Francois Xavier Nshimiyimana

I am a seasoned economic development consultant and agribusiness incubation leader with 12+ years of experience in supporting startups and SMEs across Africa. Currently, I lead the Kigali Agribusiness Incubation Center (KAIC), where I design and implement incubation programs, mentor agripreneurs, and build linkages between startups and investors. My work includes business development consulting, value chain analysis, feasibility studies, and investment readiness support for both profit and nonprofit ventures.

I have mentored startups under the Tony Elumelu Foundation and provided advisory services to youth and women-led businesses, refugee entrepreneurs, and smallholder cooperatives. My passion lies in enabling inclusive market systems, especially in agribusiness, climate-smart solutions, and social entrepreneurship.

Through VC4A, I hope to extend my mentorship to a wider pool of founders and share practical insights that can help them build resilient, investor-ready ventures. I bring a systems-thinking approach and am particularly keen on guiding founders in business planning, access to finance, and sustainable scaling.

l am passionate about contributing to inclusive economic development by helping entrepreneurs/founders build sustainable businesses. I also aim to identify promising ventures that could benefit from incubation support through KAIC or my broader consulting network.