Village Capital backs Trade Lenda and AirSmat with $450,000

Village Capital, a global nonprofit that backs high-impact startups, has deployed $450,000 from its Africa Ecosystem Catalysts Facility into two Nigerian startups, marking the investment vehicle’s entry into the country after backing two Ghanaian companies earlier this year.

The backed companies include Trade Lenda, a digital financial services platform for small and medium-sized businesses, and AirSmat, a climate-tech company that turns agricultural waste into biochar-based fertiliser. The latest investments bring the facility’s total portfolio to seven startups across Ghana and Nigeria.

Village Capital launched the $4 million facility in July 2025 with backing from the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank (FMO) and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). It targets early-stage companies working on economic mobility and climate resilience, using local ecosystem organisations to identify startups that traditional investors may overlook.

The Nigeria investments come as early-stage startups continue to face a difficult funding environment. In the first half of 2026, African startups raised just $9 million in early-stage funding, down from $25 million in the same period a year earlier. The facility’s model is designed to address that gap by working with local ecosystem partners that can identify founders and structure capital around their needs.

“What stands out about these startups is how they’re strengthening the systems that businesses and farmers rely on to grow,” said Husein Merchant, Investment Officer at Village Capital.

Trade Lenda, which provides digital business loans, embedded finance and Sharia-compliant financing, has supported more than 260,000 SMEs and farmers across five of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, according to the company. Women account for 66% of its…