Aligning Supply & Demand of Capital: Strategies for Strengthening Investment Readiness of SMEs

Synopsis: 

SMEs often face significant challenges navigating unfamiliar financing options and weighing trade-offs between different capital types, while investors struggle to build strong pipelines and identify businesses ready to meet due diligence requirements. This mismatch between SME preparedness and investor expectations has long created barriers that prevent viable businesses from accessing the growth capital needed to scale and compete effectively.

This panel examined practical strategies for preparing SMEs for investment, covering essentials such as financial documentation, governance structures, and business model validation. Speakers shared insights on how intermediaries bridge knowledge gaps and support fit-for-purpose deal structuring, as well as investor perspectives on evaluating SMEs for investment potential. Case studies highlighted how targeted preparation strategies helped businesses evolve from investment-seeking to investment-ready, unlocking new opportunities for growth.

Speakers:
Bernardo Aparicio, Chief Executive, Standard Bank Mozambique
Dr. Dorothy Nyambi, Chief Executive Officer, Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA)
Fanta Conde, Partner, CrossBoundary
Jared Miller, Chief Executive Officer, Accial Capital
Shaun Streaton, Chief Executive Officer, Urban Task Force Ltd.

Moderator:
Kalina B. Miller, Manager, FIG Southern Africa, International Finance Corporation