Holocene Closes Southern Africa Climate Tech Fund

STARTUP VENTURE CAPITALJune 15, 2026 at 11:47 AM UTC

TLDR

Holocene Ventures Fund I closes, becoming the first high-growth climate tech fund in Southern Africa.
Fund supports startups in circular economy, electric mobility, and climate infrastructure, investing in 10 companies over 18 months.
Portfolio includes companies like FARO, ScootHero, and Yongeza, with a focus on job creation and attracting follow-on funding.

Holocene closed its first venture fund, marking the final close of what it describes as Southern Africa’s first dedicated high-growth climate tech fund.

Holocene Ventures Fund I backs early-stage founders building climate-focused companies across the region. The firm targets startups that need capital and operational support to reach scale in areas such as circular economy, electric mobility and climate infrastructure.

The fund has invested in 10 companies over the past 18 months. Holocene said its portfolio has created more than 500 jobs, achieved a 2x markup on invested capital and attracted $8 in follow-on funding for every $1 invested.

Portfolio companies include FARO, a circular economy startup focused on technology-enabled supply chains for unused inventory; ScootHero, which is deploying more than 500 electric motorbikes and over 50 battery-swapping stations in South Africa; and Yongeza, an e-mobility infrastructure company in Uganda.

Holocene said each investment comes with at least 12 months of embedded support from operators, executives-in-residence and specialists in revenue growth, fundraising and grant writing. Founder Josh Romisher said the final close moves the fund into its value-creation phase, with a focus on helping portfolio companies scale and reach exits.

Key Takeaways

Holocene’s fund close shows that African climate tech is moving from broad impact talk into more focused venture investing. Climate challenges in Africa are tied to energy, transport, waste, agriculture, water and urban growth, but many early companies in these sectors need more than seed capital. They often need help with operations, grants, asset finance, partnerships and sales because climate businesses can be more capital-intensive than software startups. Holocene’s model tries to solve that by pairing investment with hands-on support for at least 12 months. The early numbers matter: 10 companies, more than 500 jobs and $8 in follow-on capital for every $1 invested suggest the fund is helping companies attract other investors. The portfolio also shows where demand is forming, especially in circular economy and electric mobility. The challenge now is scale. Climate tech companies must prove that they can grow revenue, reduce emissions or resource waste and deliver returns. If Holocene can move its portfolio from pilots to large commercial operations, it could help define the next stage of climate investing in Southern Africa.

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