Innovation for Ecosystem Restoration: For Entrepreneurs In Africa 2023

Deadline: May 14, 2023 

An accelerator program called Innovation for Ecosystem Restoration Africa 2023, funded by Moody’s Corporation, will assist business owners who are working to restore ecosystems by addressing issues like deforestation, land degradation, water scarcity, biodiversity loss, and unfavorable climate change, which have become some of the region’s most urgent problems.

With the assistance of Moody’s Foundation, Village Capital will assist 10–12 impact-driven entrepreneurs in Africa who are developing locally viable ecosystem restoration solutions.

The Innovation for Ecosystem Restoration initiative will deal with some of the most urgent and difficult issues that sub-Saharan African ecosystem restoration business owners are now confronting. The objective is to provide an accelerator for businesspeople who support ecological restoration across sub-Saharan Africa.

Eligibility

Village Capital is seeking for-profit businesses who are developing regionally applicable ecosystem restoration techniques. Qualification standards include:

Must be a for-profit organization with legitimate operations in at least one sub-Saharan African nation and legal incorporation there.

Have a market-based response to the problems with sub-Saharan ecological restoration.

have less than $1 million in equity raised, a minimal viable product (MVP), and some traction.

Have meaningful consumer or business validation. This validation can take the form of successful pilot studies, user numbers, or corporate collaborations. It is not only about income.

have at least one founder working full-time from a sub-Saharan African country.

Benefits

Training and Ongoing Education

To assist their businesses in identifying early milestones and getting ready for their next round of funding (if applicable) or significant expansion, they will have access to live and asynchronous sessions designed for a virtual learning environment.

Startups will network with a broad and inclusive network of founders, investors, and mentors.

Mentorship

Possibility to network with and learn from other founders, influential investors, and prospective strategic partners and customers.

Advice Startups will take part in a virtual investor forum and simulated board meetings with financial institution, corporate, veteran entrepreneur, and investor representatives that can aid in the scaling of their business.

Analyzing finances

You will have direct access to a financial analyst who will mentor you one-on-one in the development of a financial model, the identification of unit economics, and the use of financial metrics to guide business and investor due diligence.

Exposure

Obtain a feature on the website and other materials for the Village Capital initiative.

APPLY HERE