Q&A: Climate leaders with answers

Q: How is it going? A: We launched less than a year ago and already have 11 portfolio companies!

Q: What are you excited about right now? A: Giraffe Bioenergy, a cassava-to-ethanol cooking fuel company. We are the lead investor, which is a key part of our model. Often finding the lead is the hardest part for startups.

Q: What advice do you give entrepreneurs? A: Solve a big problem. Don’t be a nice-to-have.

Q: What is the biggest challenge in the next decade? A: We need to prioritise ways for farmers to adapt. The continent is taking the biggest brunt in climate change. Where I come from in Swaziland, temperatures reached an all time high, right after a huge storm that destroyed hundreds of houses.

Q: Are there enough teams working on solutions? A: We are struggling a lot with climate experience, and how to expand the talent pool. We need people who understand impact but also sectors like agriculture and cookstoves.