The Patna Innovators Fund is our commitment to the businesses in our ecosystem. Verified, active Patna members gain access to grants, soft loans, and co-investment opportunities — tied to the trust and partnership history they have built on the platform.
Most African business funding is accessed through who you know — not what you have built. A warm introduction to an investor matters more than a proven track record. Patna is built to change this.
The Innovators Fund allocates capital based on verifiable data — your Trust Score, your partnership history, your delivery record on the platform. A business that has completed five verified partnerships with strong outcomes has demonstrated something more valuable than a polished pitch deck: they have demonstrated they can execute.
The Fund is not charity and it is not venture capital. It is growth capital for businesses that have already proven they are worth investing in — and Patna’s platform provides the evidence layer that makes that proof objective and portable.
Target allocation for the first 100 businesses admitted to the Fund in our inaugural cohort. Applications open alongside platform launch.
Trust Score and partnership history determine eligibility — not relationships
Open to verified businesses across all 54 African countries
Repayments re-enter the fund to support the next cohort of businesses
Strong Fund recipients gain introductions to Patna's investor network
You apply once. The Fund committee reviews your Trust Score, partnership history, and business plan and recommends the most appropriate track for your business.
For businesses that have completed their first verified partnerships on Patna and are ready to scale. This capital does not need to be repaid — it is an investment in your trajectory.
Grant range per business
For businesses with Gold or Platinum Trust Scores and a consistent delivery history. Structured as a soft loan with below-market interest rates and flexible repayment tied to business performance.
Loan range per business
For businesses with Platinum Trust Scores and demonstrated growth. Patna co-invests alongside our investor network and provides ongoing strategic support. This track includes board advisory access.
Co-investment range
Eligibility is determined by your Patna platform activity, not by who you know. Every criterion is verifiable. There are no subjective requirements.
Join the waitlist, get platform access, complete your business profile, and begin building your Trust Score.
Use the platform to find, connect with, and deliver on at least 2 partnerships. Every completed deal builds your Trust Score.
Once your Trust Score reaches 70, you unlock the Fund application. Founding Members start with a 10-point advantage.
Fill in your Fund application — business plan, growth targets, funding amount requested, and proposed deployment of capital.
The Fund committee reviews within 4 weeks. Successful applicants receive funding directly to their registered business account.
“Every business that qualifies will be reviewed. No application from a business that meets the eligibility criteria will go unread or undecided.”
“The Fund criteria will never be changed retroactively. If you qualified when you applied, you qualified. No moving goalposts.”
“Every funding decision comes with written feedback — whether successful or not. You will know exactly why and what to work on.”
“The Fund grows as the platform grows. Repayments from early cohorts re-enter the fund to support businesses that come later. We are building this to last.”
Founding Members receive a 10-point Trust Score advantage from day one. That means you reach Fund eligibility with fewer completed partnerships — and you are guaranteed first-cohort review for the Innovators Fund when applications open.
Trust Score points — from day one
Free. No credit card required.
Join as a Founding Member, get your Trust Score advantage, complete your first partnerships, and become eligible for the Innovators Fund before the general public even gets access to the platform.
