Africa’s climate technology sector is entering a more aggressive scale-up phase after the ClimaFii Alliance unveiled a second cohort of 20 startups building clean energy, electric mobility and climate-resilient technologies aimed at millions of underserved microentrepreneurs across the continent.
The programme, supported by Shell Foundation and the UK government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and implemented across Africa by BFA Global and Accion, announced the new cohort as investors increasingly pivot toward climate solutions capable of delivering both emissions reductions and immediate economic value.
The ClimaFii Alliance, officially launched in January 2025, is positioning itself at the centre of Africa’s rapidly evolving ClimateTech economy, where startups are racing to solve energy access, food security, mobility and financing challenges intensified by climate volatility and weak infrastructure.
Each selected startup can receive up to $85,000 in catalytic funding through a combination of cash grants and in-kind support, alongside venture-building assistance, financing connections, product design expertise and go-to-market guidance. The second cohort doubles the size of ClimaFii’s inaugural 2025 group of 10 startups, signalling growing momentum behind climate-focused investment targeting Africa’s informal economy and microenterprise sector.
The companies span Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania and Zambia, reflecting the increasingly pan-African nature of climate innovation on the continent. Industry analysts say the programme reflects a critical shift underway in African ClimateTech, moving away from purely environmental narratives toward commercially viable technologies that directly improve incomes, productivity and affordability for low-income entrepreneurs.
According to BFA Global, the programme focuses on sustainable cooling and cold-chain systems, renewable energy-powered agricultural processing, distributed renewable energy, clean cooking technologies, electric mobility infrastructure, battery swapping and productive-use asset finance.
“The unifying thread is solutions focused on enabling income-generating activities, helping micro-enterprises lower costs, improve productivity, and increase earnings while reducing emissions,” the organisation said.
That economic framing is becoming increasingly important across sub-Saharan Africa, where climate shocks are intensifying pressure on agriculture, transport and small business operations. The African Development Bank estimates Africa loses up to 30% of food production annually because of inadequate cold-chain infrastructure, while unreliable energy access continues to constrain millions of SMEs across the continent.
Against that backdrop, the new cohort reveals where investors believe scalable opportunities are emerging.
Agriculture and Food Security Startups Dominate the New Cohort
Among the selected startups is aQysta, a Netherlands-founded company with operations in Malawi, India and Nepal that develops renewable energy-powered agricultural processing systems aimed at reducing post-harvest losses and improving farmer incomes.
Kenya’s BioAfriq Energy is deploying solar and biomass-powered drying technologies to strengthen agricultural value chains, while Rwanda-based BioMassters is manufacturing biomass pellet fuels and energy-efficient stoves to replace charcoal and lower household cooking costs.
Uganda’s BrightLife, founded by FINCA International, is expanding access to solar-powered productive-use appliances through flexible financing models, while ClimaVault Africa is tackling agricultural spoilage through solar-powered cold storage systems designed for smallholder farmers.
Zimbabwe also secured representation through Dialight/VIRL Microfinance, a Mutare-based company distributing productive-use solar energy systems alongside microfinance services targeting rural and off-grid communities.
In Sierra Leone, Easy Solar is scaling solar-powered systems and productive-use appliances for households, farms and businesses. The company says it has already installed more than 700 kilowatts of solar capacity, generated over 250 megawatt-hours of clean energy and helped over 70 organisations reduce dependence on diesel generators.
Electric Mobility and Battery-swapping Emerge as Major Growth Sectors
Electric mobility emerged as one of the strongest themes in the cohort.
Côte d’Ivoire-based Fanga is building battery-swapping infrastructure for electric motorcycles, while Uganda’s Furaha Financial is financing productive-use mobility assets and business activities through digital lending products.
In24 is financing productive-use energy equipment across Uganda and Zambia, while Kenya’s Jiwambe is helping riders transition to electric motorcycles through flexible financing partnerships with manufacturers including Kofa, ENZI E-Mobility, Spiro and Roam.
Cold-chain logistics also featured prominently.
Kenya-based KeepITCool is building solar-powered cold-chain logistics solutions for fish and poultry value chains in Kenya and Uganda, helping traders reduce spoilage and access more profitable markets. Meanwhile, Koolboks is expanding access to solar-powered refrigeration systems across Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda through flexible payment plans targeting small vendors and food processors.
Nigeria’s Lenol and Manamuz Electric are also scaling electric mobility and climate-resilient agricultural systems respectively. Kenya-based OKOA Energy is developing interoperable battery-swapping networks for electric motorcycles and tuk-tuks across multiple African countries. The company says it has already managed more than 200,000 battery swaps across four markets and is expanding into Tanzania, Cameroon and Zambia.
Financial infrastructure for clean energy is another major theme emerging from the cohort.
Nigeria’s Rivy is building financing systems for solar distributors, households and businesses. The company says it has already disbursed more than $27 million (₦38 billion) in loans, approved 37,000 applications and helped users avoid an estimated 3,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
Kenya’s SamaKing is modernising fish supply chains through cold-chain logistics and distribution infrastructure, while Tanzania-based TRÍ is deploying electric mobility systems and charging infrastructure across urban African markets.
Uganda’s Yongeza Capital rounds out the cohort with solar-powered battery-swapping infrastructure designed specifically for African road conditions. The company says riders can swap batteries in under a minute while cutting transportation costs by up to 40% compared to petrol alternatives.
Climate Finance Becomes Africa’s Next Major Investment Frontier
The expansion of ClimaFii comes as climate-focused investment into African startups continues gaining momentum despite a broader slowdown in global venture capital markets. According to industry reports, ClimateTech has become one of Africa’s fastest-growing investment categories, accounting for an increasing share of venture funding as investors seek commercially scalable solutions tied to energy transition, food systems and urban mobility.
The sector is also attracting growing support from development finance institutions, governments and philanthropic capital seeking to close Africa’s massive infrastructure and climate adaptation gaps. For ClimaFii Alliance, the strategy is to back companies capable of turning climate resilience into economic opportunity for millions of African microentrepreneurs operating at the centre of the continent’s informal economy.
As climate shocks, energy insecurity and rising operating costs continue to reshape African markets, the startups emerging from this cohort may offer an early signal of where the continent’s next generation of scalable businesses and investment opportunities are likely to emerge.
