How African countries can build scale-able and investible businesses

African enterprises have the potential to be a key driver in addressing the missing middle that has plagued the continent's food systems, posing a global risk to food security. Ovidiu Bujorean, Senior Technical Director of Partnerships and Investments at AV Ventures, shared insights on how countries can tap into scalable and investible ventures to propel economic growth. Bujorean highlighted the significant opportunity to identify and support promising entrepreneurs working at the intersection of various sectors such as food systems, renewable energy, climate adaptation, agriculture, and the blue economy across the continent. Acknowledging the challenges that come with this endeavor, Bujorean emphasized the importance of bridging the missing middle - the gap between large enterprises and small survival entrepreneurs. He stressed the need to identify scalable opportunities, provide comprehensive support structures, mentorship, impact investing capital, and access to market partners to nurture a thriving pipeline of scalable ventures. By working with local stakeholders and partners in entrepreneurial ecosystems, the aim is to enhance not only the scalability of ideas but also the knowledge and support systems required for enterprises to scale up effectively. Discussing the prevalent funding gap within Africa's food ecosystem, Bujorean underscored the need to invest in the earlier phases of the entrepreneurial journey to drive growth and job creation. He highlighted the launch of the Roots to Food podcast as a platform aimed at providing practical business management skills, introducing breakthrough technologies, and showcasing successful company profiles to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs. Bujorean expressed his strong belief in the potential of African entrepreneurship to address societal challenges and promote equitable access to opportunities. He emphasized the role of successful enterprises in fostering economic growth and providing avenues for prosperity. Through initiatives like the Roots to Food podcast, Bujorean aims to cultivate a community of trailblazers driving the next wave of exceptional African entrepreneurship. As Africa navigates the path towards building a robust ecosystem for successful entrepreneurs, collaborative efforts, investment in early-stage ventures, and access to resources and expertise are crucial. By leveraging the entrepreneurial spirit and innovation within the continent, Africa has the potential to not only address food security challenges but also drive sustainable economic development and create opportunities for its people.