C3’s “EmpowerHer Climate” Accelerator Boosts MENA Startups with $150K Grants

Climate tech founders in the Middle East and North Africa often tell the same story: strong ideas, real urgency, but funding that is frustratingly thin. That’s why the launch of C3’s new accelerator caught my attention this week.

C3 has unveiled “EmpowerHer Climate”, a six‑month virtual accelerator designed to support more than 30 startups developing climate adaptation solutions across the region. The programme comes after C3 secured a grant from the Resilient Futures Fund (RFF), a fund backed by several global names including Amazon and Visa Foundation.

The focus is clear. The accelerator will prioritise startups building solutions that strengthen the ability of women and girls to adapt to climate change. These companies may be women-led, or founded by mixed teams, but the impact on women’s resilience is the key thread running through the programme. Applications are open until 31 August 2026.

The Resilient Futures Fund itself is managed by 2X Global, with support from Amazon, Reckitt, Skoll Foundation, The UPS Foundation and Visa Foundation. Its broader aim is to unlock more capital for climate solutions that are led by, or directly benefit, women. In a region where climate risks are intensifying—from water scarcity to extreme heat—that capital is not just helpful; it’s spot on, and long overdue.

C3’s accelerator will offer hands-on support in climate finance, solution design, go-to-market strategy and impact measurement. There will also be mentoring sessions with experts and investors, with a regional Demo Day hosted in Egypt at the end of the programme. For many early-stage founders, getting that kind of exposure is half the battle won.

Ten startups will be selected by an advisory committee to receive non-dilutive grants totalling $150,000. In other words, founders keep their equity. Anyone who has raised early funding knows how big a deal that is—well… I mean, giving away chunks of your company too early can be a bit of a faff later on.

Medea Nocentini, Partner at Global Ventures and Founder of C3, has pointed out that MENA is among the regions most exposed to climate change, yet startups building solutions for these challenges continue to face a funding gap. The programme, she said, is designed to help close that gap by backing ventures capable of delivering tangible impact for women and girls.

Jessica Espinoza, CEO of 2X Global, highlighted that the partnership with C3 is meant to strengthen the women-focused climate innovation ecosystem in the region. By supporting intermediaries like C3, the idea is to crowd in additional capital and help high-impact startups scale more effectively.

C3 operates under the umbrella of Global Ventures, the UAE-based venture capital firm that focuses on Series A investments across emerging markets in the Middle East and Africa. Since launching in 2018, Global Ventures has managed $400 million in assets, completed more than 65 investments and achieved seven exits across ten markets. It’s a track record that gives some weight to this new push into climate adaptation.

From where I stand, initiatives like this are definately a step in the right direction. At Arageek, we constantly hear from founders tackling water efficiency, sustainable agriculture, and climate-smart logistics who just need that first structured support to move faster. On the flip side, accelerators alone won’t fix the climate funding gap. But they can open doors—and sometimes, that’s all a startup needs to get its foot in.

And believe it or not, when you combine targeted funding, regional knowledge, and a gender-lens approach, you may just have a formula that sticks. For MENA’s climate innovators, this could be more than another programme announcement. It might be the start of something with real staying power.

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