Catalyst Fund
Investing in a climate-resilient future for Africa
The Trafigura Foundation is backing an initiative helping African entrepreneurs turn innovative ideas into climate-resilient solutions in sectors from clean mobility and cold chain systems to carbon removal and climate-smart agriculture.
The challenge
The flow of international public finance to enable developing countries to adapt to the changing climate falls far short of what is needed. The United Nations estimates this adaptation finance gap at USD 284–339 billion a year.
The private sector can help to narrow the gap. Yet founders face hurdles in turning promising ideas into solid sustainable businesses, such as insufficient access to capital, and a lack of skills and experience, especially in emerging markets.
The solution
Catalyst Fund is an early-stage venture capital fund and venture builder backing African entrepreneurs developing high-impact, tech-enabled climate adaptation and resilience solutions. By combining patient early-stage capital with hands-on support in product development, technology, data, growth and partnerships, Catalyst Fund helps founders build and scale commercially viable businesses that enable vulnerable communities to manage climate risks, strengthen livelihoods and build long-term resilience.
Drawing on an extensive track record as founders and operators, the Catalyst Fund supports early-stage businesses with tech, product, data, and marketing challenges so they can grow their businesses and measure their positive environmental and social impacts.
Partnership impact
As of the end of 2025, Catalyst Fund’s portfolio had grown to 26 climate-tech companies across 9 African markets, delivering measurable climate and social impact:
- Reached 560,000 people with climate-adaptive products and services
- Mitigated approximately 27,700 tonnes of CO₂ emissions
- Supported over 1,000 green jobs (reported quarterly)
- Brought 303,000 hectares of land under sustainable management
- Collected over 24,000 tonnes of waste, including food waste and recyclables
- Reached a customer base comprising 50% women
Visit Catalyst Fund’s website.
Other partnerships in the same area of work
Accelerating the growth and impact of community-led conservation in Africa
Responding rapidly and effectively to humanitarian crises
