Ten Nigerian startups have secured a combined $560,000 in funding under the first edition of the TECA Heat Action Wave programme focused on combating the growing impact of extreme heat across the country.
The initiative, launched by BFA Global, FSD Africa, ClimateWorks Foundation and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in Nigeria, is supporting innovative businesses developing climate adaptation solutions in agriculture, healthcare, food preservation, sanitation and energy systems.
According to a statement released on Tuesday, each selected startup will receive $56,000 in funding alongside business acceleration support covering product development, investor readiness, user testing and business strategy.
The programme comes amid increasing concerns over the impact of rising temperatures in Nigeria, with heatwaves worsening food spoilage, crop damage, livestock losses and pressure on health facilities.
Organisers said the selected firms emerged from a highly competitive process and represent Nigeria’s growing climate innovation ecosystem across Lagos, Kaduna and Edo States.
Some of the beneficiaries include Ofemini Global Limited, which operates heat-resistant logistics systems for transporting perishable farm produce, and Agiletech Operations Consulting Limited, which provides localised climate and heat alerts to farmers and small business owners.
Others include Emplaris, a company building predictive heat-risk and energy intelligence systems for hospitals; Doorcas Africa, which uses artificial intelligence to improve livestock health and reduce heat-related animal deaths; and Farmxic, which offers AI-powered soil and crop diagnostic solutions.
The list also features Let-It-Cold, a startup providing solar-powered cooling systems designed to preserve perishable goods during extreme heat and electricity outages.
Speaking on the initiative, TECA Director at BFA Global, Tyler Ferdinand, said extreme heat is becoming a major economic threat across Africa despite limited investment in adaptation solutions.
“Extreme heat is rapidly becoming one of the biggest operational risks facing African economies, yet it remains dramatically underinvested,” Ferdinand said.
“Through TECA’s Heat Action Wave, we’re backing entrepreneurs building the tools, services, and financial products that will allow people, businesses, and cities to function in a hotter world,” he added.
FSD Africa’s Director of Early Stage Finance, Juliet Munro, said climate adaptation funding in Africa must be built around practical and investable innovations.
“If climate adaptation finance is going to scale in Africa, it has to be grounded in real, investable solutions,” Munro stated.
“This group of innovators tackling extreme heat is important because it shows what those solutions look like in practice.”
Senior Director of Adaptation and Resilience at ClimateWorks Foundation, Jessica Brown, warned that the global economic cost of climate inaction continues to rise.
“The cost of inaction on climate change is growing, as over 70 per cent of workers around the world are at risk from deadly extreme heat,” Brown said.
“These new business ventures are strong, community-led solutions that can accelerate resilience in Nigeria and more broadly in the West African region.”
Also commenting, Temi Akinrinade of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in Nigeria said the programme aligns with broader efforts to support climate-focused private sector innovation.
“Responding to climate change is central to Nigeria’s future growth and resilience,” Akinrinade said.
“The UK is excited to support this cohort of ambitious Nigerian businesses developing transformative solutions to extreme heat.”
The TECA Heat Action Wave programme is expected to continue through 2026, ending with investor demo sessions and additional support opportunities for top-performing startups.
