Sustainability MENA
About the Program
Village Capital, with the support of International Finance Corporation (IFC), is launching an investment readiness program for Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Turkey-based startups that are tackling the region’s most pressing sustainability challenges.
Entrepreneurs will benefit from Village Capital’s award-winning curriculum, intensive feedback from their peers, and connections and one-on-one mentorship with potential customers, investors and industry experts. We’re encouraging applications from entrepreneurs building high-growth, scalable solutions focused on the following regional challenges:
PLANET: The MENA region is experiencing worsening extreme heat, drought and aridity conditions exacerbated by climate change. We’re looking for innovation that improves the resilience of our planet, with a focus on sustainable sourcing, sustainable food systems, and regenerative farming practices.
PEOPLE: COVID-19 has intensified regional food and housing insecurity, especially for underserved and rural populations. We’re looking for innovation that improves the health and wellness of underserved communities with a focus on the core tenets of life such as access to food, housing, social wellbeing and health and wellness, including mental healthcare.
COHORT COMPANIES
Advisory Board
Didem Altop
Co-Founder, 2C Project House
Amal Enan
Chief Investment Officer at the American University in Cairo
Issa Aghabi
Founder & Managing Partner at Access Bridge Ventures
Heba Ali
Managing Director at Egypt Ventures
Tamer Al-Salah
Managing Director at BeyondCapital
Jenny Atout Ahlzén
Managing Partner at Amam Ventures
Sonia Weymuller
Founding Partner at VentureSouq
Daniel Dart
Founder & CEO, DEC Projects
Claire Kelly
West Africa/MENA Regional Director at Whole Planet Foundation
Ayşe Sabuncu
Co-Founder at Impact Hub Istanbul
Reda Maamari
Founder of Arab Financial Inclusion Innovation Prize
Mohammed Teleb
Managing Director at ENERVAIL
Sirine Fadoul
Founder at SDGeneration
Hassan Mansi
Program Director, Flat6Labs
Kevin Holliday
Managing Director, C3
Jessica Robinson
Sustainable Finance Advisor at Moxie Future