AHL Venture Partners (“AHL”) is pleased to announce the second close of the AHL Africa Credit Fund I (ACF). The close includes a new US$15 million debt commitment from Ceniarth LLC, a family office focused on catalytic, patient capital for underserved communities, and brings total capital raised for the Fund to US$45.5 million, from family offices and family foundations, against a US$70 million target.
The AHL Africa Credit Fund is the vehicle built to scale AHL's private credit strategy. Anchored by the AHL Foundation and first closed in May 2026 with the backing of three family offices, the Fund is designed to attract private capital from high-net-worth individuals, family offices, local asset managers and foundations seeking a disciplined, impact-aligned exposure to African credit markets, offering liquid, risk-adjusted returns with durable impact, backed by an experienced team in market.
In August 2026, Ceniarth provided a US$5 million senior loan to ACF, in partnership with a co-investor that contributed an additional US$10 million, for a combined US$15 million senior facility.
AHL Venture Partners has acted as investment advisor to the AHL Charitable Foundation (“AHL Foundation”) since 2007, supporting investments into African businesses across debt, and select equity and fund investments. In 2020, AHL began to sharpen its strategy around private credit, reflecting a conviction that debt could offer a more liquid, risk-managed, and scalable pathway for investors seeking both financial returns and long-term developmental impact. Since then, via the AHL Foundation and AHL-led syndications, AHL has deployed over US$110 million in debt investments across the continent, with a focus on businesses operating in financial inclusion, climate action, and sustainable food and agriculture.
On the ground, the Fund provides senior secured, mezzanine and bridge loans of US$2–10 million to high-growth, profitable businesses across East, West and Southern Africa. The capital is flexible and tailored to each business's needs, but with the structure and protections investors expect.
AHL has long argued that the challenge facing African private markets is not a lack of opportunity, nor a lack of capital willing to allocate to the continent, but a matching problem: brilliant, high-growth businesses solving real problems rarely find capital in a structure that works for both sides. Having spent over a decade building the relationships and track record needed to close that gap, AHL sees ACF as a bottom-up product built to meet investors where they are, and to keep capital flowing consistently into African private markets.
The Fund remains open, and AHL continues to raise additional capital toward a targeted final close in Q2 2027.
Rosanne Whalley, CEO of AHL Venture Partners, said:
“Having spent years now working to mobilise capital into African impact investing, I’ve come to see the core problem differently. There are brilliant, high-growth businesses across the continent solving real problems. And there is genuine capital sitting with family offices, local asset managers and global allocators who want exposure to African private markets. But, there is a matching problem in finding a structure that works for both. Our aim at AHL is to partner with capital allocators to get more capital consistently flowing into African private markets. A big thank you to Ceniarth and our LPs for the confidence you have shown in the AHL team and platform.”