The Climate and Finance Innovations (ClimaFii) Alliance is a five-year initiative anchored by Shell Foundation in partnership with Accion, with co-funding from UK aid through the UK government’s Transforming Energy Access platform. It aims to address critical challenges faced by micro-entrepreneurs in accessing affordable and appropriate clean energy solutions in Africa and India. Upaya joins the ClimaFii Alliance as the India partner and BFA Global joins as the Sub-Saharan Africa partner.

Yes, all businesses that are selected for the ClimaFii Alliance program will get up to $70,000 in funding through an innovative, business friendly, no-interest loan. In addition, Upaya will invest in up to 3 businesses based on fitment, along with working closely with the cohort to enable access to follow-on capital.

The World Bank defines extreme poverty as living on under USD $1.90 per day. We partner with companies creating jobs that are targeted at this extremely poor population. While extreme poverty looks different around the country and the world, what people living in these conditions have in common is their dire economic vulnerability.

Upaya Social Ventures is a nonprofit organization, building a dignified economy by providing investment and support to early-stage businesses creating sustainable livelihoods for people living in the most extreme poverty.

Upaya’s award-winning impact-first model seeks out and supports oft-overlooked companies creating work that is safe, stable, inclusive, and rewarding—generating a transformative impact on families, communities, and economies. Since its founding in 2011, Upaya’s portfolio companies have created over 72,000 dignified jobs across India.

BFA Global is an impact innovation firm that combines research, advisory, venture building, and investment expertise to build a more inclusive, equitable, and resilient future for underserved people and the planet. We partner with leading public, private and philanthropic organizations, global and local, to catalyze innovation ecosystems for impact across emerging markets. Since 2006, we have completed 646 projects completed in over 104 countries, supported 118+ ventures in Africa, Latin America, and Asia, who have collectively raised $815M+ in follow-on funding, and have a survival rate above 80% (global average is ~20%), and built a network of 100+ global and African investors, innovators, and funders focused on climate resilience.

For 25 years, Shell Foundation, an independent charity registered in England and Wales, has empowered underserved customers to raise their incomes while lowering emissions. The Foundation supports early-stage innovations; helps the best of them to reach millions of people; and de-risks capital to prove those models are commercial at scale. Across Asia and Africa, the Foundation enables resilient prosperity among three core groups of people: smallholder farmers, transporters, and micro-entrepreneurs.

Accion is a global nonprofit on a mission to create a fair and inclusive economy for the nearly two billion people who are failed by the global financial system. We develop and scale responsible digital financial solutions for small business owners, smallholder farmers, and women, so they can make informed decisions and improve their lives. Through targeted investment strategies, advisory solutions, and expert thought leadership, we work with local partners to develop and scale cheaper, more accessible, and customer-friendly financial solutions. Since 1961, Accion has helped build 285 financial service providers serving low-income clients in 77 countries, reaching 478 million people.