
Visa Selects 19 African Startups for Third Fintech Accelerator Cohort
Visa has announced the 19 African startups selected to participate in the third cohort of its Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator program.
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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.

Visa has announced the 19 African startups selected to participate in the third cohort of its Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator program.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, is planning to invest up to $8 million in Aruwa Capital Fund II, a private equity fund targeting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in West Africa.

Village Capital, a global pioneer in early-stage impact investing, has launched the second edition of its Greentech Africa accelerator programme.