The Innovation for Ecosystem Restoration Africa 2023, supported by Moody’s Corporation, is now open for applications that is an accelerator program that will support entrepreneurs promoting ecosystem restoration by addressing deforestation, land degradation, water scarcity, loss of biodiversity, and adverse climate change, which have emerged as some of the most pressing challenges facing sub-Saharan Africa.
Village Capital, with the support of Moody’s Foundation, will support 10-12 impact-driven startups building locally viable ecosystem restoration solutions in Africa.
Village Capital is looking for solutions that engage in reforestation activities such as planting trees and other vegetation in degraded areas to restore their ecological state and provide habitat for wildlife. Village Capital is recruiting solutions that help restore soil health and promote biodiversities such as terracing, crop rotation, and cover cropping to restore soil fertility and reduce soil erosion.
Village Capital is mostly on the lookout for solutions that restore wetland ecosystems such as providing water filtration, restoring water flows, planting native vegetation, and carbon sequestration services to improve the quality of water and biodiversity. Also, Village Capital is looking for solutions that engage in sustainable land use practices including rotational grazing, conservation agriculture, integrated pest management, and agroforestry.
Village Capital is looking for companies that use technology to develop solutions to address climate change and promote sustainability. Climate tech solutions include solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase energy efficiency and promote renewable energy.
Their mission is to reinvent the system to back the entrepreneurs of the future. Village Capital’s vision is a future where business builds equity and long-term prosperity.
Entrepreneurship is a critical tool for solving the world’s biggest problems. But right now, a handful of people in a handful of cities are deciding which entrepreneurs get a chance to succeed. Venture capital funding flows to a homogenous group of founders, with a bias toward men and major tech hubs.
In addition to the on-the-ground work with entrepreneurs, Village Capital works on a system level to make impact investing more inclusive and to drive capital to a broader set of entrepreneurs.
Benefits
- Access to live and asynchronous sessions tailored to a virtual learning environment to help companies identify early milestones and prepare for the next round of capital (if relevant) or big expansion.
- The opportunity of connecting with a diverse and inclusive network of mentors, founders, and investors.
- The opportunity of meeting with and receiving mentorship from prominent investors, potential strategic partners and customers, and other founders.
- The opportunity of participating in a virtual investor forum and mock board meetings with representatives from financial institutions, corporates, experienced entrepreneurs, and investors that can help their company scale.
- Access to an investment analyst who will coach you one on one on building a financial model, identifying unit economics, and using financial metrics to drive both the business and investor diligence.
- The opportunity of get featured on Village Capital’s program website and other collateral.
Eligibilities
- Must be a for-profit entity and have legal incorporation and operations in at least one sub-Saharan African country.
- Must have a market-based solution that tackles ecosystem restoration challenges in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Must have at least a minimum viable product (MVP), some traction under their belt, and raised less than $1M in equity.
- Must have meaningful customer or business validation (not limited to revenue, it can also be successful pilot studies, number of users, and/or strategic partnerships).
- Must have at least one full-time founder based in sub-Saharan Africa.
Application Process
- Applicants will have to conduct an Abaca self-assessment of the company’s maturity online. (The assessment is available at the apply link.)
- Applicants will have to answer a series of questions about the business through online. (The test is available at the apply link.)
Application Deadline: May 15, 2023
Application ClosedOfficial link
