Barka

?? Proud moment: Our Barka Investment Readiness Program graduate, Steve Kalinda, received a “Top SMEs Entrepreneur” award from the president of #Democratic Republic of Congo, last week at the tenth edition of the Makutano Economic Forum, in Kinshasa. This recognition showcases the incredible impact of founders emerging from the Goma startup ecosystem. Steve and the Chocolaterie Lowa team were standouts among dozens of companies we vetted for our 2024 cohort. It’s the #BarkaEffect – sourcing, screening & selecting exceptional climate entrepreneurs who are transforming their communities. Congratulations Steve and team Chocolaterie Lowa! ?? This is just the beginning of your incredible journey. #impactinvesting #climateaction #StartupAfrica #DRC #Innovation?

?? Conversations with a Climate Entrepreneur returns with Jocelyn, a visionary founder from Rwanda! Watch as she shares her journey building a pioneering marketplace platform connecting smallholder farmers to markets and environmental services in the Lake Kivu & Rusizi Basin. Stay tuned for two more inspiring stories from our?LKR?cohort.??? #entrepreneurship #climateaction #impactinvesting

?? Join us this week as Barka's Founder and Managing Partner, Rekia Foudel, shares insights at two prominent industry events: ?? West Africa Impact Investing Summit | Lagos, Nigeria Speaking on "Actions to Deepen Catalytic Capital" ?? Digital and Tech Ecosystem Workshop | Abidjan, C?te d'Ivoire Discussing "Innovative Pathways to Increase US Investments in Francophone Africa" Don't miss these important conversations on scaling impact investment and innovation in West Africa. Join us in person or virtually! Register here: https://lnkd.in/dnhevZtV https://lnkd.in/eKrnsvBe #ImpactInvesting #WestAfrica #Innovation #climateaction

Barka Fund in Action Across Africa ?? From Togo's Youth Summit for Sustainable Agriculture where Sara Myrtille Bedje, our analyst engaged with twenty (20) promising agri-entrepreneurs, to Cape Town's #EarthshotWeek where Karimi Fondaumiere, our coaching & leadership guru represented our partnership with The Earthshot Prize, and Cameroon where Christ G. Lokonda is leading our Restoration Business Scoping project. Proud to be a pan-African team building bridges across the climate ecosystem and championing Africa's entrepreneurs in climate action. Go to earthshotprize.org to find out how you can stream the Awards live tonight! #impactinvesting #climateaction #EarthshotCapeTown?

Last week, our young colleague Sara Myrtille Bedje did a fabulous job representing Barka at the MITA 2024 in Lome, Togo. The event was organized by CORAF | West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development and GGGI Africa from October 21 to 25, 2024, as the first edition of the West and Central African Youth Summit on climate-smart agriculture. #impactinvesting #climatesmartagriculture #youth

In an era where new technology and #AI are driving innovation in geospatial monitoring, the importance of local data remains paramount. By integrating geospatial data with local insights, we can achieve greater accuracy, gain a better understanding of local contexts, and foster meaningful change. Watch the recording of our session "Harnessing AI and Satellite Monitoring for a Nature-Positive Future" at #ClimateWeek NYC to hear more from Barka's Rekia Foudel and other experts. ?? https://bit.ly/3Ydrcys

Meet two remarkable founders who, just 13 weeks ago, had never heard of Barka. Their journey with us has included: 1) an in-person kickoff meeting in Abidjan, 2) a 10-week Virtual Learning Labs series, 3) a site visit 4) a comprehensive business assessment through 200+ diagnostic questions and 5) an investor showcase event. Watch this video to hear their perspective on the transformation achieved through our partnership! Bezos Earth Fund #impactinvesting #climateaction #entrepreneurship #africa

One distinctive strength of our entrepreneurship support program lies in our on-site visits. Our senior leadership insists on visiting companies in our program to assess their operations firsthand and meet the communities they serve. Last August, border complications prevented our planned visit to Goma, DRC. Undeterred, we flew into Goma last Saturday and successfully completed our mission, visiting four companies in our program. Three operate as aggregator+, partnering with thousands of smallholder farmers to provide technical assistance and market access in the cocoa and fruit trees value chains, while one provides marketplace solutions for Eastern DRC's agricultural sector. We take pride in supporting these resilient founders in Goma who, despite challenging business conditions, are building sustainable enterprises that generate both economic and environmental value for their communities. Bezos Earth Fund #impactinvesting #climateaction #entrepreneurship

It's a wrap! We've completed our 2nd Investment Readiness Program for 10 climate-focused companies from Burundi, DRC, and Rwanda. Our innovative speed-dating format replaced the traditional demo day approach, enabling founders to conduct 10 (ten) focused 5-minute pitches with investors, partners, and ecosystem builders. Barka is proud to pioneer this approach, replacing traditional podium presentations with intimate conversations, enabling entrepreneurs to refine their pitches and forge meaningful connections through multiple interactions. Bezos Earth Fund #impactinvesting #climateaction #entrepreneurship