Cutting-edge technologies for climate resilience: Launching the Climate Tech Facility
On 22 September 2023, Mercy Corps Ventures Climate Lab launched its Climate Tech Facility to source pilot partners innovating in climate.
PLEASE NOTE: The application deadline for the Climate Tech Facility was 15 November, 2023. The application period is now closed. Stay tuned for updates.
APPLICATION FORM HERE
The objective of the Climate Tech Facility is to deploy innovative technologies for climate resilience in emerging markets through a series of pilots. By partnering with impactful, early-stage ventures working on climate-tech, Mercy Corps Ventures aims to build an evidence base to prove the scalability of innovative technological solutions to combat the climate crisis.
The Climate Tech Facility is a grant facility managed by MCV’s Climate Venture Lab, which will run multiple calls for proposals per year with different focus areas under the Resilient Future Thesis. The Climate Tech Facility will provide equity-free grants of up to $100,000 to eligible partners. In addition to capital, the Venture Lab will also provide mentorship, impact measurement advisory, access to partnership opportunities, knowledge exchange, and brand exposure.
This call for proposals is focused on climate tech. Specifically, successful proposals should clearly articulate:
- The technological solution itself and its impact on underserved populations in emerging markets
- The viability/sustainability of the model: proving the business case with a clear value proposition, positive unit economics and the pathway to scale through a financially sound business model
Climate change is a key driver of many of the changes occurring at the global and local level, across every economy, sector, supply chain, and industry. Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of droughts, heat stress, natural disasters, and patterns of rainfall and temperatures, as well as other extreme weather events. We are already seeing the effects of these changes, through a rise in conflict, migration, supply chain disruptions, and macroeconomic instability.
However, climate change is also creating unforeseen opportunities. Evolving consumer preferences, technological developments, and new legislation are leading to the creation of new solutions, product categories, and market opportunities. For example, the costs of renewable energy technologies are decreasing while consumer preference for sustainable and transparent corporate practices is increasing. We are going through a fundamental shift in how people value land and natural resources, seen through the rise of tools such as carbon credits. As the global demand for food grows, so too does the business case for making these systems more efficient, equitable, and sustainable.
As we reflect on these opportunities and threats, we are acutely aware that underserved and marginalized households, small businesses, and workers have the most at stake as we go through this transformation. These populations often lack access to inclusive and equitable resources, infrastructure, tools, information, and markets that could enable them on their path to prosperity and economic growth, and leaves them unable to adequately prepare, withstand, and respond to disruptions, becoming more common with climate change.
The impact of these disruptions on underserved populations is accelerating the existing injustice and widening inequality of today, and heightening the fragility of progress towards economic development and prosperity. This is already playing out: more than 130 million people could be pushed into poverty by climate change by 2030, and more than 150 million people have already been pushed back into poverty by costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, groups within underserved communities are disproportionately impacted, such as youth, smallholders, informal merchants, gig workers, displaced populations, and women. The per capita carbon footprint in a rich country was 23x greater than in an LDC, but 69% of climate-related deaths were caused in LDCs. Looking at gender alone, women constitute 80% of people forcibly displaced by climate-related shocks in emerging markets, and they are more likely to die due to natural disasters.
Our mission is to leverage the opportunities created by this transformative moment by supporting organizations who are building a more inclusive and resilient future.
MCV’s Climate Venture Lab is looking for organizations operating in Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and Latin and Central America, that apply cutting-edge technology to build innovative solutions for climate resilience for underserved populations.
From our Resilient Future Thesis, our focus areas are:
Mercy Corps Ventures’ Lab has run 12 pilots over the past three years. Examples of previous pilots include parametric crop insurance policies built on smart contracts, climate smart housing with on-chain payments, and a decentralized peer-to-peer water network in India and more.
If you would like to apply to the Climate Tech Facility, please see the APPLICATION FORM HERE. Additional details for the Facility can be found below:
Should you have any further questions, please email kkou@mercycorps.org
