Africa: £86m of Support Catalysed For Earthshot Solutions as EarthShot Event Takes Place in Cape Town

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5 November 2024
The Earthshot Prize
press release

Over £86M in value catalysed to date for Earthshot Prize solutions, up from £48M since launch of match-making platform Launchpad

New landmark deals and funding commitments for Earthshot alumni Acción Andina, Amp Energy, and Sea Forest

Earthshot+ event taking place in Cape Town today with Prince William taking part in panel conversation

As the Earthshot+ event kicks off in Cape Town today (Tuesday, 5th November), The Earthshot Prize has announced that the support galvanised for its alumni has reached £86M in value, highlighting the Prize's impact and ability to accelerate game-changing environmental solutions to scale.


With over 200 investors now on board, Launchpad (Earthshot's match-making platform) has mobilised networks of investors, donors, and corporations to accelerate breakthrough solutions chosen from the pool of Earthshot Prize nominees.

Earlier this year, Launchpad supported 2022 Winner Notpla, known for its innovative seaweed-based alternatives to single-use plastics, with their investment round. The company successfully closed a £20M Series A+ round with contributions from investors introduced through Launchpad.

The announcement comes as a series of further deals for Earthshot Finalists are confirmed:

Ampd Energy has received funding from Kibo Invest, an Investment Office run by James Marshall the founder and CEO of The Earthshot Prize's Impact Partner, Berge Bulk, as part of its $27.3 million Series B round. This investment will support Ampd to expand into new markets such as manufacturing as well as targeting new geographies including the Middle East, Europe, United States and Southeast Asia.

Acción Andina has been funded in a multi-million dollar deal by Mastercard as part of an expansion of its Priceless Planet Coalition, which aims to fund the restoration of 100 million trees by 2030. Mastercard's Center for Inclusive Growth is an Earthshot Founding Partner.

Sea Forest has signed a distribution agreement with NOA's HERD, to support East African Farmers to decarbonise their livestock with SeaFeed. The Ugandan team at NOA's HERD will be running a program to support direct measurement using green feed devices. The program will initially start with 30 farms across Uganda and Kenya.


Today, the second annual Earthshot+ event will take place in Cape Town, leveraging its convening power with key industry leaders and experts. The Prize's Founder and President, Prince William, will participate in a panel moderated by Prize Council Member, Wanjira Mathai, focusing on the importance of accelerating solutions to scale. They will be joined by Earthshot Prize Trustee, Tokunbuh Ishmael, and a young climate leader who has been part of the Earthshot Prize Climate Leaders Youth Programme.

By highlighting the potential that nominations can reach, The Earthshot Prize has created networks of interested partners to collaborate and form coalitions to drive sector-wide change. The Prize has already secured partnerships with global industry leaders for its solutions, including new founding partner Uber establishing a strategic partnership with 2023 Finalist ENSO to roll out its energy-efficient and low-emission EV tires across the UK and the US.

In Cape Town, Earthshot+ will further explore opportunities for partnership by focusing on key tipping points for scale that can hasten the path to change. These tipping points include:


Greening Fashion: Promoting next-generation materials.

Zero Food Loss Value Chains in Africa: Building sustainable food systems.

E-Mobility for All in Africa: Supporting the continent's transition to electric mobility.

Championing African Youth Innovators: Empowering the next generation of environmental leaders.

Valuing Nature: Advocating for the global recognition of nature's intrinsic value, particularly following the COP on Biodiversity.

Hannah Jones, CEO of The Earthshot Prize, emphasised the importance of these initiatives: "Scaling impactful solutions is at the heart of what The Earthshot Prize does. The continued successes of the Launchpad, Earthshot+, as well as the new Ninety-One Accelerator and the GIBS School Executive Leadership Programme are all testaments to our commitment to fostering innovation and driving meaningful change. We are proud to support these incredible innovators and look forward to seeing their solutions make a lasting impact around the world."

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