500 Global and The Earthshot Prize Announce Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Climate Innovation in Emerging Markets
500 Global, one of the world’s most active venture capital firms, and The Earthshot Prize, the world’s most prestigious and impactful environmental award, today announced a new strategic partnership aimed at accelerating climate innovation in Emerging Markets. As climate finance becomes more critical than ever, the collaboration will combine 500 Global’s investment expertise with The Earthshot Prize’s global network to unlock private capital and scale transformative climate solutions where they are needed most.
Under this partnership, 500 Global plans to design and implement a targeted investment strategy by the first half of 2026. The strategy will focus on de-risking early-stage climate investments to attract private capital for a robust pipeline of scalable, high-impact solutions. Leveraging its own network and experience, 500 Global will also tap into The Earthshot Prize’s extensive portfolio of climate innovations drawn from five years of nominations — 40% of which originate from the Global South — to identify promising ventures ready for growth.
Tackling the Climate Investment Gap in Emerging Markets
Emerging Markets currently face 75% of global climate risk but receive only 15% of the available capital to address it. This imbalance has left many community-driven and locally led climate solutions underfunded and unable to reach scale. The partnership between 500 Global and The Earthshot Prize aims to bridge this gap by directing more inclusive and sustainable investment toward the regions and innovators on the frontlines of climate change.
Together, they will champion a new model of climate finance that prioritizes impact and commercial viability, targeting sectors that can deliver measurable benefits for both people and the planet. Thematic investment priorities include:
- AgTech – innovations in digital input systems, post-harvest logistics, soil and carbon analytics, ag-fintech solutions, and seed technology.
- CleanTech – advancements in off-grid and distributed energy, EV and micro-mobility infrastructure, clean industrial processes, and energy efficiency tools.
- NatureTech – technologies for coastal and forest resilience, biodiversity monitoring, regenerative land use, and nature-based carbon solutions.
Building on a Proven Track Record
500 Global has already demonstrated its commitment to sustainable innovation, having invested in over 140 companies across 27 countries, including Mexico, Egypt, India, and Indonesia. Among its portfolio is MYCL, a 2024 Earthshot Prize finalist that converts agricultural waste into sustainable materials. With support from 500 Global, MYCL has established a raw materials hub in Indonesia, empowering smallholder farmers while promoting a circular economy model that can be scaled across the region.
This new partnership will build on that momentum. By combining The Earthshot Prize’s pipeline of innovators with 500 Global’s venture expertise, the two organizations aim to channel risk capital more efficiently, helping climate startups overcome barriers to scale. Their blended finance approach is designed to attract participation from Development Finance Institutions, philanthropies, foundations, and private investors — creating a catalytic effect that can multiply impact across the climate innovation ecosystem.
Expanding the Global Climate Innovation Network
As part of its broader global hub strategy, 500 Global continues to deepen its presence across Emerging Markets. Following successful innovation hubs in regions such as Southeast Asia and Africa, the firm’s next destination will be Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This new hub will serve as a gateway for Latin American climate innovators and further strengthen regional collaboration and investment opportunities.
Voices from the Partnership
Dr. Alaa Murabit, Managing Partner, Sustainable Growth at 500 Global, emphasized the partnership’s mission to correct longstanding inequities in climate funding:
“For too long, communities across the Global South have carried the greatest climate burden while receiving the least climate capital, training, and support. Our partnership is about shifting that dynamic — amplifying local leadership, supporting community-driven solutions, and ensuring that entrepreneurs closest to the challenge are equally close to the opportunity.
With 500 Global’s deep emerging-market expertise and The Earthshot Prize’s global platform, we’re bridging inspiration and investment, moving from promise to practice, and actioning the collective need to redefine and align the climate ecosystem to accelerate solutions that deliver for both people and planet.”
Jason Knauf, CEO of The Earthshot Prize, highlighted the value of access and collaboration:
“Access to capital, training, and support is one of the biggest barriers our Finalists and portfolio projects face when trying to scale their impact. Together with 500 Global and our partners, we’re building a powerful platform for climate innovation, training, and investment — one that reshapes how climate capital flows and accelerates solutions that protect people and the planet while delivering real-economy impact.”
“In 2025 — the halfway point in the Earthshot decade — we’re focused on ensuring that resources flow where the climate crisis is most urgent and the innovation gap is widest.”
Spotlight on 2025 Earthshot Prize Finalists
Innovative investment and support strategies will be vital to realizing the full potential of The Earthshot Prize’s 2025 cohort, selected from nearly 2,500 global nominees. The finalists include:
- Re.green (Brazil) – the country’s largest forest restoration platform, pioneering technology and finance models to restore degraded land, capture carbon, and generate sustainable livelihoods.
- ATRenew (China) – a leading circular economy platform that gives new life to millions of electronic devices annually, reducing e-waste and advancing zero-waste cities.
- Matter. (United Kingdom) – a clean-tech company that prevents microplastics from entering oceans through innovative filtration systems for washing machines and textile factories.
By combining the entrepreneurial rigor of 500 Global with The Earthshot Prize’s visionary ecosystem, this partnership marks a major step forward in reimagining how climate innovation is financed, scaled, and sustained — particularly in the regions most vulnerable to its impacts. Together, they are laying the groundwork for a future where climate solutions thrive everywhere, not just where capital is abundant.
