NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Private sector innovation is a cornerstone of the efforts to bring clean cooking to the over 2.3 billion people worldwide who presently lack it.

The Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) has supported over 25 clean cooking companies through its Venture Catalyst program, which helps firms attract investors, and grow their leadership and technical capacity to scale. Supported companies like BioLite, BURN Manufacturing, KOKO Networks and Sistema.bio have brought different product and business strategy innovations to the forefront. These include high-tech solutions like electric induction cookers, new fuels such as ethanol, targeted marketing, and business model solutions such as special purpose financing vehicles, carbon financing, and pay-as-you-go customer financing mechanisms.

The April 16 discussion, “Front Burner: How Business Model Innovation is Driving the Clean Cooking Industry,” will be hosted by the William Davidson Institute at University of Michigan (WDI), will feature panelists from CCA and these four trailblazing clean cooking companies with operations in multiple countries. Panelists will share their strategies for growing market size and scale, as well as barriers and enablers to implementing innovation. To learn more about the state of the clean cooking industry, click here for the CCA’s 2023 Annual Report.

Time: 8:00 AM EDT

Join us on April 16th as we dive into the results and environmental impact of Evoia’s innovations with Stephanie Gable, Commercialization Lead at Evoia, and Jordan Farber, Boundless’ Senior Research Analyst. ____ The future of agriculture has its roots in an age old technique: burning the grounds. The future, however, is called “biochar”, and burning is only part of the solution. Biochar is a charcoal-like material that is created from the carbonization of organic material, without much oxygen. It is hailed as one of the next big thing in climate tech circles, with the potential for capturing as much as 6% of global emissions – in addition to having many agricultural benefits. Evoia is part of a new crop of companies that are developing the technology. Their products are “biostimulants” that significantly increase farmers’ yield in a variety of conditions, while mitigating climate change effects through soil carbon sequestration. Register for the webinar today!

The World Future Energy Summit is a global think tank, powered by global innovation, pioneering minds and groundbreaking insights. Bringing together industry influencers, problem solvers and cutting-edge solutions, we’re focused on creating the blueprints for a sustainable future.

A strategically curated gathering focused on “Access to Green Finance in Waste & Circularity” will bring together investors, Enterprise Support Organizations (ESOs), and startups. ANDE’s Access to Green Finance project in India, TechnoServe India’s Greenr Sustainability Accelerator, and Caspian partnered to organize this event.

This investor-led convening will allow key investors in the waste management and circularity sector to share their investment strategies. Investors will provide insights into their priorities and the types of enterprises they seek to fund.

ESOs will gain valuable knowledge to strengthen their capacity-building programs, while startups will better understand how to position themselves to attract funding.

The ultimate goal is to create a strong pipeline of ventures ready for investment in the waste and circularity sectors. ESOs may also apply for grant funding from ANDE’s “Innovation Fund” to integrate insights from the event into their programs.

The event will also feature a panel discussion on “The Role of Corporates in Helping Small and Growing Businesses Scale.”

Time: 09:30AM – 06:30PM IST