Kenya-based climate-tech startup Amini has raised $4 million in a seed funding round led by Salesforce Ventures and the Female Founders Fund. Solving Africa’s Environmental Data Gap Amini focuses on solving Africa’s environmental data gap through AI and satellite technology. Founded by Kate Kallot, Amini has developed a holistic solution. It utilizes AI and space technologies at scale to drive systemic change and promote economic inclusivity for farmers and supply chain resilience across Africa. By fixing Africa’s data gap, they want to make it a more prosperous, equitable, and safe
UpSurge Baltimore has named Kory Bailey its new CEO. Founded in 2021, UpSurge Baltimore is an ecosystem builder focused on making Baltimore the country’s first Equitech city and a launching pad for founders of all backgrounds. Bailey will be the first Black person to lead the company. Meet Kory Bailey Bailey is a noteworthy leader in the startup and tech community that focuses on developing relationships locally and nationally with founders, investors, and startup support organizations. Bailey, from Durham, NC, grew up loving sports and technology and went on to
Clean energy company Husk Power Systems has raised $103 million in equity and debt to launch over 1,000 new solar minigrids, electrifying rural Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia communities. Solar mini-grids Husk Power Systems Husk Power is the leading rural energy services company in weak-grid and off-grid communities in Africa and Asia. The company was founded in 2008 to provide reliable power to rural communities and businesses from renewable energy sources at affordable prices. The company does this through solar minigrids – a set of small-scale electricity generators and energy
Michigan Central and Newlab have announced the Founder Fellowship, a Detroit-based program supporting a cohort of five climate tech founders from underrepresented backgrounds. A New Mobility Innovation District Michigan Central is Ford Motor Company’s new $1 billion mobility innovation district in Corktown, Detroit’s oldest neighborhood. The hub is part of Ford Motor Company’s vision to reshape the future of global mobility, working with key partners and suppliers and connecting to a broader network of city and regional assets and testing. Newlab, is a tech incubator founded to address societal needs
Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives, Lisa Jackson, is spearheading Apple’s commitment to making all its products carbon-neutral by 2030, starting with the Apple Watch. Jackson, a chemical engineer, served as the first African American US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator before joining Apple in 2013. Meet Lisa Jackson Jackson completed a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University and a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Tulane University. Before Apple, Jackson was appointed by President Barack Obama as EPA Administrator in 2009, making her the
Okra Solar, a technology startup working with local utilities to transform communities, has closed its Series A funding round. Mesh grid technology With 770 million people living without clean, reliable access to power, the tech startup aims to transform off-grid communities with mesh grids. Mesh grids are the fastest-growing technology solution for electrifying off-grid households. With a mesh grid, neighbors are connected, sharing renewable energy 24/7, which allows them to consume more than they would on their own. Each house contains a solar panel, battery and an Okra Pod, ensuring
Friends Benedict Owanga and Chinelo Adi launched their startup Owanga to deliver clean energy solutions to Congo, Africa. The startup launched in 2022 after Owanga had the idea during his sophomore year at Emory University School of Law. While pursuing an internship, he lost power for two hours during training. The inconvenience made him consider the experience of Congolese people back home. “It got me thinking if someone like me loses power for two hours and it takes me two weeks to figure out something, what about people back home
After experiencing a close call with a tornado in 2015, Robert Washington founded Shelter Share, a mobile app helping Oklahoma residents find nearby shelters during natural disasters. Shelter Share Oklahoma has had over 800 tornadoes, but Oklahoma City only has 26 shelters per 1500 residents, with no public shelters available. Shelter Share, founded in 2022 by Robert Washington, is a mobile app that helps users locate nearby shelters during natural disasters. Washington experienced a close call with a tornado in 2015. He was in a two-story apartment building, holding his newborn
Founding President at Public Ventures, Zoey Dash McKenzie, has launched a $100 million impact fund to nurture the next generation of life science and climate tech startups emerging from academic research. TechCrunch reports that McKenzie is particularly keen to support Canada-based life science and clean tech startups that focus on improving health equity and supporting climate preparedness for underserved communities. Investing in climate equity According to UN Women, women and girls experience the most significant impacts of climate change, amplifying existing gender inequalities and posing unique threats to their livelihoods,
This week, US east coast cities such as New York were hit with hazardous smog and smoke caused by Canadian wildfires, as the cities dealt with some of the worst air quality seen in recent history. Since Friday, over 400 wildfires have blazed through Canada, with 200 still considered out of control, said the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire. Environmental justice activists have told CNN the air is only exacerbating health risks in vulnerable Black and brown communities. Studies have shown Black, Hispanic and Asian Americans are exposed to more pollution
