About AIR Fund
The African Innovation and Resilience Fund (AIR Fund) is a five-year philanthropic initiative addressing critical investment gaps in Sub-Saharan Africa. With a focus on climate resilience, artificial intelligence (AI), secondary city innovation, and community-led social change, AIR Fund aims to take early and bold bets on Africa's emerging ideas to become sustainable economic growth and resilience engines. After five years, the Fund will sunset, leaving behind a legacy of strengthened local ecosystems and scalable solutions.
The AIR Fund focuses on five strategic goals:
✔ Advancing civic innovation
✔ Building climate resilience
✔ Expanding economic opportunities
✔ Supporting innovation ecosystems
✔ Leveraging AI for social good.
Projected Impact At A Glance
$15k-$50k
Seed Grant
$50k-$150k
Growth-Stage Investments
Focus Areas
Number of StartUps
Focus Countries
Core Focus Areas
Climate Resilience
AIR Fund invests in projects that enhance climate resilience through sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, and water conservation. Initiatives include drought-resistant crops, small-scale solar installations, and efficient irrigation systems to protect vulnerable communities and secure food sources.
Artificial Intelligence & Technology
AIR Fund supports AI-driven solutions in healthcare, education, and governance to bridge data gaps and expand access. Investments focus on AI-powered diagnostics, digital literacy programs, and agricultural analytics, ensuring ethical and community-driven technological growth.
Innovation in Secondary Cities
AIR Fund prioritizes Africa’s secondary cities, funding projects that enhance digital access, governance, and infrastructure. By empowering urban centers, AIR fosters decentralized growth, easing pressure on capital cities and creating resilient economic hubs.
Innovation Ecosystem Networks
AIR Fund nurtures African-led innovation by strengthening networks, providing mentorship, and offering capital to entrepreneurs. Our goal is to build a self-sustaining pipeline of innovators transforming ideas into scalable solutions.
Get Involved
Join us in redefining the philanthropic landscape for Sub-Saharan Africa. Partner with AIR Fund to empower African communities to drive resilience, innovation, and sustainable development.
Philanthropic Philosophy
The AIR Fund's commitment to transformative change is guided by four foundational principles.
Taking Big Bets on Scalable Solutions
AIR Fund invests in high-impact projects with proven models that address Africa’s pressing challenges. Scalable solutions like community-based climate monitoring and real-time flood detection empower local communities, saving lives and reducing disaster-related losses. By expanding successful initiatives to underserved regions, AIR Fund maximizes their transformative potential.
Taking Early Bets on Emerging Ideas
AIR Fund supports early-stage innovations that address last-mile delivery gaps. By funding AI-powered urban planning tools, we enable communities to actively shape their cities. Our support provides local innovators with resources and pilot opportunities to demonstrate viability, unlocking larger investments and broader impact.
Prioritizing Inclusion and Equity
AIR is committed to equitable funding, ensuring support reaches women, youth, people with disabilities, and marginalized communities. Our inclusive grant criteria prioritize African-led projects that directly benefit diverse groups, embedding equity at every stage—from selection to outcome evaluation.
Promoting African Resilience
AIR invests in initiatives that build local capacity, enhance governance, and support community-led planning. By empowering African talent and decision-making, we foster long-term resilience, ensuring sustainability beyond individual projects and enabling communities to drive their own progress.
