English
FrançaisCATAL1.5°T
I&P, through its association IPED, is participating in the implementation of CATAL1.5°T, an acceleration program dedicated to financing start-ups developing innovative solutions to reduce CO2 emissions in West Africa and Latin America.
Program overview
The CATAL1.5°T Initiative aims to boost investment in high-impact, high-return, early-stage climate tech ventures from the Global South. To ensure long-lasting impact, the initiative also strengthens climate tech networks within regional start-up and venture capital ecosystems. Learn more.
Supporting technological innovations in the climate sector
Access to financing is still limited for start-ups specializing in the climate sector. Yet climate-related technological innovations are essential to keep global warming close to 1.5° Celsius, and access to financing for them remains limited.
Objective: Support 180 start-ups through regional programs in Latin America and West Africa.
I&P is in charge of implementing the West African acceleration program of this global initiative, which will enable climate businesses to:
- Develop or validate their products or services (e.g., through market research, product testing or product improvement)
- Improve the market presence of their products and services, devise growth strategies, develop partnerships, etc.
- Maximize the climate mitigation impact of their products and services through sound, internationally recognized assessment of CO2 emission reductions, and where appropriate, assessment and enhancement of climate change adaptation co-benefits.
Program components
Seed funding
Meet the financing needs of companies during their incubation or acceleration phase, for amounts ranging from €50,000 to €200,000 (between CFAF 23 million and CFAF 130 million).
Technical Assistance
Strengthen the capacities of financed companies through training and expertise assignments (business plan preparation, administrative and financial management, coaching, etc.).
Climatic expertise
Develop climate expertise to enhance companies' current commercial and financial skills by assessing potential climate impacts.
Target companies
Eligible companies must meet the following criteria:
⇒ Be registered in one of the 8 West African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Togo)
⇒ Managed by men and women dedicated full-time to their business and wishing to collaborate with a group of investors
⇒ Operating in the sectors of energy access and power generation; low-emission transport; buildings, cities, industries, appliances; forestry and land use
⇒ The solution (product or service) proposed by the company reduces or avoids greenhouse gas emissions or sequesters carbon
⇒ Less than 50 employees; or less than $3 million in assets; or less than $3 million in sales
Selection process
Program partners
The CATAL1.5°T initiative was launched by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in cooperation with EIT Climate-KIC and is financed by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Tecnológico de Monterrey is involved in deploying the program in Latin America. For the West Africa region, I&P is in charge of prospecting and monitoring target companies.
