Grace Ashiru
Holocene has reached the final close of Holocene Ventures Fund I, a climate-tech investment vehicle focused on backing early-stage founders across Southern Africa. The fund is positioned as the region’s first dedicated high-growth climate-tech fund, giving local entrepreneurs access to capital in a sector that remains underfunded despite Africa’s growing exposure to climate-related risks.
The venture capital firm is targeting founders who are building practical solutions around climate resilience, clean mobility, circular economy models and sustainable infrastructure. Its strategy goes beyond simply writing cheques. Holocene says many promising founders in the climate-tech space struggle not only with funding but also with the operational support required to move from early traction to meaningful scale.
Since deployment began, the fund has already backed 10 companies within 18 months. These portfolio companies have created more than 500 jobs and helped attract significant follow-on capital. The fund has also recorded a two-times markup on invested capital, an early signal that climate-focused investing in Africa can deliver both social impact and commercial performance.
Among the companies supported by Holocene are FARO, a circular economy startup building technology-enabled supply chains for unused inventory; ScootHero, which is rolling out electric motorbikes and battery-swap stations in South Africa; and Yongeza, an e-mobility infrastructure company operating in Uganda.
Holocene’s model is built around embedded support. Each investment is backed by at least 12 months of close operational assistance from specialists in revenue growth, fundraising, grant writing and company-building. The fund’s final close now moves Holocene into a new phase, where the main priority will be helping its portfolio companies grow, raise further capital and move towards exits.
