The Africa Carbon Removal Accelerator (ACRA) program, dedicated to supporting carbon dioxide removal (CDR) startups from sub-Saharan Africa, is now open for applications.
The program, created as part of the SOR4D initiative, is organized by the CDR-focused accelerator program remove, along with the sus.lab team at ETH Zurich and the Net Zero Lab at the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, in partnership with Strathmore University and the Nuvoni Centre for Innovation Research.
The main motivation behind the ACRA program is to stimulate CDR growth and development in the Global South, a region that has lagged behind the better funded and regulated Global North.
Stressing the vast unexploited potential for CDR activities, climate resilience building, and economic advancement in Africa, the organizers want to provide startups in this part of the world with the tools and the network needed to actively participate in the global carbon removal community in a just and equitable manner.
By joining the program, CDR entrepreneurs will have the chance to connect with leading CDR experts, buyers, investors, and other key ecosystem stakeholders in the carbon removal space.
The organizers have prepared trainings and one-on-one coaching sessions, specifically tailored to help CDR entrepreneurs make the most of the newest available technology and knowledge in this sector, presented through the lens of the Sub-Saharan Africa region and the prospects it offers for sustainable development.
Participants will get the opportunity to build valuable connections and share knowledge with leading professionals and like-minded developers, laying the groundwork for meaningful collaborations in the future.
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The Africa Carbon Removal Accelerator was created with funding provided by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) as part of the SOR4D program.
The ACRA program is set to run for six months, in the period between April and September 2025. Parties interested in joining the program can send their applications by February 24, 2025.
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