Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC)’s Post

If you know me, you’re aware that summer is always the high season for scouting startups 🙅♀️ 🏖️ We’ve officially kicked off the ClimateX Accelerator last week, meaning that the hectic selection ''season'' is finally over. Months of scouting and thoughtful curation went into selecting these teams, I can only be proud of us: To Florencia, who took as many calls as me to make my summer less hectic and to Darius for his wise advice and constant drive to make our program even better. Here are my key takeaways: 1️⃣ Handpicked Connections This year, we focused on quality over quantity, making direct connections at key events and bringing those startups to ours. This approach allowed us to engage with teams that are truly pushing the boundaries in climate tech. 2️⃣ Partnering with Ecosystem Leaders Long-standing partnerships helped us identify innovative teams and game-changing solutions. Our alumni acted as ambassadors, and our mentors were invaluable in helping us find the next gems. A huge thank you to Christoph Rohde Christoph Raethke Rita Katona Martin Valkov Mika Sagindyk Udi G. and many more! 3️⃣ Supporting Female Founders We made a concerted effort to boost female founder participation this year. By starting early conversations with female-led climate tech startups and planting the seed for future female founders, we were able to double the number of female founders in this new cohort. 🎁 Bonus Insight: Crossing Borders Sometimes it’s not just about talking to teams at your event—it’s about crossing borders and thinking outside of the box. One of our team relocated to Berlin just for the program. I wasn’t sure if they’d make it in time, but the magic of Europe made it possible. I’m excited to see how these teams grow and thrive in the coming months. As they integrate into our ecosystem and cohort, I’m confident they will continue to push boundaries and drive impactful change. Let’s get this started! 💪🏻

🚀🌱 Big News from Grawindy! 🌟🌍 We are thrilled to share that Grawindy has been chosen as one of the elite 16 startups for the second cohort of the SynergistEIC Program! 🎉 This marks a significant milestone in our journey towards accelerating green innovation. The SynergistEIC Program is an intensive 6-month initiative aimed at empowering GreenTech startups across Europe. Our focus is on sectors critical to sustainability: 🌱 Climate-Tech, 🔄 Circular Economy, 💧 Clean-Tech, and 🌾 Agri-Food. This program opens doors to crucial investment and growth opportunities, including potential inclusion in the prestigious EIC Accelerator, all geared towards supporting the EU’s ambitious Net Zero targets. 📈 We’re set to receive a share of €1.5M in funding to enhance our product development, boost market presence, and sharpen our commercial strategies to deliver impactful solutions. 🔗 Discover more about our journey and what this means for the future of sustainability: SynergistEIC Program 🌿 Stay connected for more updates as we propel forward in creating a greener, more sustainable world together. #SynergistEIC #GreenTech #DrivingGreenTechGrowth #InnovateForChange A Big Thank you to all our funders, coaches and mentors EIT FoodSouth3E - S3E Forest Valley Institute John MacAskill F6S European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA)

Yesterday marked the kickoff of the Green PO Bootcamp 🌱 This first session was a great opportunity to meet the other particitants, and the diversity of Startups just in this program is super inspiring! From insect counting AI models for protein production, to biogas saunas in rural areas - it’s incredible to see how many different approaches people take to tackle sustainability. Looking forward to the weeks ahead with more insights and discussions, Patrick Hypscher! 💡What’s the most creative sustainable startup idea you’ve encountered recently? #Sustainability #CircularEconomy #Innovation #Startup

RegenSense, an regenerative startup that I have co-initiated, is selected to #SwedishClimateStartupMap . RegenSense works on "revolutionize ecosystem health assessment by providing state-of-art monitoring for landscapes". In other words, it tells us how is the ecosystem health of a landscape (farm, forest, national park, water basin, whatsoever) is changing over time. So you can make management decisions, do claims (credits, supply change claims etc) or even shift the subsidies to regenerating farmers for instance (hi there, governments). And it does all this completely outcome-based, not leaving space to #greenwashing. It's one of the most crucial work needed in regenerative space, I would say. This recognition is also another proof of the untapped potentials of operating within "ecosystem" of regenerative entrepreneurs - a vision enabled by RegenHive... There is so much untapped potential there but it requires to trust, to care, to acknowledge, and more. Some hard work, as human beings =) Here is the official headline of the recognition: The initiative aims to showcase innovative startups developing innovations with the potential to help accelerate the green transition. Check out the Map here: https://lnkd.in/d-4FD8R9 The project is led by Chalmers Ventures, Dalarna Science Park, Ignite Sweden, LEAD, SISP and Sting and co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Tillväxtverket, Vinnova and Energimyndigheten.

Here's another potential funding opportunity for cleantech founders..... Prince William's Earthshot Prize just rolled out a new opportunity with its Launchpad platform – a digital meeting place for environmental startups and investors. 🚀 🌍 Right now, there's over £400m in funding needs already listed. The platform's projects are diverse and impactful, ranging from electric motorcycles in Kenya to innovative farming methods in Brazil. These initiatives have the potential to make real environmental differences. Prince William has stressed the urgency of environmental action this decade, and Launchpad is set to play a big role in speeding up funding and helping to expand some of the most promising green ideas. Later this year, Launchpad plans to open its doors to accommodate more innovators. A few key questions to ask yourself before submitting for any funding: Are you technology-ready? Are you business-ready? Are you market-ready? 🤔 #RenewableEnergy #Cleantech #StartupEcosystem Image Credit; earthshotprize.org

"The journey to Net Zero requires a multi-pronged approach, and innovative startups are pivotal players. Winning the EGYPES 2024 CLIMATECH Challenge placed PiKARE on a global stage, validating our technology and connecting us with vital networks to accelerate our growth." Hüseyin Ç., Vice President and COO, PiKARE SKYSOURCE. Huseyin Ciloglu, Vice President and COO, PiKARE, mentions that winning the EGYPES 2024 CLIMATECH Challenge showcased PiKARE globally, highlighting the pivotal role of the event's start-up zone in driving innovation towards Net Zero. He points out the importance of innovative startups achieving Net Zero - winning the CLIMATECH Challenge validates newfound innovations, that ultimately accelerates growth and expands market presence across the industry. To get involved in EGYPES 2025, visit egypes.com #EGYPES #EGYPES2025 #EgyptEnergyShow #energytransition #energysecurity #decarbonisation

#VITO4starters is not only supporting the winner of the competition, but also other startups that participate: learn in this article how VITO supported Arthur Boven from Grow2 and Timmy Bours from Clean Water Global :

Innovation Week in São José dos Campos: A Step Forward in Sustainable Innovation! On August 28th, Wednesday, Lixo Verde®️ participated in Innovation Week, an event that brought together brilliant minds, visionary startups, and cutting-edge technologies. The congress took place in São José dos Campos, one of Brazil’s main innovation hubs. Our work is more than just technology — it’s a commitment to environmental preservation and improving quality of life. #SustainableInnovation #GreenTechnology #EnvironmentalPreservation #InnovationWeek #TechForGood #CleanEnergy #FutureOfWasteManagement #BrazilInnovation #Sustainability #LixoVerde #SmartSolutions #GreenEconomy

If you’re free at lunch today, tune in to the European Sustainability Conference 2024 by Startup Network Europe. Link 👉 https://lnkd.in/dKGK5c42 In a panel I will be sharing what sustainability challenges we face in Vianode and how we approach them. #sustainability

The work within Lantmännen’s program for innovation – The Greenhouse – has recently put its first major phase behind it. “We have had three intensive days where the participants have been able to take part in and share Lantmännen's and their own business contexts, and it has been clear what strength there is in close collaboration when aiming to create maximum value from the startup companies' innovations,” says Nina Tuomikangas, Program Manager for the Greenhouse, Lantmännen R&D. The applications from ÄIO, Volare Solutions, Tebrito, SEaB ENERGY (SEaB Power Ltd) and Lantmännen's own employees are within the framework of the Greenhouse's theme – Circular Future – and meet at least one of the following areas: ♻New life in obsolete and finished products ♻Increased circularity within the bakery-industry ♻Value from residues in cereal intake ♻Increased circularity in the pea factory of the future ♻Fits into the entire Lantmännen grain value chain 👉Learn more about the hackathon event and the startups involved in the Greenhouse: https://brnw.ch/21wHROU — #lifeatlantmannen #Lantmännengreenhouse #employeeinvolvement #innovation #RnD #hackathon #circularfutures