Our foundation recently made two new impact investments that back entrepreneurs building solutions to climate change in some of the world’s most exposed regions.
The first is in the Catalyst Fund, a venture capital fund and venture builder that partners with African founders. It supports early-stage businesses developing tech-enabled solutions in areas such as clean mobility, cold chain systems, carbon removal and climate-smart agriculture. In 2024 alone, the 22 businesses it supported improved climate resilience for more than 450,000 people and created 875 green jobs.
The second is in the Outrigger Impact Fund, which invests in early- and growth-stage companies across Small Island Developing States (SIDS). These states receive only 0.2% of global climate finance. Outrigger’s portfolio companies work in sectors including blue carbon, ecotourism, fisheries management and ecosystem restoration. Together they aim to strengthen the resilience of 12,500 people and bring 100,000 hectares of seascape under sustainable management.
These investments complement our traditional grant-making. Grants remain essential for supporting communities directly and for work that markets alone will not fund. Impact investments help promising businesses scale, attract additional private and public capital, and keep returned capital working for future projects. Combining the two approaches lets us contribute to tackling the climate adaptation finance gap from more than one angle.
Find out more about Catalyst Fund and Outrigger.
