E24 - Esther Ndeti, Managing Partner at Unconventional Capital

What if financing could adapt to the realities of a business, instead of forcing businesses to adapt to rigid financial models? In this episode, Esther Ndeti, Managing Partner at Unconventional Capital, explains how she is pioneering new ways of financing SMEs, especially in the agricultural values chains across Africa. Esther shares why traditional funding models often fail entrepreneurs. Many businesses are too early for venture capital and lack the collateral required for bank loans. Her answer? Revenue-based financing. Instead of fixed repayments, businesses repay investors through a percentage of their revenues. When the business grows, repayments grow. When revenues fluctuate, payments adjust. We also talk about the broader ecosystem: • why SMEs are critical for Africa’s future workforce, the growing role of local investors and angel networks, and how technology can reduce bias in investment decisions. What emerges from this conversation is a powerful idea: finance should meet entrepreneurs where they are, not the other way around. Please review the episode, share your feedback, and subscribe to the podcast! You can also: Visit our website: womenchangingfinance.org Follow Esther on LinkedIn To go further, here are some of the references mentioned during the episode: Unconventional Capital — https://unconventional.capital/ Impact Investing Kenya — https://impactke.org/ GSG Impact — https://gsgimpact.org East Africa Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (EAVCA) — https://eavca.org Victoria Business Angel Network (VBAN) — https://www.vban.africa/ Nairobi Business Angel Network (NaiBAN) — https://naiban.com FSD Africa — https://fsdafrica.org Level (investment management platform) — https://levelapp.io Theft by Abdulrazak Gurnah, https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/763656/theft-winner-of-the-nobel-prize-in-literature-by-abdulrazak-gurnah/ Women Changing Finance is part of the Impact Alpha Podcast Network.