Organised by Mirova, the affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers dedicated to responsible investing, Nature+ Accelerator Fund is set to support startups focused on the good health of the environment at large.
Designed to bridge the largest gap in the funding cycle for nature-based enterprises, the programme seeks innovative solutions that will mitigate and adapt to climate change whilst delivering positive impacts both on biodiversity and the wellbeing of local communities.
Nature+ Accelerator Fund, which is in partnership with IUCN, the biggest scientific organisation in nature, and CPIC, the world’s largest coalition for conservation finance, will invest in projects across the following four categories:
- Terrestrial Conservation and Restoration: Nested / jurisdictional REDD+ projects, biodiversity and conservation credits, multiple revenue stream landscape approach;
- Marine Conservation and Coastal Resilience: Sustainable aquaculture, fisheries improvement projects, circular economy (plastic recycling and new environmental assets like plastic credits), blue carbon, mangroves, marine protected areas, and coral reef restoration;
- Sustainable Agriculture: regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, access to market and reduced intermediation, and soil carbon sequestration credit; and
- Nature Based Innovation: drone technology, conservation focused smart apps and financial services to communities.
Benefits
Nature+ Accelerator Fund will be deployed through three complimentary windows:
- Seed Window (ticket size of US $100-200K): targeting projects with an early-stage concept to finance their feasibility study;
- Early Venture Window (ticket size of US $1-2M): targeting projects that have passed the proof-of-concept phase and are delivering or about to deliver tangible revenue streams; and
- Venture Window (ticket size up to US $5M): providing follow-on funding to scale-up successful projects already funded under the Seed and Early Venture Window.
Eligibility
To participate in Nature+ Accelerator Fund, your startup must:
- Be in operation (with concrete results, even if preliminary)
- Involve local communities with social benefits;
- Be in a developing country where the government is progressively engaging into the conservation of its key ecosystems;
- Be operated by a project proponent demonstrating track-record and local anchorage;
- Specific priority will be given to projects generating carbon credits and to projects located in Africa;
- Be seeking commercial proposals – the funding delivered will not be grants but investment capital subject to repayment and returns.
How to apply
Submit your proposal to accelerate your startup before the deadline on Wednesday, August 31, 2022.
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