24 March 2022, Abuja, Nigeria – A new partnership between New Energy Nexus and Clean Tech Hub announced today will accelerate diverse clean energy entrepreneurs and the development of local ecosystems to support climate solutions across Nigeria and West Africa.

Located in Abuja, Nigeria, Clean Tech Hub is a pioneering hub for the research, development, and incubation of clean technologies, increasing energy access and improving climate resilience. The partnership will leverage New Energy Nexus’ expertise in accelerating clean energy startups around the world through funds, skills and networks at the most critical stages of an entrepreneur’s journey to build their climate solution. 

“Clean Technology Hub has been a leading accelerator in the Clean Tech ecosystem for several years, incubating several early-stage startups and providing them with growth support in the years to come. We are excited to meet New Energy Nexus in this partnership and to continue supporting clean energy startups,” said Ifeoma Malo, CEO and co-founder at Clean Tech Hub. 

“Our partnership with New Energy Nexus will allow us to further scale our impact as we expand across West Africa – a particularly urgent task given the need for grassroots and locally developed solutions to tackle the climate crisis.”

West Africa is at the forefront of climate change impacts, but is also poised to be a center for economic growth and innovation. Nigeria, already the largest economy and population in Africa, is projected to have the 14th largest economy by GDP in the world by 2050. Over 30% of Nigerian residents are new entrepreneurs or the owner/manager of a new business – among the highest rates in the world. West Africa, home to more than 380 million people, is one of the youngest and fastest growing populations in the world.

“There are not enough diverse and thriving clean energy entrepreneurs to match the scale of the clean energy transition, at the global level, let alone in the regions we need it most. That’s why we are thrilled to partner with Clean Tech Hub. Not only is it Nigeria’s leading organization supporting clean energy innovation, it is perfectly positioned to scale local climate solutions across West Africa,” said Danny Kennnedy, CEO of New Energy Nexus.

The New Energy Nexus and Clean Tech Hub partnership is a region-wide acceleration program for West African countries with a climate fintech program in Nigeria already in an early design stage.

About Clean Tech Hub

Clean Tech Hub is a pioneering hybrid hub for the research, development, demonstration and incubation of clean and green ideas and technologies in Africa, and their validation for commercial-stage development.  It is an early start-up incubator for inventions and innovations in clean energy, a consultancy for sustainability and energy efficiency solutions and a driver of clean energy investment into Africa.

AfricaTech Awards opens call for applications to recognize cutting-edge solutions in the climate tech, health tech, and fintech sectors.

Paris, March 7th, 2022 – Viva Technology and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) today announced a call for applications for the first edition of the AfricaTech Awards, a pan-African initiative developed to recognize and support the most innovative and impactful tech start-ups across the continent.

Entrepreneurship has been a key driver of economic growth in Africa, promoting competitiveness and fostering job creation, particularly among young people. According to reports from Briter Bridges*, investment in African tech start-ups reached $4.9 billion in 2021, marking a significant increase from the $2.4 billion invested in 2020. Despite growing interest from investors, this is still a fraction compared to the funding that start-ups received in other parts of the world – for instance, in 2021, over $100 billion was invested in European start-ups and about $330 billion in start-ups in North America**. Moreover, a lack of infrastructure and inadequate regulations often present additional challenges to the scale-up of start-ups across Africa.

“Africa is buzzing with innovative tech solutions that can help address climate change, promote food security, and expand financial inclusion,” said Makhtar Diop, IFC’s Managing Director. “Yet over 80% of African start-ups report difficulties in accessing funding. Initiatives like the AfricaTech Awards, which bring together entrepreneurs, governments, and investors, are key to attracting the resources and support that tech start-ups need to scale their innovations across the continent and beyond.”

The AfricaTech Awards will recognize African start-ups that are driving innovation and development impact in three main sectors – climate tech, health tech, and fintech. Participating startups will have until March 25, 2022 to submit their applications. In May, with support from Viva Technology and IFC, a panel of industry experts from our knowledge partner Deloitte will pre-select the top 45 applicants. The final winners in each category will be announced during the 2022 edition of Viva Technology, taking place on June 15-18 in Paris and online.

Each of the three category winners will benefit from increased visibility and access to the networks provided by Viva Technology and IFC, including select one-on-one meetings with leaders and top executives in the tech industry.

For Viva Technology Co-Presidents Maurice Lévy and Pierre Louette and Managing Director Julie Ranty:

“We have been impressed by the quality of African innovations during our various on-site roadshows and in our meetings with the 1000+ African startups that have already taken part in VivaTech. With the AfricaTech Awards, our objective is to boost visibility for African innovation ecosystems and to create opportunities for African entrepreneurs within global markets.”

To find more information about the challenge and apply, visit https://challenges.vivatechnology.com/en/challenges/africatech-awards

* Source: Briter Bridges Africa Investment Report 2021 and 2020
** Source: Crunchbase

About Viva Technology
VivaTech is the biggest startup and tech event in Europe and is recognized worldwide as a powerful catalyst for business transformation, startup growth and innovation for the common good. Since 2017 VivaTech has brought together in Paris the world’s top business leaders, startups, investors, researchers and thinkers for a unique experience combining inspiration, networking and a showcase for innovation. Starting with the 2021 edition VivaTech is now enriched with a digital platform that connects a global community of innovators. The sixth edition of VivaTech is taking place June 15-18, 2022. More information available at https://vivatechnology.com/media and @VivaTech
Press contacts:
Léa Roos: lroos@vivatechnology.com
Laura Loustalot: lloustalot@vivatechnology.com

About IFC

IFC—a member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2021, IFC committed a record $31.5 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

Press Contacts:
In Nairobi: Kristina Ifeoma Nwazota: knwazota@ifc.org
In Paris: Egidio Germanetti: egermanetti@ifc.org
In Washington, DC: Nicola Vesco: nvesco@ifc.org

Oakland, CA, 28 January 2022 — New Energy Nexus announced today that energy technology industry veteran, Denise Rushing, has joined the management team as California’s Managing Director, the latest in several key additions to New Energy Nexus’ growing global team.

“Denise brings a wonderful combination of public and private sector experience along with time as an entrepreneur to New Energy Nexus,” said New Energy Nexus CEO Danny Kennedy. “She will strengthen our global management team and provide the leadership needed to propel us to the next level in California as we collectively strive to meet our 100% clean energy goal for 100% of the population”

Rushing will bring diverse perspectives from the areas of energy technology, market development, program leadership, and community transformation.

“I am thrilled to be joining New Energy Nexus, an organization that understands the scope and scale needed to face global climate challenges, but also leverages its efforts for the greatest impact,” said Rushing. “I am most excited about tackling clean energy’s equity challenges to achieve clean energy for everyone in the shortest time possible.

“The New Energy Nexus team has a solid track record of collaboration, program leadership and building justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion into the clean energy economy. Together, we are looking forward to supporting California’s leaders, stakeholders, and innovators in this important work.”

Rushing earned her bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from Stanford University and devoted her career to clean technology market development. Her pioneering work in the energy industry began as a renewable energy engineer at PG&E, where she soon rose to Director of Customer Energy Efficiency, launching award-winning initiatives adopted by utilities around the world. Over the past twenty-five years, she has led and advised a number of disruptive energy technology start-ups and innovators. Key roles included Vice President of Marketing and Sales for eMeter, CellNet Data Systems, and Sage Systems, and General Manager for Invensys Goodwatts home control division.

She was elected to public office and served two terms on the Lake County Board of Supervisors from 2007 to 2014, where she was best known for her environmental advocacy and community revitalization efforts. Rushing led rural Lake County to two State-wide Green California Leadership awards and championed two of the largest public solar energy installations in the Western United States.  

In her new role, Rushing will be overseeing the exciting work that is coming out of New Energy Nexus’s California programs, including the California Sustainable Energy Entrepreneur Development (CalSEED) initiative, The California Test Bed (CalTestBed) initiative, the Clean Energy Business Roundtable (CEBR), Lithium Valley, and Lithium Bridge with the Federal Department of Energy. Rushing is joining at a pivotal time with both CalSEED and CalTestBed preparing to support new cohorts of early-stage clean energy innovators in 2022, and she will be instrumental in ensuring that the development of Lithium Valley is a part of the equitable recovery from the impacts of COVID-19. Her main goal this year will be to enhance and amplify the tremendous efforts that New Energy Nexus is making in California to build a robust and equitable energy innovation pipeline that supports diverse entrepreneurs to bring their clean energy innovations to the marketplace.

The new finance flowing into clean energy last year is a leading indicator of bigger and better shifts to come in the global economy. But what we now need are more diverse climate entrepreneurs to step up. As we get ready to leap into the Year of the Tiger, hear from Danny Kennedy how clean energy entrepreneurs can jumpstart their ideas with us in 2022.

Here’s how clean energy entrepreneurs can jumpstart their ideas with us in 2022

New Energy Nexus and the climate solutions movement in general had a banner year in 2021. A small measure was the growth in climate/impact venture capital at a 50% compounded annual growth rate. Not that that gets to those most in need yet, but the new finance flowing into clean energy is a leading indicator of bigger and better shifts to come in the global economy.

NEX supported over 400 startups with business training, mentors, connections to customers and buyers, capital of the right kind at the right time and other services. From our Excel Accelerator in China to The Clean Fight late-stage commercialization accelerator in New York, and our new partner in Nigeria we’re doing the work with the folk finding climate solutions. 

Here are 3 easy ways we can help your clean energy startup go to the next level:

1. 1. Check out our programs. From accelerators, and hackathons through to mentoring session and networking events, there are programs in Indonesia, China, USA, India, Philippines, Uganda and beyond.
   2. Join New Energy Network, one of the world’s biggest networks for clean energy entrepreneurs on Slack.
   3. Follow us on social media to get the latest news and program announcements on LinkedIn, Twitter.

We’ve grown our audience to over 50,000 across all our online channels, providing information and inspiration for those who want to start up startups to tackle the biggest challenges of our times: climate justice, jobs and opportunity. And we now have over 100 amazing staff members in 10 countries toiling around the clock to meet our mission: to support diverse entrepreneurs driving innovation and building equity into the global energy economy.

So we’re gearing up for another big year in 2022 – the Year of the Tiger. According to Chinese lore, this will be a year of risk-taking and adventure: “We’re finding enthusiasm again, both for ourselves and for others. Everyone is fired up, generosity is at an all-time high and social progress feels possible again”. 

This is the spirit we’re excited to bring out in our work plans this year. So with that, happy Lunar New Year to all those celebrating. Shine on!

Danny Kennedy – CEO of New Energy Nexus

The search for the winners of The Earthshot Prize 2022 has begun and New Energy Nexus is proud to be an official Nominator. Launched in 2020 and with the first incredible winners announced in October 2021, The Earthshot Prize is the most prestigious global environment prize in history, aiming to find new solutions to the world’s biggest environmental problems.

As an Official Nominator, we are one of over 300 organisations from across the world, invited to submit nominations across all five Earthshot categories, selected for our ability to identify the most impactful solutions across all sectors, from grassroots to businesses.

We will be nominating individuals, communities, businesses and organisations whose solutions make the most progress towards achieving the five Earthshots – simple but ambitious goals which if achieved by 2030 will improve life for us all, for generations to come.

The Earthshot Prize will consider solutions which make tangible progress towards one of the five Earthshots. They should be beyond idea stage, have tested their solution in–field or with target audiences, and are at a ‘tipping point’ for scaling their impact within the next five years.

The Earthshots are:

1. Protect and Restore Nature
2. Clean our Air
3. Revive our Oceans
4. Build a Waste–Free World
5. Fix our Climate

If you have a solution that is inspiring, inclusive and impactful, please write to  haley.nieh@newenergynexus.com for a further discussion. You can find out more about the Prize, our role as an Official Nominator, and the five–stage process to selecting winners at www.earthshotprize.org.

After nominations are submitted, they are screened as part of a rigorous assessment process culminating in selection of five winners by the Earthshot Prize Council.

Finalists and winners are given an incredible platform to amplify their work, as well as tailored support from The Earthshot Prize and our network of NGOs, businesses, governments, funders and expert mentors. The five winners also receive a one–of–a–kind award and a one–million–pound grant to scale their impact.

New York, November 18, 2021 – Dodo, an all-in-one platform that helps companies to rapidly measure their emissions and access green, affordable finance, has won the inaugural Climate Fintech Cards & Payments Challenge (C&P Challenge). The challenge is an initiative the global nonprofit New Energy Nexus launched to catalyze innovation across the financial sector to address climate change, with support from Barclays US Consumer Bank; Rise, created by Barclays; Mastercard; Doconomy; and Patch.

Dodo was launched by Jack Kennedy and his co-founder Csaba Szabo to enable SMEs to reduce their emissions. Dodo wins US$100,000 and the opportunity to advance their proof-of-concept projects with established financial stakeholders. 

“We’re incredibly happy to win the Cards and Payments challenge and have loved working with all the sponsors and startups on the programme. Climate Fintech has the power to rapidly transform how entire industries can operate more sustainably. The partnerships that we’ve developed throughout the programme will enable us to launch Dodo to millions of SMEs across the UK,” said Jack Kennedy, Dodo’s Co-Founder and CEO. 

In second place in the Challenge is Carbon Neutral Club, a membership platform that helps offsets personal carbon footprint, while in third place, two startups took the prize: Green-Got, a platform facilitating sustainable personal banking; and ecountabl, an app that allows shoppers to find purpose-led brands that align with their values.

This challenge saw cross-collaboration between multinational financial institutions, fintech leaders and startups that offer digital financial climate solutions. The C&P Challenge brought together innovators using the latest technologies and partnership models that can help inform the way we spend, the things we buy, and how payments are handled – making everyday consumption more sustainable.

“Open innovation is not easy, but during this Challenge, we’ve been thrilled by the collaboration between the startups and partners. All participants went the extra mile to examine compatibility in business model, technology, and partnership – with the common goal of empowering the green consumer,” said Aaron McCreary, Climate Fintech Lead at New Energy Nexus.

“To tackle the climate crisis, we need collective action and new ways of collaborating across the private sector, which is why we’re thrilled to support initiatives such as the Climate Fintech Cards & Payments Challenge. At Mastercard, we have a strong track record of nurturing fintech innovation and are energized by how the startup community is working to solve environmental challenges. We believe the entrepreneurs in this inaugural cohort have significant potential to make a positive impact on the industry and the planet,” said Sue Kelsey, EVP Global Product, Sustainability & Financial Inclusion at Mastercard.

“During this inaugural Climate Fintech Cards and Payments Challenge we’ve seen an incredible cohort of climate-focused entrepreneurs. As we transition to a low-carbon economy, I’m excited to see the positive, long-term impact that these fintech companies will have on our planet, in partnership with the financial services industry, through our shared ambition of improving the sustainability of customer and client journeys,” said Brian Luciani, Head of Rise New York.

“Whilst the Challenge has primarily been a magnet to bring together the next generation of climate fintech leading companies, it has also served as a creative space for the Challenge sponsors to explore collaborations. Doconomy and Patch have found a highly complementary set of product offerings that help financial institutions, brands, and their customers measure, educate, and engage their daily consumption behavior to its environmental impact,” said Tee Pruitt, Head of Business: Financial Services, Doconomy.

The Challenge welcomed an applicant pool of diverse climate fintech solutions from across digital payments, digital wallets, credit assessment, rewards, benefits, insurance, and processing infrastructure. More than 70 applicants applied from 23 countries around the world, resulting in 11 finalists from Brazil, Canada, Austria, India, The United Kingdom, and the United States.

The winner of the Cards & Payments Challenge will also be fast tracked to the selection phase of Mastercard Start Path, the company’s award-winning global startup engagement program. Through this program and across the entire Mastercard Developers portfolio, the company provides an express lane for fintech companies of all sizes to build, launch and grow. Mastercard is continuously adding programs and services to power new ways to pay, infuse trust across the payments ecosystem, and support a more inclusive, sustainable digital economy. 

This initiative comes on the heels of two recently published Climate Fintech Reports, one published by New Energy Nexus and the other published by Rise – both of which help to further define the space and highlight key success stories. These reports illustrate a vast ecosystem, in part to uncover as many digital financial solutions facilitating decarbonization investment, clean energy finance, and sustainable consumer habits as possible.

About Rise, created by Barclays

Rise, created by Barclays, is a global community of the world’s top innovators working together to create the future of financial services. Our mission is to connect technology, talent and trends from across the Rise ecosystem to accelerate innovation and growth in the financial services industry. This is done by operating FinTech workspaces around the world and in a virtual community where cutting-edge startups and scale-ups can connect, create and scale their businesses, backed by Barclays’ global network of industry experts, mentors, investors and partners. For more information, visit rise.barclays. 

About Barclays

Barclays US Consumer Bank is a leading co-branded credit card issuer and financial services partner in the United States that creates highly customized programs to drive customer loyalty and engagement for some of the country’s most successful travel, entertainment, retail and affinity institutions. The bank offers co-branded credit cards, small business credit cards, installment loans, POS Finance, online savings accounts, and CDs. For more information, please visit www.BarclaysUS.com.  

Barclays is a British universal bank. We are diversified by business, by different types of customer and client, and geography. Our businesses include consumer banking and payments operations around the world, as well as a top-tier, full service, global corporate and investment bank, all of which are supported by our service company which provides technology, operations and functional services across the Group. For further information about Barclays, please visit www.Barclays.com.

About Mastercard

Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all. For more information, visit www.mastercard.com.

About Doconomy

Doconomy, founded in Sweden in 2018, is a world-leading provider of applied impact solutions. Doconomy wants to future-proof life on planet earth by empowering individuals and corporations to take responsibility for their environmental footprint. Firmly believing that the climate crisis can only be solved as a collective, Doconomy is also a partner of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Mastercard, S&P Trucost, and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

About Patch

Patch is an API-first carbon removal marketplace that enables companies to seamlessly purchase as little as a gram of carbon removal from individual projects. This micro-transaction access enables businesses of all sizes to work with carbon removal projects and neutralize emissions with the granularity required by embedded carbon removal use cases, such as carbon neutral shipping, travel, and climate positive financial services products.  As an API-first platform, Patch aims to create a future where every commerce transaction—every swipe of a credit card, retail delivery, and bitcoin purchase—can have its unavoidable emissions automatically neutralized.

Notes to editors

The Cards & Payments Challenge website: https://www.cnpchallenge.com/

Climate Fintech Report by New Energy Nexus can be downloaded here

Climate FinTech Insights Report by Rise, created by Barclays can be downloaded here

4 November – New Energy Nexus Uganda – an organisation supporting entrepreneurs to provide clean energy products in Uganda’s rural communities, where only 19% of the population have access to electricity – is a winner of the Ashden Award for energy access innovation.

Presented at COP26 at a ceremony attended by the President of Costa Rica Carlos Alvarado, the Award honours pioneering organisations lowering carbon emissions and building a fairer world. Winners receive grants, publicity and support to grow and replicate their innovation.

New Energy Nexus Uganda connects people in rural areas with clean energy, through financing, training, technology and investment. In rural Uganda, Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) provide many essential services – supporting better health, education, sanitation and work for local people. New Energy Nexus partners with these locally structured, small organisations to bring affordable renewable energy to the country’s remote (or last-mile) villages.

Aneri Pradhan, founder of ENVenture and Board Director of New Energy Nexus Uganda, said:

“This award is a testament to the entrepreneurs in rural Uganda who are powering their communities with clean energy. We have proven that clean energy distribution is scalable through local Community-Based Organisations, who not only increase access to clean energy in their localities, but create jobs too.

“We are thrilled that Ashden has recognised that empowering grassroots networks are key for increasing access to energy in under-resourced areas, and we hope our model for inclusive distribution will be replicated across the world.”

New Energy Nexus has incubated 123 small clean energy enterprises across Uganda. This has created 650 jobs, 70% of which are occupied by women. These organisations have sold more than 15,000 clean energy products, benefiting 100,000 people, and 77% of customers say their quality of life has improved as a result of their new product. Just over 120 investments have been made to the value of US$200,000 and US$2.9 million income has been saved annually as a result of transition to clean technologies.

Before working with New Energy Nexus, most community-based organisations relied on donations for income. New Energy Nexus provides entrepreneurship training and mentoring, and energy loans to buy clean energy products such as solar lanterns, briquettes, water filters and cookstoves. Organisations sell these at affordable prices to local people. Once organisations have established a successful business model, they unlock another level of credit access qualifying for further support and larger energy loans to buy more products and invest in marketing and sales teams.

Other innovation from New Energy Nexus Uganda includes an offline bookkeeping application for the energy merchants and street vendors. This tracks inventory and sales, works well with limited internet connection, and relies on pictures to ensure it is usable by people with low literacy levels.

One successful partnership is with RFCare, a community-based organisation empowering women and youngpeople in the Rwenzori Highlands region. Through New Energy Nexus’ incubation program, it received a loan of US$2,000 to support the sale of cookstoves that create less air pollution than traditional models, as well as fuel briquettes and non-electric water filters. The loan also helped train young people in cook stove installation and repair. So far, the enterprises have sold 1,800 stoves.

Biira Imelda RFCare cofounder (a New Energy Nexus Uganda partner), said:

“RFCare has been able to work with communities in hard-to-reach areas in Kasese district, due to the business loans accessed from New Energy Nexus Uganda. The elderly are proudly cooking with an improved cook stove.”

Violet Nyakuru, Executive Director at Nile Community Empowerment (a New Energy Nexus Uganda partner), said:

“Madiokoll, Rhino camp has no access to electricity and households rely on kerosene lamps for lighting. With solar lanterns, my clients can now save off kerosene and their children are able to read at night with ease. I believe this is just the beginning of an energy transition for my community.”

David Olodi, Director and Founder of Agri-Light Limited (a New Energy Nexus Uganda partner), said:

“Thanks to ENVenture’s growth fund, we expanded our clean energy business from selling clean energy products to just 5 groups to now operating in over five districts in the northern part of Uganda. 17 out of 30 people in each of our groups have either a pico system or a cookstove.”

Harriet Lamb, CEO of UK-based Ashden, said:

“The Ashden Awards have showcased bold, brilliant and ground-breaking initiatives at COP26. Our winners show what is possible in the shift to a fairer low carbon future and should inspire world leaders to take decisive action to slash carbon emissions. The message to leaders at COP26 is clear – if they get behind such practical and proven climate solutions a zero carbon world is within our reach.”

H.E. President of the Republic of Costa Rica Carlos Alvarado, said:

“All the nominees to the 2021 Ashden Awards have chosen to lead by example. In Costa Rica we share the conviction that sustainable development goes hand in hand with economic growth, as well as a deep commitment to decarbonisation and to promote nature-based solutions to the climate crisis and biodiversity loss challenges we face. For that, I do believe the great endeavour of our generation is to abolish fossil fuels.”

About the Ashden Awards

Climate solutions charity Ashden spotlights and supports climate and energy innovators in the UK and low-income countries delivering proven, ready-to-scale climate solutions. It works with businesses, non-profits and public sector organisations. The Ashden Awards were launched in 2001, and this year’s ceremony took place in the Green Zone at COP26. World leaders and international organisations are gathering in Glasgow from 1-13 November to agree a global plan for tackling the climate crisis.

The 2021 winners were chosen from over 800 applicants for their work creating resilience, green economies – including jobs and training – and fairer societies.

Photos are available here

New Energy Nexus and HolonIQ released the inaugural Southeast Asia Climate Tech 50, a list of the most promising Climate Tech startups and companies in the region. The list forms part of the ‘Global Climate Tech 1000’ and an open source taxonomy for climate technology to be launched next week at COP26.

New York, 26 October 2021 – Global Impact Intelligence Platform, HolonIQ, in partnership with New Energy Nexus, an international non-profit that supports diverse clean energy entrepreneurs, today released the inaugural ‘Southeast Asia Climate Tech 50’. 

The list identifies the most promising 50 Climate Tech startups from across Southeast Asia that are making a substantial contribution to climate change mitigation or adaptation through the application of new technology or scientific knowledge. 

The Southeast Asia Climate Tech 50 are selected from over 500 Climate Tech startups who applied or are covered by New Energy Nexus or HolonIQ’s Intelligence Platform, and work in sectors from energy and the environment to agri-food and mobility. They are a representative cohort of the top climate tech startups based in the region and have been scored on five key criteria: market, product, team (including diversity), capital and momentum.

“New Energy Nexus is excited to partner with Holon IQ in this inaugural launch of the SEA Climate Tech 50 list. We hope that by developing a database of companies working on solutions to the climate crisis, we can highlight the great work these entrepreneurs do. Other ecosystem supporters such as government programs, commercial partners and investors can leverage this for information needed to further support their growth and success. We will continually update and expand this list to reflect this growing sector in Southeast Asia,” said Stanley Ng, Program Director for Southeast Asia at New Energy Nexus.

Key findings from the Southeast Asia Climate Tech 50:

• There is a strong focus on Agri andFood, the environment and renewables.
• Software or Digital based companies only represent 17% of the Southeast Asia Climate Tech 100 while 58% take a physical form and apply scientific knowledge or new forms of applied technology through ‘hardware’ or physical products including food.
• Over two-thirds of the companies were founded between 2010-2014

HolonIQ also announced an open source taxonomy for Climate Technology, built by augmenting experts, such as New Energy Nexus, from around the world with artificial intelligence, to identify key climate technology categories that will lead the fight against climate change leveraging technology and applied science. The “Global Climate Technology Landscape 1.0”, has been released ahead of the formal launch at COP26 next week at: www.globalclimatelandscape.org

About the Climate Tech 1000

• Selected from over 10,000 Climate Tech startups who applied or are covered by HolonIQ’s Intelligence Platform and partners around the world.
• The top 1000 global climate tech startups are built region by region to ensure the cohort is diverse, truly global and to shine a light on the inspiring innovation happening around the world.
• 10 regional lists in total including North America 200, Europe 200, Australia and New Zealand 100, East Asia 100, Nordic Baltic 100, India and South Asia 100, Africa 50, LATAM 50, MENA 50 and Southeast Asia 50. 

About the Open Source Taxonomy, ‘Global Climate Landscape 1.0’

• Open-source taxonomy for climate innovation, providing a common structure and language for identifying, tracking and making sense of the breadth and depth of innovation happening in climate technology globally. 
• More information is available at https://www.globalclimatelandscape.org/

About HolonIQ

HolonIQ is the world’s leading platform for impact market intelligence. We power decisions that matter across education, healthcare and sustainability.

Our customers are governments, institutions, firms and investors who are shaping and influencing policy, innovation, technology and investment across the impact economy. In this constantly shifting landscape, our customers know that good decisions can’t be made without contextualised data, disciplined analysis and a global perspective. We have developed open-source taxonomies and proprietary artificial intelligence to track these strategic developments around the world, as they happen.

The California 100 Commission

Danny Kennedy will be one of 26 commissioners bringing their expertise to California 100, a new statewide initiative focused on long-term planning and visioning for California future

12 October 2021 – New Energy Nexus CEO, Danny Kennedy, has been selected as a Commissioner for California 100, bringing his expertise in clean energy to this new statewide initiative focused on inspiring a vision and strategy for California’s next century.

Incubated at the University of California and Stanford University, California 100 is establishing a 26-member multigenerational commission with diverse backgrounds and expertise to advise on, and engage in, the initiative’s transformative streams of work and activities. Earlier this summer, California 100 announced research awards to 18 centers and institutes across the state to examine future scenarios with the potential to shape California’s leadership in the coming century.

“California has been a leader in energy and climate in many ways, and yet the benefits of the energy transition are not accruing to everyone. As we enter the next 100 years and foster the clean energy startups that will power this transition, I am committed to ensuring diverse entrepreneurs come first and communities get their fair share of the wealth created from these solutions,” said Danny Kennedy, who was born in Los Angeles and lives in Oakland.

“We are thrilled to draw on the expertise of these transformative leaders who are making a difference in their respective fields and already leaving a mark on California,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan, executive director of California 100. “ We will draw on their unique perspectives to inform our work to create a vision and strategy for the next century that is inclusive, equitable and sustainable.”

In addition to research, California 100 will also sponsor original policy innovation projects across California working in partnership with local and statewide agencies. Commissioners will organize engagement sessions throughout California with key stakeholders across the state to test California 100’s research and policy innovation efforts to ensure that Californians are directly included in the initiative’s work. 

The California 100 Commission can be found here.

The Commission brings expertise within the thirteen issue areas of focus for California 100:

• Advanced Technology
• Arts, Culture, Entertainment
• Education
• Economic Mobility, Inequality and Workforce
• Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources
• Federalism and Foreign Policy
• Fiscal Reform
• Governance, Media and Civil Society
• Health and Wellness
• Housing and Community Development
• Immigrant Integration
• Public Safety and Criminal Justice
• Transportation and Urban Planning

Commissioners will serve a two-year term and meet regularly throughout the life of the initiative. They will hold listening sessions across the state to engage key stakeholders in the Spring and Summer of 2022. 

The goal of California 100 is to lift up and support transformative ideas, people and projects that accelerate progress with a focus on inspiring a vision and strategy for California’s next century that is innovative, sustainable, and equitable. In addition to sponsoring original work, the California 100 Platform will promote the best of what is happening in California. Through these various projects and activities, California 100 seeks to move California towards an aspirational vision—changing policies and practices, attitudes and mindsets, for a more vibrant future.