Pan-African Early-Stage VC Five35 Ventures Lands Anchor Funding From Mastercard Foundation

Pan-African early-stage VC firm Five35 Ventures has secured a major anchor investment from the Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund, managed by MEDA, strengthening its mandate to back women-focused and female-founded startups across the continent.

Five35, which currently holds a 16-company portfolio spanning fintech, agriculture, health, logistics and climate, will use the new capital to expand its reach across East, West and Southern Africa and bridge funding gaps from pre-seed to scale.

Founding partner Hema Vallabh said the firm remains committed to integrity, rigour and measurable progress, while MEDA president Dr. Dorothy Nyambi noted that the partnership demonstrates how capital can shift outcomes for women entrepreneurs by pairing governance discipline with catalytic investment.

The collaboration aligns with the Mastercard Foundation’s broader effort to grow gender-lens investing and expand dignified economic opportunities for women and youth across Africa, positioning Five35 for a new phase of high-impact deployment.