Ecopreneurs offer climate solutions at major startup summit

The summit welcomed over 7,000 participants, including startups, investors, and ecosystem builders. For our youth entrepreneurs, it offered valuable exposure, investor connections, and insights on building sustainable, growth-ready ventures. In just two days, the delegation engaged with more than 20 investors, funders, and strategic partners through networking, targeted meetings, and a dedicated booth. 

Tonthoza Uganja, founder of Sustainable Farming Solutions in Malawi, took the spotlight on the Builder Stage to share her inspiring journey as a youth entrepreneur driving land restoration through community-led initiatives.

“Being invited to the Builder Stage was the highlight of my summit experience. It gave me the opportunity to tell my story, gain exposure, and develop skills that will propel my business forward,” she says. 

Through the Youth Ecopreneur Programme, Tonthoza also gained access to essential resources and support, which enabled her to secure a $20,000 one-year renewable grant to further scale her impact. Following the programme, she was also nominated a Mulago Henry Arnhold Fellow, through which she is receiving $100,000 to advance her land restoration initiatives.

Sustainable Farming Solutions is a Malawi-based organization dedicated to land restoration and conservation, particularly focusing on empowering small-scale farmers to sustainably manage degraded areas. Their core initiatives include the Kabwafu Project, which emphasizes agroforestry, and the Zotheka Project, aimed at providing farmers with direct market access. The start-up places a strong emphasis on women's empowerment, youth innovation, biodiversity conservation, and creating green jobs. Through these efforts, they strive to restore ecosystems, enhance livelihoods, and promote sustainable agricultural practices within local communities.

The group also joined a pre-summit programme in Zurich, featuring visits to Google, the elea Foundation, and nature-based ecosystem players like Restor, Brainforest, and Crowther Lab at ETH Zurich. The sessions provided hands-on learning and space to refine their pitches and strategic thinking. 

The rest of the entrepreneurs represented diverse, impact-driven ventures across agriculture, biotech, robotics, and land restoration: 

• Qoane Mothibeli, JuliGerm PTY LTD: Building a data synergy platform for more efficient, collaborative agriculture. 

• Julia Mensa, Nunatak Biotech: Restoring soil health through plant-microorganism innovation. 

• Chimegsaikhan Munkhbayar, Nomads Agritech Innovations: Focusing on agricultural innovation to support sustainable farming practices. 

• Willie Ng, Global Cerah: Converting agricultural waste into protein using automation and optical sensors. 

• Guadaluna Chaer, Luxeed Robotics: Eliminating weeds with AI-powered laser technology for chemical-free farming. 

• Boy Heemskerk, Bambouku: Cultivating bamboo forests on degraded land to produce carbon-negative building materials. 

• Manuel Olomos, The Ecosystem Carbon Conservation: Restoring and conserving peatlands through rehydration, reforestation, and habitat restoration efforts. 

Throughout the summit, panels and workshops focused on lessons around product-market fit, investor engagement, and responsible scaling. A key takeaway: founders must stay close to their product and users, embrace failure as part of growth, and be selective when choosing investors. 

The summit underscored the importance of resilience, adaptability, and informed decision-making in building sustainable enterprises. For the ecopreneurs, these lessons serve as a foundation for driving impactful and scalable solutions in the sustainability sector. 

The participating entrepreneurs were supported by the Youth Ecopreneur Programme, a joint initiative of the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the G20 Global Land Initiative (UNCCD). The programme empowers young entrepreneurs working on climate and sustainability solutions by providing access to global platforms, strategic networks, and tailored capacity-building support.