The Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA) has officially launched the In-Country Youth ADAPT Demo Day Events under the African Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP).
The initiative marks a major step in empowering young African entrepreneurs working on climate adaptation solutions.
It aims to strengthen the continent’s climate resilience by supporting youth-led enterprises with funding, mentorship, and investment opportunities, This Day reported.
Over the coming weeks, selected youth enterprises from Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, and Nigeria will compete in national Demo Day events.
From more than 500 applicants, around 100 enterprises, approximately 20 per country, have been shortlisted to pitch their innovations before panels of respected jurists and investors.
Their ideas target critical sectors for Africa’s adaptation efforts, including food security and resilient infrastructure.
Each event will spotlight the ingenuity and determination of young Africans addressing some of the continent’s toughest climate challenges through practical, locally driven solutions.
The top ten enterprises, two from each country, will each receive $30,000 in grants and join a one-year acceleration and mentorship program designed to help them attract long-term investment and expand their impact.
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Speaking on the initiative, GCA President and CEO, Professor Patrick V. Verkooijen, described Africa’s youth as “architects of the solutions” to the climate crisis.
“Through our YouthADAPT challenge, we are turning their ideas into investable, impactful businesses,” he said.
“This is practical climate leadership, aligning innovation with national priorities and NDCs, creating decent jobs, and strengthening food systems and infrastructure where it matters most. I call on banks, development finance institutions, impact investors, and corporate partners to join us, so that by COP30 and beyond, we can scale these solutions to scale.”
According to him, the Demo Day events are designed to close the financing gap for youth-led adaptation enterprises by connecting them directly with private-sector investors across domestic and regional markets.
Participating investors will gain access to a pipeline of high-potential enterprises through live pitches and private deal rooms, supported by transaction advisory and due diligence services from the Kenya Climate Innovation Centre (KCIC), acting on behalf of GCA.
KCIC Chief Executive Officer, Joseph Murabula, emphasized the initiative’s importance in translating potential into tangible results.
“We all know that Africa’s greatest resource is its innovative, youthful population. We are moving beyond this rhetoric to action. Through the In-Country YouthADAPT 2025 Challenge, we are providing African youth with essential tools, funding, mentorship, and market access, to turn their climate adaptation solutions into viable businesses. This is how we build climate resilience from the ground up, strengthening food security and critical infrastructure,” he said.
The Demo Day series will conclude with final selections and investment announcements during COP30 in Brazil in November 2025. The top ten youth-led enterprises will be showcased on the global stage.
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Image Credit: Gcadaptation
