What on Earth Just Hit Climate Tech – And Why We’re Still Building

What on Earth Just Hit Climate Tech – And Why We’re Still Building – panel session with Neanda Salvaterra – Africa Tech Summit Host, Agenda; Lucretia (Lu) Chopera – Africa Deal Flow Manager, Katapult Ocean; Pieter Labuschagne – Head of Tech, Newform Foods; Luvo Gugwana – Founder, Green Arch Innovations; and Yasha Portnoy – CTO & Co-Founder, EarthAcre.

This panel explored the current state of climate tech in Africa, highlighting a rebound in funding alongside persistent structural challenges. While investment is growing – particularly in energy and mobility – critical sectors like agriculture, biodiversity, and the blue economy remain underfunded. The discussion highlights that scaling climate solutions in Africa requires tailored financing models, stronger policy environments, and technologies like AI and biotech to improve efficiency, data access, and impact across complex value chains.

Key Highlights Include:

• Funding Rebound, Uneven Distribution: Climate tech funding rose to ~$1.1B in 2025, but remains heavily concentrated in energy and mobility.
• Scaling Gap Across Sectors: Agriculture, biodiversity, and blue economy solutions show strong potential but struggle to move beyond pilot stages.
• Blended Finance is Critical: Combining grants, equity, and debt is key to de-risking and scaling capital-intensive climate solutions.
• Policy & Infrastructure Barriers: Regulatory instability, land rights issues, and weak infrastructure continue to limit growth.
• Tech as an Enabler: AI and biotech are improving data, efficiency, and innovation across climate tech verticals.

From keynotes to dynamic panel discussions, the summit explored groundbreaking topics across four flagship tracks: the Africa Money & DeFi Summit, Africa Climate Tech & Investment Summit, Africa Startup Summit, and Africa AI & Digital Summit. Attendees immersed themselves in the latest trends, shared ideas, and discovered cutting-edge innovations that are redefining Africa’s tech landscape.

But it wasn’t just about the talks – networking buzzed with energy, workshops sparked creativity, and exhibitions showcased the region’s tech solutions.

Africa Tech Summit Nairobi 2026 celebrated its 8th edition on February 11th and 12th at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi. Bringing together leading industry players the summit explored the latest trends and insights in technology and business across Africa and beyond.