CATALYST FUND
CATALYST FUND
CATALYST FUND
Highlighting 81 Portfolio Companies in a Global Platform
Highlighting 81 Portfolio Companies in a Global Platform
Location
Global (focus on emerging markets)
Industry
Venture Capital / Impact Investing
Services I provided
Research
Style Guide Creation
Wireframing
High-Fidelity UI Design
UX Strategy
Target Audience
Startups, Investors, and Ecosystem Partners
Overview
Problem
Catalyst Fund needed a website that could clearly communicate its mission of supporting inclusive tech startups across emerging markets. The old site lacked a coherent information hierarchy, making it difficult for visitors to quickly understand what the fund does. Branding was inconsistent, which weakened credibility, and engagement was low because users were not encouraged to explore beyond the homepage. As the fund continued to expand, the existing website also proved inflexible, unable to scale with new portfolio companies, resources, and programs.
Solution
The solution was to design a modern, user-centered, and scalable website that told Catalyst Fund’s story in a clear and engaging way. The new site was structured around the needs of its key audiences—startups, investors, and ecosystem partners—so that each group could find the information most relevant to them. Through a consistent design system, streamlined navigation, and impact-driven storytelling, the site not only improved clarity and credibility but also created a foundation that could grow alongside the fund’s initiatives.
Research & Insight
began the project with research to deeply understand both Catalyst Fund’s mission and its audiences. I spoke with stakeholders to capture the organization’s goals and challenges, and I studied how similar global funds presented themselves online. This helped me identify gaps in Catalyst Fund’s previous website and guided decisions around what users valued most: clarity, trust, and proof of impact.
The Problem
Catalyst Fund needed a website that could clearly communicate its mission of supporting inclusive tech startups across emerging markets. The old site lacked a coherent information hierarchy, making it difficult for visitors to quickly understand what the fund does. Branding was inconsistent, which weakened credibility, and engagement was low because users were not encouraged to explore beyond the homepage. As the fund continued to expand, the existing website also proved inflexible, unable to scale with new portfolio companies, resources, and programs.
Style Guide
From these insights, I developed a style guide to bring consistency and professionalism to the brand’s digital presence. The guide included a modern yet trustworthy color palette, clean and legible typography, and a library of reusable components such as buttons, cards, and navigation elements. Imagery was carefully selected to highlight human-centered impact stories, reinforcing the fund’s focus on real-world change. This guide became the foundation for visual and interaction design across the website.
Style Guide
From these insights, I developed a style guide to bring consistency and professionalism to the brand’s digital presence. The guide included a modern yet trustworthy color palette, clean and legible typography, and a library of reusable components such as buttons, cards, and navigation elements. Imagery was carefully selected to highlight human-centered impact stories, reinforcing the fund’s focus on real-world change. This guide became the foundation for visual and interaction design across the website.
Low Fidelity
With the style direction set, I moved into low-fidelity wireframes. These focused on the hierarchy of information and how the story of Catalyst Fund would unfold across different pages. For the homepage, the flow introduced who the fund is, showcased what it does, highlighted its impact, and ended with clear ways to engage further. Key pages such as About, Portfolio, and Resources followed the same principle of guiding the user through a logical journey. Wireframes were reviewed with stakeholders to validate structure and storytelling before visual design began.
Low Fidelity
With the style direction set, I moved into low-fidelity wireframes. These focused on the hierarchy of information and how the story of Catalyst Fund would unfold across different pages. For the homepage, the flow introduced who the fund is, showcased what it does, highlighted its impact, and ended with clear ways to engage further. Key pages such as About, Portfolio, and Resources followed the same principle of guiding the user through a logical journey. Wireframes were reviewed with stakeholders to validate structure and storytelling before visual design began.
High Fidelity
The high-fidelity designs brought the wireframes to life, aligning every detail with the style guide. I incorporated interactive features such as hover states and smooth transitions to create a polished and engaging experience. Responsiveness was a priority, ensuring that the site worked seamlessly across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. I also introduced storytelling elements like testimonials, case studies, and data visualizations to communicate Catalyst Fund’s real-world impact in a more compelling way.
High Fidelity
The high-fidelity designs brought the wireframes to life, aligning every detail with the style guide. I incorporated interactive features such as hover states and smooth transitions to create a polished and engaging experience. Responsiveness was a priority, ensuring that the site worked seamlessly across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. I also introduced storytelling elements like testimonials, case studies, and data visualizations to communicate Catalyst Fund’s real-world impact in a more compelling way.
High Fidelity
The new Catalyst Fund website successfully positioned the organization as a global leader in impact investment by combining strong storytelling with scalable design. The platform now showcases 81 portfolio companies across 19 markets, highlights over $40M in capital mobilized, and organizes more than 20 research insights and thought leadership pieces in an accessible way.
Through a CMS-powered structure, the Catalyst Fund team can seamlessly update portfolio entries, press releases, and resources without relying on external support. This scalability has not only improved efficiency but also ensured that the website evolves alongside the fund’s growing impact.
The redesigned experience strengthened Catalyst Fund’s credibility, increased engagement from African founders and global partners, and provided a clear, compelling digital home that reflects the fund’s mission and achievements.
High Fidelity
After launch, the redesigned website showed measurable improvements. Users spent more time on the site, exploring multiple sections instead of exiting quickly, which indicated stronger engagement. The bounce rate dropped as visitors immediately grasped Catalyst Fund’s mission and value proposition. Thanks to the design system, the team could easily add new portfolio and resource pages while maintaining consistency, proving the scalability of the approach. Most importantly, the fund experienced an increase in partnership inquiries and startup applications, demonstrating that the redesign not only improved user experience but also contributed to the organization’s growth objectives.
I designed the Catalyst Fund website to highlight its global impact — showcasing 81 portfolio companies accelerated across 19 markets, $40M+ mobilized in capital, and an expanding library of research and insights — all within a scalable, CMS-powered platform."
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Markets
represented across Africa, Asia, and other emerging regions
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Markets
represented across Africa, Asia, and other emerging regions
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Portfolio companies
showcased in a dynamic portfolio hub.
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Portfolio companies
showcased in a dynamic portfolio hub.
0M
0M
Mobilized
in capital for startups (impact data pulled from Catalyst Fund reports).
0M
0M
Mobilized
in capital for startups (impact data pulled from Catalyst Fund reports).
Bata launch
Bata launch
"I designed the Catalyst Fund website to highlight its global impact — showcasing 81 portfolio companies accelerated across 19 markets, $40M+ mobilized in capital, and an expanding library of research and insights — all within a scalable, CMS-powered platform."
0+
0+
Mobilized
in capital for startups (impact data pulled from Catalyst Fund reports).
0+
0+
Mobilized
in capital for startups (impact data pulled from Catalyst Fund reports).
0
0
Portfolio companies
showcased in a dynamic portfolio hub.
0
0
Portfolio companies
showcased in a dynamic portfolio hub.
0
0
Markets
represented across Africa, Asia, and other emerging regions.
0
0
Markets
represented across Africa, Asia, and other emerging regions.
During its beta launch, AwaDoc onboarded approximately 11,000 active users. and available in 20+ countries
Learnings
Working on the Catalyst Fund website taught me the importance of balancing storytelling with functionality. The fund had impressive metrics — 81 portfolio companies across 19 markets and millions of dollars mobilized — but the challenge was to present this data in a way that felt both credible and engaging. I learned that numbers on their own don’t create impact; they need to be framed within a narrative that resonates with diverse audiences, from African founders to global investors.
Another key learning was the value of designing for scalability. As Catalyst Fund continues to expand its portfolio and thought leadership, the website needed to evolve with them. By building on a CMS-powered structure, I ensured the team could easily update portfolio companies, insights, and events without redesigning the entire site.
Finally, I realized the power of visual hierarchy and trust signals in the impact investment space. Small decisions — such as how portfolio logos were displayed, how metrics were highlighted, or how case studies were structured — played a big role in strengthening Catalyst Fund’s credibility and positioning them as a global leader.
Learnings
What I learnt
Working on the Catalyst Fund website taught me the importance of balancing storytelling with functionality. The fund had impressive metrics — 81 portfolio companies across 19 markets and millions of dollars mobilized — but the challenge was to present this data in a way that felt both credible and engaging. I learned that numbers on their own don’t create impact; they need to be framed within a narrative that resonates with diverse audiences, from African founders to global investors.
Another key learning was the value of designing for scalability. As Catalyst Fund continues to expand its portfolio and thought leadership, the website needed to evolve with them. By building on a CMS-powered structure, I ensured the team could easily update portfolio companies, insights, and events without redesigning the entire site.
Finally, I realized the power of visual hierarchy and trust signals in the impact investment space. Small decisions — such as how portfolio logos were displayed, how metrics were highlighted, or how case studies were structured — played a big role in strengthening Catalyst Fund’s credibility and positioning them as a global leader.
