Catalyst Fund raises $30 million for climate tech startups in Africa

Type: Financing · Technology: Agriculture · Country: Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt · Value: $30M · Announced: 2026-07-08

Catalyst Fund, a Nairobi-based early-stage venture capital firm specializing in climate resilience, closed its Catalyst Climate Resilience Fund I with $30 million in commitments to invest in African startups addressing climate adaptation. The fund combines equity investments with venture-building support from general partner BFA Global, targeting solutions in climate fintech, agriculture, food systems, water, energy, and mobility. Portfolio companies include Keep It Cool (Kenya), which develops solar-powered cold-chain infrastructure for small-scale food producers; MazaoHub (Tanzania), providing AI-driven soil intelligence and agronomy services to farmers; and Bekia (Egypt), operating a technology-enabled recycling and waste collection marketplace. The financing round included commitments from International Finance Corporation (IFC), FASA, Shell Foundation, Trafigura Foundation, SpeedInvest, Blink Impact, and the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi), with IFC highlighting the fund's role in strengthening livelihoods and expanding access to essential services in underserved communities.

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