Latest TechEmerge News & Opportunities

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Welcome to the latest edition of TechEmerge Innovation Exchange!

In this issue, we announce details of a new multi-million dollar IFC sustainable cooling initiative that will expand on the work of TechEmerge. We share an update on our newest pilots and celebrate fundraising success for one of our high-potential innovators. We also spotlight a TechEmerge adopter hitting the headlines for its work combatting food waste in Kenya and a new – and tasty – pilot in Mexico.   

Please don’t forget, you can contact us with any questions via techemerge@ifc.org. And if you enjoy this newsletter, please share it with your peers and colleagues.

All the best,

The TechEmerge Team     New Sustainable Cooling Initiative to Build on TechEmerge Success   IFC has announced the signing of a new $12.7 million Sustainable Cooling Initiative with the UK’s Department of Energy Security and Net Zero that will build on the success of the TechEmerge Sustainable Cooling Innovation program. The new initiative will have an expanded scope of operations, focusing not only on innovative technologies but on transformative cooling systems. This includes solutions for district cooling, space cooling, manufacturing and innovation, cold chains and temperature-controlled logistics, and finance for consumers and small and medium enterprises. While this is a global initiative, the initial priority countries include Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Egypt, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Pakistan, and Turkiye. Read more here.      Update: New Cooling Pilots Underway!    Seventeen new pilots have been approved for the next phase of the TechEmerge Sustainable Cooling Innovation program, with 14 innovators from across the world teaming up with 13 leading local companies in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. With technical support and grant funding from TechEmerge and our donor, the United Kingdom Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, these new pilot partners will field test cooling innovations that aim to reduce energy consumption, operating costs, and greenhouse gas emissions.     TechEmerge Innovator Ecozen Raises $30 million   TechEmerge Innovator Ecozen plans to expand its offerings and extend its market reach in Africa and Southeast Asia, after successfully raising $30 million. This latest injection of debt and equity comes from Nuveen Global Fund and other equity investors, with debt support from InCred Credit Fund and the International Development Finance Corporation. India-based Ecozen participated in a TechEmerge pilot in Nigeria with Agvest Limited and engineering company Lange & Grant to field test a portable solar-powered cold room for fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural commodities. The company says it has grown fivefold over the past two years, with a threefold increase in profit, and aims to double its revenue in 2024-25. Read more here.     In the News: TechCrunch Profiles TechEmerge Adopter   Kenya’s Farm to Feed is in the headlines, with the well-known publication TechCrunch highlighting its efforts to curb food waste. Farm to Feed is a digitally-enabled aggregator that sources imperfect and surplus produce from farmers. It is partnering in a unique TechEmerge pilot with three innovators: it will test Greentech’s medium and short-haul transport solution to collect produce from farms, Purix’s cold storage innovation for warehousing of produce, and Eja-ice’s last-mile transport solution. Collectively, this pilot aims to increase produce shelf-life and reduce losses throughout the supply chain. Read more here.     Pilot Spotlight: A Taste of Success in Mexico’s Berry Fields    Israeli innovator NOF has partnered with Aneberries, Mexico’s largest cooperative of berry growers, to pilot a new post-harvest cooling solution. Initial results from trials in 20 berry fields indicate that berries that received NOF treatment maintained saleable quality, size, color, firmness, and freshness for almost twice as long as those that did not. Shelf-life in cold storage also doubled from 10 to 20 days, while the sugar content of the berries was generally higher as well. NOF and Aneberries are now developing the business case for commercializing the innovation.     IFC’s TechEmerge is implemented in partnership with the UK Government’s Department of Energy and Net Zero     If you received this newsletter from a friend or colleague subscribe here to stay connected.   Follow IFC Disruptive Technologies & Funds Follow IFC Disruptive Technologies & Funds

Special Edition: Open Call for Cooling Innovators

You can hear first-hand from innovators who’ve already taken part in our program, and you can sign up for webinars to learn more about our three regional initiatives and the application process. We share the latest example of how we help participants raise their global profiles. Plus, we look at the impact of the program, implemented in partnership with the UK government’s Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, in accelerating the adoption of affordable, energy-efficient, and climate-smart cooling solutions where they are needed most.

Please don’t forget, applications for our sustainable cooling open call close on March 19. You can contact us with any questions via techemerge@ifc.org.


Got Questions? We’ve Got Answers!

TechEmerge will hold a series of webinars where you can meet program leads, find out more about our new programs in Africa, India, and Latin America’s Andean Region, and discuss the finer details of the application process. Our webinars are offered at two different times, so please choose the one that works best for you and register to join us online.

  • 1st Session:  Tuesday, March 7 – 3:00 am EST (8:00 am GMT)
  • 2nd Session: Tuesday, March 7 – 9:00 am EST (2:00 pm GMT)

Click here to register

Special Edition: Open Call for Cooling Innovators

You can hear first-hand from innovators who’ve already taken part in our program, and you can sign up for webinars to learn more about our three regional initiatives and the application process. We share the latest example of how we help participants raise their global profiles. Plus, we look at the impact of the program, implemented in partnership with the UK government’s Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, in accelerating the adoption of affordable, energy-efficient, and climate-smart cooling solutions where they are needed most.

Please don’t forget, applications for our sustainable cooling open call close on March 19. You can contact us with any questions via techemerge@ifc.org.


Got Questions? We’ve Got Answers!

TechEmerge will hold a series of webinars where you can meet program leads, find out more about our new programs in Africa, India, and Latin America’s Andean Region, and discuss the finer details of the application process. Our webinars are offered at two different times, so please choose the one that works best for you and register to join us online.

  • 1st Session:  Tuesday, March 7 – 3:00 am EST (8:00 am GMT)
  • 2nd Session: Tuesday, March 7 – 9:00 am EST (2:00 pm GMT)

Click here to register

GLOBAL CALL FOR COOLING SOLUTIONS

Are you an innovator with a sustainable cooling solution for transport, retail, pharma, agribusiness, manufacturing, and space cooling?

IFC’s TechEmerge Sustainable Cooling Innovation Program can match your business or organization with top companies in Latin America, Africa, and South Asia that are ready to test and invest in new cooling technology in multiple sectors. The program, which is funded by the UK Government’s International Climate Finance (ICF), offers financing for pilots and advice from industry experts to help you enter new markets and grow your business. You can apply to join the TechEmerge matchmaking program by submitting your solution(s) to one or more of our open regional initiatives.

>> TechEmerge Sustainable Cooling Agri Value Chains Andean Countries
>> TechEmerge Sustainable Cooling Temperature-Controlled Logistics Africa
>> TechEmerge Sustainable Cooling – India Cooling Innovation Lab

Learn more about each one below and apply by March 19, 2023

Sustainable Cooling – TechEmerge