500 Global Launches Sustainable Innovation Program To Back African Startups
Startups driving change in mobility, infrastructure, agriculture, and energy have until September 19 to apply.
The California-based multi-stage venture capital (VC) firm 500 Global has launched its Sustainable Innovation Program to back mission-driven founders developing commercially viable solutions to sustainability challenges across the global south. The initiative aims to combine strategic capital, multilateral partnerships, and sector expertise to help entrepreneurs scale ventures that generate both market returns and measurable impact.
The program is being offered in partnership with Shell Foundation, an independent charity registered in England and Wales, with co-funding from the UK Government through its Transforming Energy Access (TEA) platform and Catalyzing Agriculture by Scaling Energy Ecosystems (CASEE) program. This marks the first partnership of its kind focused on investing in human capital across agriculture, energy, mobility, and the built environment.
In a statement, Dr. Alaa Murabit, Managing Partner, Sustainable Growth, 500 Global, said, “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. Our goal is to support these founders, and our partners, in our shared ambition to create, solve, scale, and sustain inclusive, regenerative societies, to embed values into value creation, and to leverage new partnerships that reshape both regional and global ecosystems for good.”
Jonathan Berman, CEO of the Shell Foundation, added, “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 underserved customers. We’re proud to be early partners in what we hope will be a network of sustainable innovation across the global south.”
The initiative debuts with the Sustainable Innovation Seed Accelerator in Nairobi, an eight-week program for seed-stage startups from across Africa. Participants will receive mentorship, access to 500 Global’s partner and investor networks, and sector-specific support. The hybrid program includes four weeks in-person in Nairobi and is tuition-free, equity-free, and non-investment-based, though 500 Global may consider selected startups for potential capital contributions.
Startups in mobility, the built environment, agriculture, energy, and other sustainability sectors can apply, with a priority deadline of August 29, 2025, and a final deadline of September 19, 2025. Teams of two to three members are eligible, and applications submitted by the priority deadline will be reviewed earlier.
The program includes a founders’ retreat, growth and scaling sessions, acceleration deep dives, and a final showcase event. Participants will engage in one-on-one mentorship, workshops, roundtables, and fireside chats with sustainability and growth experts, as well as networking opportunities with local ecosystem partners.
The Nairobi accelerator will be followed by similar programs in Casablanca, Morocco; Bangalore, India; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and Lagos, Nigeria.
500 Global has invested in over 140 companies impacting sustainability goals across 27 countries since 2010. With this new program, the firm seeks to mobilize mission-aligned capital and support venture development across emerging ecosystems in the Global South.
