Youth Ecopreneurs pitch climate start-ups at global showcase
ChangeNOW in Paris is Europe’s leading global event for start-ups to meet with potential investors to scale their solutions to the climate crisis. Among the standouts were ten young entrepreneurs who have honed their presentations through a joint initiative by ITC and G20 Global Land Initiative.
Over three days, these Youth Ecopreneurs showcased their businesses, met with potential clients, and engaged with over 40 investors. They also exchanged ideas with fellow changemakers and showcased their climate-smart ventures at the Youth Ecopreneur Booth. Whether tackling sustainable agriculture, biotechnology, robotics, or land restoration, their work underscored one clear message: youth are not waiting for change—they are creating it.
Four Youth Ecopreneurs, Christian Adoh (Bio Planet TMC), Fernando De Lucca Moreno (Ceres Seeding), Julia Mensa (Nunatak Biotech), and Boy Heemskerk (Bambouku), pitched their innovations on a global stage, sharing how their businesses addresses critical environmental challenges. Their presentations helped translate complex sustainability problems into real-world business opportunities, capturing the attention of investors and positioning their ventures for future growth.
Beyond the public pitches, the Youth Ecopreneurs took part in an exclusive investor networking session that reshaped how they approached funding. The experience reinforced a crucial lesson: investment is a partnership, not a transaction. Finding the right investor, they learned, is about shared vision, complementary expertise, and a mutual commitment to impact—not just securing quick capital. Armed with this insight, the entrepreneurs refined their pitches and built connections grounded in long-term collaboration, strengthening the foundation for scaling their ventures with purpose.
The broader conversations at ChangeNOW reinforced the urgency of collective action to tackle our triple planetary crisis. On the panel, Unknown Challenges of Ocean Preservation, Youth Ecopreneur Elena Martinez, co-founder of SOS Carbon and SOS Biotech, emphasized the critical role of grassroots communities, youth leadership, and stronger collaboration between public and private sectors in driving sustainable change. Her call to action echoed the mission of the Youth Ecopreneurs: building solutions that are locally grounded, globally relevant, and urgently needed to tackle today’s climate and biodiversity challenges.
The entrepreneurs represented a diverse range of climate smart ventures:
- Phebe Ilesanmi, Trashcoin
- Claude Irankunda, Innovahyper Technologies
- Lilan Dayananda, Elizan Agro (Private) Limited
- Andres Bisono Leon, SOS Carbon
- Abdulrhaman Zaki Elhalafawy, Cupmena
- Guadaluna Chaer, Luxeed Robotics B.V.
- Christian Adoh, Bio Planet TMC
- Fernando De Lucca Moreno Ceres Seeding
- Julia Mensa Nunatak Biotech
- Boy Heemskerk Bambouku
Their participation at ChangeNOW reaffirmed the critical role of youth innovators in shaping sustainable, inclusive economies—and the importance of connecting youth-led solutions to global platforms and strategic networks.
These 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 is a global accelerator empowering youth entrepreneurs to scale their businesses and to lead in sustainable development, climate action and environmental justice, with a focus on land restoration. Interested entrepreneurs to participate in the next cohort, should sign up here to get notified: https://surveys.intracen.org/response/G2tIYnJbRgUKZFNxVlJ6S0d-cXs
About the Ye! Community
The ITC Ye! Community powered by the Youth and Trade Programme is aimed at helping youth entrepreneurs to build scalable and sustainable businesses. The Ye! Community provides access to a global network of youth, mentors and ecosystem enablers, as well as free access to start-up trainings, resources, events and business opportunities.
