 25 first-time, women-led, Africa-focused funds with the tools, knowledge, and support needed to thrive through a structured and impactful approach:

  • checkInstitutional Training – Comprehensive fund management curriculum grounded in global best practices
  • checkInvestment Readiness – Tools, coaching, and templates to sharpen strategy and improve fundraising outcomes
  • checkTechnical Assistance – Best in class fund support and advisory services to propel funds to success
  • checkEcosystem Building – Peer networks, mentorship, and direct access to Kuramo’s global community of investors and ecosystem leaders

In 2024, a second cohort was launched in partnership with MEDA, expanding our reach to 15 additional emerging fund managers across Africa and deepening our collective impact

Expanding Our Mission

While gender equality and addressing the gender finance gap remains central to our mission, we quickly recognized that systems change, education, and catalytic capital were critical to achieving lasting financial and economic transformation in Africa.

As the foundation grew, so did our approach. We realized that it was not enough just to focus on individual funds or entrepreneurs; we needed to strengthen the entire ecosystem to empower underserved groups. This meant leveraging innovation, education, strategic partnerships, and catalytic capital to foster long-term, systemic change. Today, our focus has expanded to include:

  • checkFinancial Inclusion
  • checkEducation and Workforce Development
  • checkMSME Support
  • checkClimate Action
  • checkDecent Work and Economic Growth
  • checkAccess to Kuramo’s global investment ecosystem

By combining education, innovative financing, and market knowledge, we are working to improve financial systems and economic outcomes for underserved communities across the continent.

Rooted in Partnership

Our work is made possible through a close and evolving partnership with Kuramo Capital Management, a fund-of-funds with deep roots in African investment. Together, we bridge the worlds of finance and development.

We also collaborate with aligned entities under our ABCD model

Accelerate

Equip emerging investment vehicles, entrepreneurs, youth with foundational knowledge and practical skills through immersive, structured learning to build deep technical expertise and investment acumen for long-term success

Bridge

Connect women and youth to catalytic networks and concessional capital, enabling them to build track records, access early opportunities, and leapfrog traditional barriers to entry in the investment landscape

Catalyze

Mobilize capital and deploy resources through innovative investment vehicles to anchor inclusive investment vehicles and financial products that expand access to capital

Develop

Strengthen Africa’s financial ecosystem by embedding local ownership, policy engagement, and shared infrastructure to ensure scalable, resilient, and sustainable impact

Today, Kuramo Foundation works across 15+ African countries, delivering locally grounded, system-aware interventions that empower communities to thrive. Our strategic priorities have grown to include:

  • checkGender equity and inclusive finance
  • checkMSME and entrepreneurship support
  • checkClimate resilience and green job creation
  • checkEducation and workforce development
  • checkFinancial product innovation and blended finance

Each initiative is designed to unlock capital, activate networks, and amplify African voices in shaping financial systems that work for all.

Key Milestones in Our Journey

Looking Ahead

Kuramo Foundation continues to grow as a catalyst for systems change, where finance is not just a tool for profit, but a powerful engine for shared prosperity. We are building an Africa where fund managers are representative, capital is inclusive, and economic systems are sustainable by design.