Climate Adaptation Start-ups Investments in Africa and South Asia

There are so many creative and innovative climate adaptation solutions out there that can help us mitigate and adapt to climate change. What if there was a mechanism to identify the best solution and fund it so that it could be made available at a scale?

EIT Climate-KIC and CDC Group, the UK’s developing finance institution, partner to accelerate promising start-ups offering climate adaptation and resilience solutions in Africa and South Asian countries through EIT Climate-KIC’s ClimateLaunchpad initiative.

“This initiative will identify and support entrepreneurs with solutions focused on climate adaptation and resilience to help them develop into scalable and investment-ready businesses. It is an opportunity to offer improvements in innovation and job creation. From growing crops in deserts to finding natural ways to cool our homes, the adaptation economy is booming.”

ClimateLaunchpad’s website is accepting submissions from green business ideas worldwide. Ideas could range from innovations in renewable energy to a sustainable transition in the food chain, a mind shift in urban mobility, or any creative way to tackle climate change. The website provides information on how the process works.

According to the site, once a business idea is selected, the developer/entrepreneur will receive coaching and training sessions, including obtaining funding and launching their business idea. Developers will have a chance to pitch their business ideas/climate solutions to investors.  Winners will acquire new skills, knowledge, and networking opportunities to help their business flourish.  

These competitions are held in 52 countries worldwide, including Angola, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Egypt, Israel, India, Italy, Mexico, Kenya, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, South Africa, UK, Sri Lanka, etc.

The website also showcases these innovative and creative climate adaptation solutions submitted from countries around the world, for example,

• The Philippines’ National winner, Nanolabs, produces safe, eco-friendly, economical, and rechargeable Zinc Ion Batteries that could reduce 40% of CO2 emissions.
• Kenya’s Bio-Alkano gel fuel is a national and global winner. The business processes fruit peelings and eggshells through microbial fermentation to transform them into clean, renewable energy that burns without smoke or soot.
• Bangladesh’s Cassetex aims to swap 1.5 million of EVS’s last-mile batteries in the country. These electric vehicles have reduced the country’s CO2 emissions, but they are becoming inefficient and a burden on the national electricity infrastructure.
  
  To address the problem, the company came up with the idea of providing 100% solar-powered battery swapping stations for these vehicles. Operators will only pay for the energy they use, not for the batteries themselves.

These are only three examples of the many exciting and innovative climate adaptation and mitigation solutions submitted to ClimateLaunchpad Initiative and featured on their website.

The ClimateLaunchpad themes for 2021 revolve around adaptation and resilience, circular economies, urban solutions, clean energy, sustainable mobility, food systems, and the next big thing.

Initiatives like this can encourage and accelerate climate adaptation solutions from all over the world, enhance our resilience to the increasing impacts of climate change, and create sustainable and environmentally friendly jobs and businesses.

Click the link to learn more about ClimateLaunchpad and get inspired to develop your climate adaptation solution: