
African Startups to Get Share of Leapfrog’s $50 Million New Fund
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has announced an investment of $50 million in a new fund by LeapFrog Investments.
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The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has announced that it is considering an equity injection of up to $15 million into the newly launched Catalyst MENA Climate Fund II, a climate-focused investment vehicle managed by Catalyst Investment Management.
Catalyst Investment Management is a specialist firm devoted exclusively to renewable energy, energy efficiency, and water- & energy-technology investments throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
The firm previously launched its first fund, the Catalyst MENA Clean Energy Fund I, in 2016, raising approximately $57 million.
The new fund, Catalyst MENA Climate Fund II, is targeting a total size in the range of US $150–200 million, with a planned initial close of up to US $70–85 million by the end of December 2025.
It will channel capital into both mitigation and adaptation-oriented projects across the MENA region — with an emphasis on countries such as Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco.
Investment themes will include renewable power generation, energy-storage solutions, energy-efficiency upgrades and water-infrastructure initiatives.
Should the IFC investment proceed, it would help anchor the fund’s first close and unlock additional private-sector capital for the region’s growing climate-infrastructure needs.
The move highlights IFC’s ongoing strategy of deploying long-term equity in climate-resilient infrastructure through private investment vehicles.
This latest initiative comes as the MENA region faces escalating climate risks and mounting demand for clean-energy and water-technology solutions.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has announced an investment of $50 million in a new fund by LeapFrog Investments.

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