Village Capital Concludes Climate Startup Programme With US$500K in Grants

Village Capital has concluded its three-year Empowering Sustainable Entrepreneurship Africa (ESEA) programme, awarding US$500,000 in grant funding to 32 African climate startups. The initiative also strengthened local startup support organisations and expanded access to funding across Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania.

The Organisation delivered the programme in partnership with Norad, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation. The initiative recognised that startups need more than funding to grow. Local entrepreneurship support organisations also help founders connect with investors, mentors and business development resources.

Through ESEA, Village Capital worked with 14 locally led entrepreneurship support organisations across the five participating countries. Together, they tested a collaborative approach to delivering founder support while strengthening the capacity of local organisations.

In 2025, Village Capital partnered with five of these organisations to deliver investment-readiness programmes for 150 climate startups operating across the region.

US$500,000 Awarded to Climate Startups

As the programme concluded, Village Capital distributed US$500,000 in grant funding to 32 startups developing solutions to environmental and sustainability challenges. Climate adaptation startups received the largest allocation, securing US$225,000 in grant funding. Food security ventures followed with US$125,000, while startups operating in the blue economy received US$100,000. Renewable energy businesses secured the remaining US$50,000

The funding supports startups developing technologies and services that strengthen climate resilience, improve food systems, protect marine resources and expand access to clean energy.

Local Networks Deliver Better Results

Village Capital says the programme reinforced the value of working with organisations that understand the needs of entrepreneurs in their local markets.

“At Village Capital, we’ve learned that the challenge isn’t a lack of entrepreneurial talent. Too often, the challenge is that the systems around entrepreneurs are not designed to help promising startups access the networks, resources and capital they need to grow,” said Nakami Walunywa, Regional Director for Africa at Village Capital.

Walunywa said working through local organisations helped identify stronger investment opportunities while creating better connections between entrepreneurs and investors. The experience will also shape how Village Capital designs future programmes by placing greater emphasis on strengthening local startup support organisations alongside startup financing.