StartAD And VentureSouq Host The Angel Rising Investor Education Symposium On ClimateTech Solutions At COP28 The eight edition of the Angel Rising symposium by Tamkeen, startAD, and VentureSouq, and in cooperation with The US Mission to the UAE and The Catalyst, aimed to facilitate new partnerships between green-tech startups and global investors.
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StartAD, the Abu Dhabi-based startup accelerator powered by Tamkeen and anchored at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), and VentureSouq, a MENA-based venture capital firm, hosted the Angel Rising investor education symposium at the 28th edition of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), under the theme, "ClimateTech for Change."
Aligned with the UAE's ambitions to achieve net-zero carbon emission by 2050, the 8th annual edition of Angel Rising was organized in partnership with The US Mission to the UAE and The Catalyst to support and invest in clean tech startups that are creating and scaling solutions to address climate change. Ecosystem partners for this edition include The UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators and the European Women's Association.
Ramesh Jagannathan, Managing Director of startAD, said that the event served as a reminder that the region's financial sector must contribute to combating climate change and hold global temperatures below the 1.5C threshold. "Our program explored multiple ways that investments in climate tech startups can catalyze groundbreaking projects, drive technological advancements, and fuel the growth of entrepreneurial ventures committed to addressing environmental challenges," he said. "Now more than ever, we must support the process of investing in climate action to ensure that we are taking active steps to preserve the wellbeing of the planet."
Source: VentureSouq
Sonia Weymuller, co-founder and General Partner at VentureSouq, added, "Our topics included a stocktake of the early-stage climate investment space, an exploration of developments in the Global South from a climate tech stack and capital injection perspective, an inquiry into the forefront of climate data and intelligence with AI, and an introduction to pioneering founders dedicated to driving disruptive solutions to address climate change over the next decade."
The event offered investor-focused education sessions on the climate tech space through two programs, including a discussion moderated by Aby Sam Thomas, Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Middle East, where three panelists -Patricia Bubner, co-founder and CEO of Orbilion, Sean Dennis, co-founder and CEO of Seafood Souq, and Rick Fox, CEO of Partanna Global- highlighted the need to act fast and catalyze technology adoption through startups to serve the 2050 vision and address global warming. Another panel that contributed to the investor education featured a spotlight session on climate change in the GCC, and the programming also included a keynote address by Thomas Debass, Managing Director of the Office of Global Partnership (GP) at the U.S. Department of State, as well as other spotlight sessions, panel discussions, and fireside chats.
Speaking about the the U.S. Mission to the UAE partnering with NYUAD startAD, Tamkeen, and VentureSouq for this event, U.S. Ambassador to the UAE Martina Strong highlighted the need for regional investment in climate tech. "At COP28, Vice President Kamala Harris announced an additional US$3 billion to the Green Climate Fund, with the goal of galvanizing financing to tackle the climate crisis," Strong said. "This funding will increase the resilience of populations in least developed countries, protect small island developing states threatened by climate change, and support the transition to low-emission, climate-resilient development around the world. A landmark deal to help the world's poorest and most vulnerable countries pay for the irreversible impacts of climate disaster was also agreed on the first day of COP28, with US$429 million pledged already."
Source: VentureSouq
Angel Rising is targeted towards GCC-based family office funds, venture capitalists, angel investors, institutional investors, corporate and government investors, and stakeholders who are interested in investing in impact-driven technology startups that can bring positive change in the future of climate and the economy.
Over seven years, Angel Rising has convened 100 global experts, 3,000 participants, and reached 11 million people worldwide.
Related: VentureSouq's Sonia Weymuller On Mentorship And A Soft Skill You Should Remember
