About

Overview

Applications are open for Launchpad Studio Senegal, a soft-landing programme supporting African climate-tech scale-ups seeking to enter and deploy their solutions in the Senegalese market.

The programme will select five clean-mobility scale-ups for a 10-month market-entry programme in Dakar, providing hands-on support from market preparation through pilot implementation.

Launchpad Studio Senegal is part of the CATAL1.5°T Initiative, financed by the Green Climate Fund and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The initiative is implemented by GIZ, Climate KIC and I&P, with Launchpad Studio Senegal operated by Haskè Ventures.

Who Can Apply?

The programme targets established climate-tech companies that are ready for commercial deployment rather than early-stage concepts.

Applicants should demonstrate:

• A validated business model and commercial traction in at least one African market
• Measurable climate mitigation potential aligned with Senegal’s climate priorities
• Financial sustainability and potential to scale across the ECOWAS region
• A solution that can be piloted within six months of programme start
• Strategic relevance to Senegal’s mobility, logistics or clean-energy ecosystem
• A leadership team with the capacity and authority to execute market entry in West Africa

Selected companies must designate at least one senior team member to be present in Senegal during the programme and commit operational or financial resources towards pilot execution and local incorporation.

Sector Focus

Applications are welcomed across three interconnected areas of clean urban mobility:

Clean Mobility

• Electric two- and three-wheelers
• Fleet electrification
• Urban logistics platforms
• Last-mile delivery

Infrastructure

• Charging infrastructure
• Battery-swapping systems
• Distributed energy for mobility hubs

Data

• Fleet analytics
• Climate data analysis
• AI optimisation
• Carbon measurement, reporting and verification (MRV)

Programme Support

Each selected company will work with a dedicated local expert team and receive support including:

• Tailored regulatory, compliance, incorporation and licensing support
• Introductions to 10–15 pre-mapped local partners
• Connections to climate-focused investors, DFI-aligned funds and Senegalese financial institutions
• A five-day exploration mission in Dakar, including meetings with customers, regulators, investors and potential pilot partners
• Commercial pilot design and implementation support
• MoU and Letter of Intent drafting
• Pilot budgeting and contract negotiation
• Legal, tax and financial expertise
• Office space during the pilot implementation phase

The programme does not provide a grant and is positioned as an embedded market-entry and implementation programme rather than a conventional training accelerator.

Programme Structure

The programme progresses through five phases:

1. Selection & Vetting: Due diligence, interviews and cohort selection
2. Pre-Landing Preparation: Regulatory planning, financial modelling and partner mapping
3. Exploration Mission: Five-day market immersion in Dakar
4. Pilot Execution: Commercial pilot design, negotiations and local incorporation
5. Follow-Up Monitoring: Impact measurement, lessons learned and development of a scale-up roadmap

Expected Outcomes

By programme completion, participating companies are expected to have progressed towards:

• Regulatory onboarding and local incorporation
• A tailored Senegal market-entry and regulatory roadmap
• At least one formalised pilot agreement with a local operator, logistics platform or public institution
• Validated commercial demand with a paying or committed local partner
• Updated investor materials incorporating Senegal-specific traction and impact data
• Demonstrated climate impact aligned with Senegal’s climate commitments

Key Dates

Application deadline: 30 September 2026
Cohort announcement: Early October 2026
Programme start: October 2026
Programme duration: 10 months
Location: Dakar, Senegal

How to Apply

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the deadline. Applicants must provide:

• Company profile and evidence of commercial traction
• Product and technology overview, including climate impact
• Senegal market-entry hypothesis and initial use case
• Leadership team and governance information

Incomplete applications will not be evaluated.

For questions regarding the programme or application, contact [email protected].