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Climate Venture Scaler
Empowering climate-focused enterprises to become investment ready and scale their impact
Apply here - Deadline 12 Jan 2026The Climate Venture Scaler is a flagship UNDP initiative under the Climate Finance Network in partnership with Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) that accelerates growth-stage climate ventures across Southeast Asia — with an initial focus on Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia.
The programme supports enterprises working in the climate space strengthen their business models, improve financial readiness, and connect directly with investors - driving climate resilience, green innovation, and inclusive economic growth - with a cross-cutting lens on promoting gender equality.
We support ventures that deliver climate mitigation or adaptation impacts at scale — from renewable energy and energy efficiency to climate-smart agriculture, resilient urban solutions and climate tech services. The programme combines technical assistance, investor matchmaking, and targeted communications to increase the pipeline of investable climate solutions in the region.
Objectives
Build a pipeline of high-potential climate ventures in Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia.
Deliver mentorship for 20 shortlisted enterprises on investment readiness and impact management.
Facilitate investment commitments for enterprises through investor engagement.
Strengthen the impact investment ecosystem by linking SMEs with capital providers, and policy partners.
We're looking for growth-stage SMEs that:
- Operate primarily in Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia
- Are for-profit entities advancing climate adaptation and mitigation solutions
- Have a clear path to scale and profitability
- Demonstrate measurable environmental and social impact
- Are seeking to raise investment within the next 1-2 years
Sectors include, among others:
- Sustainable climate-smart agriculture
- Renewable energy and energy efficiency
- Waste-to-resource and circular economy solutions
- Water resilience and clean technology
- Cooling systems and resilient buildings
- Nature-based enterprises (e.g. mangrove restoration, blue carbon)
- Disaster resilience and early warning systems
- Tailored mentorship: receive six one-on-one mentoring sessions with regional and international experts, supported by eight group learning sessions for cross-country peer learning.
- Investment readiness support: Access professional guidance on financial modelling, valuation, pitch strategy, and investor engagement - plus self-paced courses through the IIX institute and UNDP SDG Finance Academy.
- Regional and global exposure: Participate in national investors clinics across Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia and showcase your enterprise at a global investor webinar in October 2026.
- Access to capital: Top enterprises will receive bespoke support to connect with aligned investors, negotiate term sheets, and secure financing.
Why it matters?
- Finance gap: Growth-stage climate ventures often stall between early grants and institutional capital. With global adaptation needs now exceeding USD 310 billion per year, the Climate Venture Scaler helps close this gap by identifying and preparing investable, inclusive deals.
- Regional focus, global ambition: We identify high-potential ventures in Cambodia, Laos, and Malaysia and connect them to regional and international capital, accelerating finance for climate solutions.
- Jobs + climate impact: Scaling these ventures supports green jobs, strengthens resilience, advances gender equality, and reduces emissions—concretely contributing to climate action across the region.
Your journey
Step 1: Submit application
Tell us about your enterprise, impact, and investement goals.
Step 2: Get shortlisted
We'll select the top 20 enterprises for mentorship.
Step 3: Access support
Enhance investment readiness and impact management.
Step 4: Engage investors
Join investors matchmaking sessions.
Step 5: Scale your impact
Secure investment and expand your climate venture's reach.
Roadshow & engagement events
Partners and support
The Climate Venture Scaler is part of UNDP’s Climate Finance Network (CFN) - a regional programme supported by the government of the UK through the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Sweden through Sida. The Climate Venture Scaler is also drawing on support from Norway.
As a peer-to-peer network and a knowledge management and technical support facility, the CFN assists Ministries of Finance and other sector ministries, sub-national governments, private sector representatives and other development cooperation partners in identifying and scaling up climate finance.
The initiative is implemented in partnership with Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) - a pioneer in the global impact investing movement, reshaping finance for sustainable development and advancing gender equality and climate action.
FAQs
No. There is no participation fee for enterprises selected into the Climate Venture Scaler program.
The programme is led by UNDP as part of the Climate Finance Network, in collaboration with Impact Investment Exchange (IIX). It leverages UNDP’s experience in impact management and IIX’s capital-raising expertise, investment platform, and global network to support high-potential climate ventures.
Selected enterprises will receive tailored mentorship, investment and impact readiness support, and curated investor matchmaking. Promising enterprises will also receive direct capital facilitation support and introductions to aligned investors.
Enterprises must be registered and operating in Cambodia, Laos, or Malaysia which are three focus countries for this programme.
We are seeking growth-stage ventures working on climate-relevant solutions (mitigation, adaptation, or co-benefits). By Growth Stage Ventures, we refer to enterprises with clear revenue channels in Cambodia, Laos, and Malaysia, looking to scale production and expand their markets further. Illustrative sectors include but are not limited to: renewable energy solutions, agro-food, circular economy, sustainable manufacturing, waste-to-resource, water & resilience systems, nature-based solutions, transport/e-mobility, etc.)
The Call for Applications is open till early January, following a period of shortlisting and evaluation, the programme is expected to begin in February 2026 and conclude in the fourth quarter of 2026.
In-country roadshows to introduce the programme are scheduled on the following dates:
Laos: 25 November | Cambodia: 11 December | Malaysia: 15 December
This is not a curriculum-heavy accelerator. Rather, it is an investment readiness and facilitation-focused programme. The core objective is to support enterprises to become investment-ready and connect them with suitable investors.
Up to 20 enterprises will enter the mentorship phase (across Cambodia, Laos & Malaysia), and 8 top enterprises will receive capital raise support.
No. Investments are made directly between enterprises and investors. However, this programme provides tailored readiness support, investment advisory, and curated introductions to increase your likelihood of securing capital.
Submit the online application form via this landing page, and ensure that you select the correct region for your application form. Shortlisted enterprises will be contacted directly via email.