Strengthening the climate landscape in Latin America and the Caribbean: The entrepreneurship support organisations leading the charge

Climate change remains a global challenge, yet the solutions lie within local contexts. Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) contribute less than ten per cent to total global greenhouse gas emissions, but the impact in this region is particularly acute. Extreme weather and rising temperatures threaten their agriculture-dependent economies. In response, the ‘Developing Capacity of Innovation Ecosystems Actors to Accelerate Climate Technology Solutions in LAC’ programme was initiated to support the renewable energy transition, ecosystem preservation, and climate innovation projects — essential moves in a region that has received only six per cent of global climate financing in recent years.

This joint programme is run by Climate KIC, Europe’s leading climate innovation agency and community, in collaboration with IDB Lab, a vital player for innovation development in Latin America. These efforts are further strengthened by the support of the Clean Technology Fund, who support clean energy transformation in developing economies.

Running from June 2023 to May 2025, this initiative is set to lead and transform the climate innovation landscape across the LAC region, with a focus on countries like Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico and Peru. The primary goal is to amplify the capabilities of incubators, accelerators, and other ecosystem enablers in the region, equipping them to support climate-focused start-ups efficiently.

The programme launched with an open call targeting Entrepreneurship Support Organisations (ESOs), including innovation agencies, incubators, accelerators, ecosystem builders, venture capital investors, coworking spaces, and hubs. The call garnered 115 applications across 16 countries, underscoring the region’s talent, enthusiasm, and pressing need for sustainable solutions.

The selection process was comprehensive, assessing various factors such as entrepreneurial support experience, innovation ecosystem positioning, and the aspiration to co-create a ClimAccelerator. Given the outstanding quality of applications, the cohort was expanded from the initial 25 to 28 ESOs, representing 11 countries.

Looking ahead, the cohort will spend the next four months in a customised development programme with workshops and mentoring, aimed at co-creating proposals to accelerate climate tech innovations regionally. They will leverage an open-sourced suite of tools for running their own ClimAccelerator, encompassing management resources, content, and a coaching network. A climate impact framework will guide start-ups them to align their environmental and financial goals, and they will join a global network of over 400 organisations dedicated to a net-zero transition.

Following this capacity-building phase, the programme will shift gears to its next critical step: fostering climate innovations within the region. By mid-2024, the top three to five ESOs with the most promising results in the programme will be selected and mentored to accelerate 100 climate tech start-ups over 12 months. The official call for start-ups will be made in the second quarter of 2024.

For public and private organizations, as well as individuals eager to support the cohort and the development of ClimAccelerators, sign up here to become part of our ecosystem in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Meet the cohort

Bolivia

La Paz

Fundación Solydes – Solydes Aceleradora

Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Pista 8

Santa Cruz Innova – CAINCO

Brazil

Manaus

AMAZ Impact Accelerator

Amazon Investor Coalition (New Brazil Spin-off Project)

São José dos Campos