Catalyst Fund

Our portfolio company Octavia Carbon, recently hosted Ray Collins, Deputy Leader of the UK House of Lords, at their facilities, where they showcased their innovative Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology—the first of its kind in the Global South! Octavia Carbon is developing a cost-effective, scalable solution for carbon removal, proving that Africa can drive global climate action and lead in deep tech innovation. 🚀 Collins commended their efforts in making DAC a viable solution in the fight against climate change, reinforcing Kenya's position as a growing hub for innovation. We're proud to have invested in Octavia Carbon and to support their mission for a sustainable, low-carbon future. Learn why we invested—link in comments! 👇 Martin Freimüller, Maelis Carraro, Maxime Bayen, Rasima Swarup, Sydney Thiam, Javier Linares, Ngetha Mwangi, Valiullah Hashmi, Maureen K., Charles I. Nweke

Agriculture holds the key to transforming millions of lives across Africa. With 60% of the world's uncultivated arable land, the continent has the potential to feed itself—and the world. Yet, every year, 13 million hectares of farmland are lost to desertification, threatening rural livelihoods. The stakes are high, but so is the opportunity for innovation. In the latest episode of The Greenprint, produced in partnership with The Flip, Delta40 Venture Studio, and Africa Climate Ventures, with contributions from AgBase, we spotlight visionary founders who are solving these problems and trying to make their communities a better and more prosperous place to live. - Wissal Ben Moussa is the Co-founder & R&D Officer of Sand to Green, a Moroccan startup pairing regenerative agroforestry techniques with data and technology to turn the desert green. - Samuel Rigu is the Co-founder & CEO of Safi Organics Ltd., a Kenyan company employing a decentralized process to locally manufacture organic fertilizers. - Francis N. is the Founder of Keep IT Cool | Earthshot Prize Winner 24, a recent The Earthshot Prize winner, building cold chain storage to reduce post-harvest losses in Kenya. Watch the full episode now on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/dp3bkcBJ *Sand to Green and Keep IT Cool | Earthshot Prize Winner 24 are proud portfolio companies of Catalyst Fund, supporting climate resilience and sustainable solutions for Africa's agricultural sector. Maelis Carraro Maxime Bayen Justin Norman Lyndsay Holley Handler James Mwangi Olúwatóyìn Emmanuel-Olubake Rasima Swarup Sydney Thiam Javier Linares Ngetha Mwangi Valiullah Hashmi Maureen K. Charles I. Nweke

🎉 Keep IT Cool | Earthshot Prize Winner 24 is on BBC News! 🎉 Our portfolio company, Keep IT Cool | Earthshot Prize Winner 24 has been featured on BBC News for its innovative work in reducing fish waste and improving livelihoods in Kenya! In Lake Turkana, where temperatures reach 40°C, up to 40% of fish is lost due to poor refrigeration. Keep It Cool is solving this by providing solar-powered freezers, ensuring fish stays fresh from lake to market while creating economic opportunities for local communities. Their solution recently won them The Earthshot Prize in the "Build a Waste-Free World" category—securing £1 million (€1.2 million) to scale their impact even further! We’re proud to have invested in them and to support their mission of building a more efficient, sustainable food system. 🎥 Watch the BBC feature here: https://lnkd.in/dN8sSKAv Francis N., Abigail Gachigi, Maelis Carraro, Maxime Bayen, Rasima Swarup, Sydney Thiam, Javier Linares, Ngetha Mwangi, Valiullah Hashmi, Maureen K., Charles I. Nweke

We're still on the lookout for bold innovators in Africa! 🧐 Catalyst Fund is on the hunt for pre-seed startups tackling some of the world’s biggest climate challenges. If you're building a game-changing solution in any of these areas, we want to hear from you: 💧 WaterTech and Water Intelligence Solutions 🌿 Financing Solutions for Regenerative Agriculture 🌳 Precision Reforestation ♻ Alternative Materials (especially alternatives to plastic) 🌊 Coastal Resilience Technologies Know a startup that fits? Send them our way! 👉https://lnkd.in/dMjUv4ga Maelis Carraro, Maxime Bayen, Rasima Swarup, Sydney Thiam, Javier Linares, Ngetha Mwangi, Valiullah Hashmi, Maureen K., Charles I. Nweke

🌍 Looking Back on the 2025 Climate Tech Founders Summit Last week in Nairobi, we witnessed something powerful—the coming together of climate tech founders, investors, and ecosystem players with a shared vision: accelerating climate resilience across Africa. The Climate Tech Founders and Funders Summit wasn’t just about discussions; it was about forging personal connections, exchanging hard-won lessons, realizing Aha moments and reimagining the future of climate innovation on the continent. Some key takeaways for founders navigating this journey: 1️⃣ Own Your Strengths & Outsource the Rest – The best founders don’t do it all. Identify your core advantage and partner strategically for everything else. Scaling isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what you do best. 2️⃣ Scale Smart, Not Fast – If your foundation is weak, scaling will only amplify the cracks. Prioritize operational excellence and profitability before chasing rapid expansion. 3️⃣ Raise & Spend Capital Like It’s Your Own – Not all money is created equal. Smart founders balance debt and equity wisely, ensuring every dollar fuels long-term sustainability. 4️⃣ Let Data, Not Ego, Drive Decisions – Data-driven cultures win. Founders who track key performance metrics and pivot based on insights—not just intuition—scale more efficiently. 5️⃣ Collaboration is Key to Climate Impact – Africa faces 60% of the world’s climate risks but receives only 3% of global climate finance. Changing this requires deeper partnerships, smarter funding strategies, and a relentless focus on scaling solutions that matter. A huge thank you to FSD Africa, the Global Environment Facility, UNIDO, and all our partners, speakers, and attendees who made this summit so impactful. This is just the beginning—let’s keep building the momentum for climate innovation across Africa! 🚀 Maelis Carraro, Maxime Bayen, Rasima Swarup, Sydney Thiam, Javier Linares, Ngetha Mwangi, Valiullah Hashmi, Maureen K., Charles I. Nweke

Over the past four years, Catalyst Fund and 60 Decibels have partnered to help early-stage ventures measure and understand their impact at different stages of growth. Through this work, we've seen that treating impact like financial performance—tracking it, iterating, and improving sets companies up for long-term success. Integrating impact management early, aligning it with business goals can strengthen business models, attract investors, and accelerate scale. This proactive approach ensures that as startups scale, their impact scales too, leading to sustainable and measurable benefits for communities and stakeholders. In a new blog, Catalyst Fund's Malika Anand, alongside 60 Decibels' Ellie Turner and Tom Adams, unpacks why ‘product-impact fit’ should be a core part of startup strategy, just like product-market fit. What’s inside? ✅ Why measuring impact from day one benefits startups and investors ✅ How impact metrics evolve from ideation to scale ✅ What investors should assess at each stage of the startup’s growth journey (to manage their own demands!) Read the full blog here: https://lnkd.in/e6mTcrsj #ImpactInvesting #StartupGrowth #ProductImpactFit #EarlyStageVentures Maelis Carraro, Maxime Bayen, Rasima Swarup, Sydney Thiam, Javier Linares, Ngetha Mwangi, Valiullah Hashmi, Maureen K., Charles I. Nweke

Emerging markets need $2.4 trillion per year to meet climate goals—4x the current investment levels. In Africa, high capital costs present a significant barrier, with financing for renewable energy projects costing up to 4x more than in the US or Europe. In the latest episode of The Flip’s "The Greenprint" series, produced in partnership with Catalyst Fund, Delta40 Venture Studio, and Africa Climate Ventures, we explore these pressing challenges and discuss actionable solutions with: 🎙️ James Mwangi – Co-founder & CEO, Africa Climate Ventures 🎙️ Linda Davis, PhD – Founder & CEO, Giraffe Bioenergy - A venture in residence at Delta40 Studio 🎙️ Bogolo Joy Kenewendo – Cabinet Minister for the Government of Botswana Listen now: https://lnkd.in/deJu4eN6 #ClimateFinancing #ClimateAction #TheGreenprint #AfricaInvestments Justin Norman, Maelis Carraro, Maxime Bayen, Rasima Swarup, Sydney Thiam, Javier Linares, Ngetha Mwangi, Valiullah Hashmi, Maureen K., Charles I. Nweke

🌟 Just One Day Left Until the Climate Challenge Finals at EGYPES - Egypt Energy Show 2025! ⏱️ 🚀 Don’t miss the chance to support NoorNation in the Climate Tech Challenge Finals, competing against 4 of the top energy solution providers! ⚡ This is also your opportunity to attend one of the most significant energy events, bringing together key decision-makers, industry leaders, and investors from around the world! 🌍🔋 📅 Date: Monday, February 17-19 📍 Location: Egypt International Exhibition Center Visit our booth in Hall 1 - SZ-1, meet the NoorNation team, and explore our innovative energy solutions for irrigation, illumination, and water desalination. You’ll also get to experience them in detail through an immersive virtual reality tour! 🤖✨ 💰 Enjoy exclusive discounts throughout the three-day exhibition—we look forward to welcoming you at NoorNation’s booth at Egypt Energy Show! 🚀✨ ✅ Secure your spot now and support NoorNation in the Climate Tech Challenge Finals! 🏆🍃 🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/dn3aqfg6 KBW Ventures Catalyst Fund | Maelis Carraro | Maxime Bayen UNICEF Innovation | Eleonora G. Solar Impulse Foundation #EGYPES_2025 #bridging_life_essentials #decentralized_infrastructure #SDG6 #SDG7 #local_innovations #renewableenergy #sustainableagriculture

Exciting discussions at the Africa Tech Summit Our very own Maxime Bayen joined industry leaders to unpack the latest trends in Africa's VC market. With early signals of a startup ecosystem rebound and the growing momentum in climate tech, it's an exciting time for innovation on the continent! 🚀

Yesterday, Catalyst Fund, Equator VC and Proparco, hosted The Africa Climate Tech Breakfast—an exclusive gathering of Africa's leading climate innovators, investors and ecosystem players. Over coffee and conversation, we exchanged ideas, forged new partnerships, reconnected with old friends, and reinforced our commitment to back bold entrepreneurs in Africa. A huge thank you to the founders, VCs, funders, DFIs, and ecosystem builders who joined us— amazing turnout and the energy in the room was truly inspiring! Also, if you're attending the Africa Tech Summit today and tomorrow, the Catalyst Fund team will be there! Let's connect and continue the conversation on climate innovation—we're excited to build even more impactful collaborations! Maelis Carraro, Maxime Bayen, Rasima Swarup, Sydney Thiam, Javier Linares, Ngetha Mwangi, Valiullah Hashmi, Maureen K., Charles I. Nweke