Our Vision

We envision a world where entrepreneurs anywhere have the capital, tools and support they need to improve the economy, their communities, and the environment.

Founded in 1989 as the private equity investment subsidiary of the international development organization CARE, SEAF (“Small Enterprise Assistance Funds”) evolved in 1995 into an independent organization specializing in the sponsorship and management of investment funds targeting growth-oriented, emerging enterprises located in countries underserved by traditional sources of capital. SEAF pursues high impact economic development through the investment of risk capital in entrepreneurs, coupled with active business partnership and the transfer of knowledge and networks developed over 30 years of operation.

SEAF has an extensive track record of establishing local fund management capacity, and in investing in SMEs in emerging markets in Eastern Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa. A global leader in SME finance, SEAF has managed or is managing 38 Funds and 14 Centers for Entrepreneurship and Executive Development (CEED) centers across 33 countries. SEAF has made more than 400 risk capital investments in entrepreneurs whose products and services improve the lives of people in a financially, socially and environmentally sustainable manner. SEAF requires that such investments generate returns for our investors, as that forces efficiency, accountability and sustainability of the process.