The CATAL1.5°T initiative is a climate acceleration program that finances and supports startups developing innovative solutions to reduce CO2 emissions. In West Africa, it is led by Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P) and funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The program targets entrepreneurs in West Africa and Latin America. Its main objective is to increase investment in high-impact, early-stage climate tech ventures in the Global South while strengthening regional startup and venture capital ecosystems for long-term impact.
Program Overview
• Calendar: 2024–2029
• Geography: West Africa (8 countries)
• Sector: Climate
• Portfolio: 30 seed-stage climate ventures and innovative startups
• Sponsors: The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF)
Program Objectives
• Support a total of 180 startups through regional programs in Latin America and West Africa.
• Help climate businesses develop or validate their products or services through activities such as market research and product testing.
• Assist companies in strengthening their market presence, defining growth strategies, and building strategic partnerships.
• Maximize the climate mitigation impact of products and services through internationally recognized assessments of CO2 emissions reductions and by enhancing climate adaptation co-benefits.
Program Components
• Seed Funding: Provides financing to meet company needs during incubation or acceleration, ranging from €50,000 to €200,000, with an average of €100,000, in the form of repayable finance.
• Technical Assistance: Strengthens the capacity of financed companies through tailored training, expert support in areas such as business plan preparation and financial management, and coaching.
• Climate Expertise: Builds climate-related expertise by assessing the potential climate impact of companies’ solutions and improving their commercial and financial readiness.
• Network Access: Gives companies access to a network of experts and partners to support their scaling process.
Target Company Criteria
• Registration: Must be registered in one of the eight West African countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, or Togo.
• Management: Must be managed by founders working full-time on the business and willing to collaborate with a group of investors.
• Sectors: Must operate in key sectors such as energy access and power generation, low-emission transport, buildings, cities, industries, appliances, forestry and land use, renewable energy, agroforestry, circular economy, sustainable construction, and green mobility.
• Climate Impact: The company’s product or service must reduce or avoid greenhouse gas emissions, or contribute to carbon sequestration.
• Company Size: Must have fewer than 50 employees, or less than $3 million in assets, or less than $3 million in annual sales.
Program Partners
• Initiative Launch: The CATAL1.5°T initiative was launched by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in cooperation with EIT Climate-KIC.
• Funding Partners: The program is financed by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
• Regional Implementers: In West Africa, Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P) is responsible for identifying and supporting target companies. Tecnológico de Monterrey is involved in implementing the program in Latin America.
By combining financial support with tailored technical assistance and climate-specific expertise, the CATAL1.5°T program offers a comprehensive support framework for early-stage ventures. It helps address the financing gap faced by climate-focused startups and promotes the development of innovations that are essential to keeping global warming close to the 1.5°C target.