In 2020 I brought ClimateLaunchpad, the largest green business ideas competition in the world, to Morocco. I financed it myself.
Why not wait for a budget
No one was building the cleantech pipeline in Morocco. Founders with good ideas needed a programme to enter and a route to investors. Waiting for someone to fund the first edition meant waiting for years. So I did it.
What it cost
Money, and more time than money. Paying for it yourself means there is no one to blame and no report to hide behind. Every decision has to earn its place.
No one was building the pipeline. So I did.
What 500 startups proved
Since then more than 500 startups have been trained and coached. 18 became national finalists. 2 reached the global final. The talent was always there. It needed a door.
If you are a fund or a corporate looking for cleantech founders in Morocco and Africa, I know where they are.
