500 Global Launches Sustainable Innovation Program with Shell Foundation Backing

500 Global launches Sustainable Innovation Program to support mission-driven founders building commercially viable solutions to sustainability challenges across the global south. The program is backed by Catalytic Partners, including the Shell Foundation and the UK Government, and aims to create lasting impact at scale. The initiative starts with a Sustainable Innovation Seed Accelerator in Nairobi, providing startups with mentorship and a global network of partners and investors.

500 Global, a prominent venture capital firm, has announced the launch of its Sustainable Innovation Program, a comprehensive initiative designed to support mission-driven founders building commercially viable solutions to sustainability challenges across the global south. The program is anchored by the Shell Foundation and is backed by Catalytic Partners, including the UK Government, with a focus on investing in human capital across agriculture, energy, mobility, and the built environment.

The Sustainable Innovation Program is rooted in the belief that the next generation of global growth will be driven by sustainable, inclusive innovation rooted in local leadership. The initiative brings together strategic capital, multilateral partnerships, and deep domain expertise to help entrepreneurs scale ventures that deliver both market returns and measurable impact.

The program's catalytic partner, the Shell Foundation, has co-funded the initiative with the UK Government as part of its Transforming Energy Access (TEA) platform and Catalysing Agriculture by Scaling Energy Ecosystems (CASEE) programme. This marks the first partnership of its kind focused on investing in human capital across key sectors in the global south.

"Through our Sustainable Innovation Program, we are supporting commercially viable solutions to critical challenges," said Dr. Alaa Murabit, Managing Partner, Sustainable Growth, 500 Global. "We are backing founders who are building businesses that strengthen their communities and scale real impact. Our goal is to support these founders and our partners in our shared ambition to create, solve, scale, and sustain inclusive, regenerative societies."

The Sustainable Innovation Program launches with the Sustainable Innovation Seed Accelerator in Nairobi, an intensive 8-week program for seed-stage startups across Africa. Participants will receive mentorship and access to a global network of partners, investors, and operators.

500 Global has been committed to ecosystem development and invested in individuals through entrepreneurship and investor education since 2010. With a portfolio of over 140 companies positively impacting sustainability goals across 27 countries, the firm has already demonstrated its ability to address local challenges and scale solutions globally.

Jonathan Berman, CEO of the Shell Foundation, expressed pride in the partnership: "Partnering with proven investors like 500 Global is a critical element in Shell Foundation's vision of scaling clean solutions to reach millions of customers in emerging economies. Supporting and scaling technologies that are commercial and sustainable will increase incomes while lowering emissions for millions of under-served customers."

The initiative marks a significant step towards creating a network of sustainable innovation across the global south, with the potential to mobilize mission-aligned capital and drive venture development across nascent and emerging ecosystems.

References:

[1] https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250811852585/en/500-Global-Launches-Sustainable-Innovation-Program-Backed-by-Catalytic-Partners
[2] https://www.morningstar.com/news/business-wire/20250811852585/500-global-launches-sustainable-innovation-program-backed-by-catalytic-partners