Climate Resilience Challenge Series

A country-specific startup pitch contest run by Catalyst Fund and FSD Africa to find and support the best fintech and climate resilience innovations

 

We hosted the Climate Resilience Challenge: Egypt event in Cairo on Wednesday 15th June 2022 in partnership with FSD Africa and local partners Plug and Play and AUC Venture Lab.

Attendees joined us from 6:00 pm for the live pitches and challenge judging, with a Fireside Chat with Plug and Play. This was followed by a Networking Night event, which ran until 11:00 pm.

 


Selection criteria

 

  • Product: Fintech and climate adaptation startups  
  • Customers: Serving underserved and climate-vulnerable communities
  • Team: Based in Egypt, local founders or co-founders, gender-balanced leadership teams 
  • Geography: Egypt
  • Traction: Company has product in market, some customers and working toward product-market fit
  • Stage: Pre-Seed  

What startups get

Grand Prize

US $10,000 cash prize

Fast-tracked consideration for Catalyst Fund

1 hour of climate resilience advisory services

Showcase opportunity at Fintech for Resilience Summit in London in July 2022


Runners Up

Fast-tracked consideration for Catalyst Fund

1 hour of coaching on fundraising, growth, and impact strategy with Aaron Fu, Maxime Bayen, and Maelis Carraro

1 feature in a Catalyst Fund blog post about fintech for climate resilience and social media promotion


All finalists

Fast-tracked consideration for Catalyst Fund

1 hour of pitch coaching


Selection committee

 

Noha shakerSelma RibicaOuis Abdessodok Maya Oda Pacha Diego Arias Garcia


Past Challenges

On Thursday 31 March 2022 we hosted the Fintech x Climate Resilience Startup Challenge in Lagos, Nigeria to showcase exciting solutions helping to improve the resilience of climate-vulnerable communities across Africa.

Startups pitched their businesses, with a $5,000 cash prize + advisory services and coaching by the Catalyst Fund team and promotion of their startup up for grabs! Startups pitched to and received feedback from world-class investors and were able to mingle with members of Nigeria’s vibrant tech ecosystem.

After we announced the winners of the challenge we hosted a Climate Resilience Tech Happy Hour from 5.30 – 8.00 pm at Impact Hub Lagos with food and cocktails.


Judges:

Selection committee:

Supported by:

FSD Africa is a specialist development agency helping to make finance work for Africa’s future. Based in Nairobi, FSD Africa’s team of financial sector experts work alongside governments, business leaders, regulators, and policy makers to design and build ambitious programmes that make financial markets work better for everyone. Established in 2012, FSD Africa is incorporated as a non-profit company limited by guarantee in Kenya. It is funded by UK aid from the UK government.