Initiative backed by Shell Foundation and UK Government to scale sustainable solutions in agriculture, energy, mobility, and the built environment.
Launches with an 8-week seed accelerator in Nairobi for African startups.
Aims to mobilize mission-aligned capital and create long-term economic and environmental impact across emerging markets.
500 Global, one of the world’s most active venture capital firms, has launched its Sustainable Innovation Program to support founders building commercially viable solutions to sustainability challenges across the global south. The program combines strategic capital, multilateral partnerships, and deep expertise to scale ventures that deliver both market returns and measurable impact.
The Shell Foundation is serving as the catalytic partner, with co-funding from the UK Government through its Transforming Energy Access (TEA) platform and Catalysing Agriculture by Scaling Energy Ecosystems (CASEE) programme. This marks the first collaboration of its kind focused on human capital investment in key sustainability sectors.
“Through our Sustainable Innovation Program we are supporting commercially viable solutions to critical challenges. We are backing founders who are building businesses that strengthen their communities and scale real impact,” said Dr. Alaa Murabit, Managing Partner, Sustainable Growth at 500 Global. “Our goal is to support these founders, and our partners, in our shared ambition to create, solve, scale, and sustain inclusive, regenerative societies.”
The program’s first initiative, the Sustainable Innovation Seed Accelerator, is launching in Nairobi. This 8-week program will provide seed-stage startups in Africa with mentorship, investor access, and connections to a global network of partners and operators.
500 Global has a long history of ecosystem development since 2010, investing in entrepreneurs across Latin America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. To date, it has backed over 140 companies in 27 countries with business models advancing sustainability goals.
RELATED ARTICAL: Carrier Ventures Invests in Next-Generation Sustainable Technology Startups
Jonathan Berman, CEO of the Shell Foundation, emphasized the partnership’s significance: “Partnering with proven investors like 500 Global is a critical element in Shell Foundation’s vision of scaling clean solutions to reach millions of customers in emerging economies. Supporting and scaling technologies that are commercial and sustainable will increase incomes while lowering emissions for millions of under-served customers.”
With Nairobi as the starting point, the Sustainable Innovation Program aims to drive venture development and mobilize capital across emerging ecosystems—creating lasting impact at scale.
Follow ESG News on LinkedIn
