Deal room diaries: Innovators’ lesson at climate summit

In ‘Deal Room’ Diaries, Kenyan Innovators Secure Crucial Climate Summit Lessons
NAIROBI – The heart of the recent global climate summit for a cohort of Kenyan entrepreneurs was not just in the main plenary halls, but inside the high-stakes deal rooms, where they pitched their green solutions to international investors. These innovators, who brought technologies ranging from solar cold storage for smallholder farmers to biodegradable packaging from organic waste, are returning with a crucial lesson: bridging the gap between a brilliant idea and a bankable business plan is paramount for unlocking the finance needed to scale. The experience provided a masterclass in aligning local environmental solutions with the metrics and expectations of global capital.
The Kenyan contingent, part of a dedicated Africa Pavilion, participated in days of intensive meetings where they presented detailed financial models and scalable deployment strategies. One innovator, whose company installs solar-powered irrigation systems, noted that investors were less interested in the technology’s environmental benefits alone and more in its unit economics and customer acquisition cost. They asked, ‘How do you get to 10,000 farmers in 18 months?’ It pushes you to think beyond the pilot phase, the founder shared. This shift from a purely impact-driven narrative to a robust commercial proposition was a recurring theme throughout the closed-door sessions.
The reaction from the participants has been one of refined determination. Many acknowledged that while the process was demanding, it provided invaluable, real-world feedback. We entered the summit as engineers and environmentalists. We are leaving as entrepreneurs who understand due diligence, remarked the developer of a clean cookstove. The connections forged in these deal rooms have already led to advanced due diligence with several impact funds and venture capital firms, moving beyond initial conversations to concrete negotiations for seed and Series A funding.
The long-term outlook for these ventures is now significantly brighter. The summit’s deal rooms acted as a critical filter, strengthening viable business models and redirecting those that needed refinement. The success of even a few of these Kenyan companies in securing major funding is expected to create a demonstration effect, proving to global investors that climate solutions from Africa are not just charitable causes but smart, profitable investments. This, in turn, is poised to attract more capital to the continent’s green innovation ecosystem, ensuring that the next generation of climate entrepreneurs has a clearer path from the lab to the market.