Village Capital puts $450k into Trade Lenda and AirSmat for Nigerian startups

Village Capital’s Africa Ecosystem Catalysts Facility has invested $450,000 in two Nigerian startups—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 deal marks the facility’s entry into Nigeria after earlier backing two Ghanaian firms earlier this year, bringing its total portfolio to seven startups across the two countries.

The investment comes at a tough time for early‑stage funding in Africa. In the first half of 2026, African startups raised just $9 million, down from $25 million in the same period a year earlier. Village Capital’s $4 million facility, launched in July 2025 with support from the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank (FMO) and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), targets founders working on economic mobility and climate resilience. It works through local ecosystem organisations such as Africa Fintech Foundry to identify overlooked startups and structure capital around their needs.

Trade Lenda says it has served more than 260,000 SMEs and farmers across five of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, with women making up 66% of its customers. The funding helped it secure an additional $2 million in local debt at lower rates, allowing it to expand lending while cutting its cost of capital. AirSmat will use the money to finish and commission a commercial factory for its biochar fertiliser, aiming to improve soil health, sequester carbon and create extra income for farmers through carbon markets.

If you are an early‑stage founder focused on economic mobility or climate resilience, how might you position your venture to attract support from local partners like Africa Fintech Foundry?

SOURCE: https://techcabal.com/2026/09/03/village-capital-nigeria-investments/