63 innovators join TECA Heat Action Wave to strengthen heat resilience solutions

As temperatures continue to rise across Nigeria, a new generation of entrepreneurs is developing cooling technologies, climate-smart solutions, and heat-protective innovations aimed at improving daily life, supporting safer working conditions, and enhancing productivity in a warming environment. The entrepreneurs selected for the TECA Heat Action Wave (THAW) Launchpad represent a growing movement of innovation focused on addressing the realities of extreme heat.

The TECA Heat Action Wave is implemented by BFA Global with support from funders, including FSD Africa, ClimateWorks Foundation, and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Nigeria. The program aims to strengthen Nigeria’s adaptive capacity by supporting early-stage ventures that address the health, economic, and environmental pressures associated with extreme heat.

The cohort was chosen through a competitive process that evaluated each venture’s relevance to heat challenges and potential for scale. Beginning in November with the Launchpad phase, participants will take part in virtual sessions designed to strengthen foundational business skills. These sessions will include weekly workshops on user research, product design, business modeling, and early market traction, guided by industry experts and program advisors. The program also includes dedicated sessions on female entrepreneurship and gender-sensitive product design.

Following the Launchpad, the most promising ventures will advance to the TECA Huddle, a fully funded in-person boot camp to be held in Lagos in early 2026. The Huddle will provide partnership building with influential ecosystem actors, provide technical support, and facilitate investor networking. From there, 12 ventures will progress into the Traction phase, receiving approximately $50,000 in blended support, a combination of seed funding and hands-on venture-building, to accelerate product development and early market traction.

Wave by the Numbers

The 63 entrepreneurs represent a diverse mix of heat resilience solutions across Nigeria & Costa Rica. Their work spans hardware innovations (33 solutions), software tools (25 solutions), and science-based approaches (5 solutions). Science-based solutions are those built on applied research, often requiring laboratory testing.

Many ventures have already demonstrated early market traction, with several having paying customers and slowly growing revenue streams, while others are in pilot stages with trial users. The cohort includes both entrepreneurs with previous accelerator experience and first-time founders entering the climate innovation space.

Solutions address sectors such as energy (29 solutions), agriculture (23 solutions), early warning and alert systems (15 solutions), urban settlements (14 solutions), health services (13 solutions), and financial services (13 solutions). Several ventures operate across multiple sectors, reflecting the cross-cutting nature of heat impacts. All selected ventures align with TECA’s ABC impact pillars — Adaptation, Biodiversity, and Carbon — ensuring solutions that strengthen community resilience and environmental sustainability.  

This is just the beginning. Follow the cohort, amplify their stories, and help unlock the partnerships and capital that will turn these heat-resilience solutions into nationwide impact.

See more Articles - Climate Action

Share: