About the pitching competition

GreenCape,in partnership with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF), invite innovators and entrepreneurs with economically viable green economy innovation business ideas to enter the 2025 FNF GreenPitch Challenge.

Enter your early stage start-up (proof of concept e.g. pilot project running, looking for first round of seed funding) & pre-growth (Registered and trading, with sales - looking for series A funding) business to stand a chance of pitching to a panel of esteemed judges at a “shark tank-style” networking event, hosted on 4 September 2025.

Entry requirements

Your green economy innovation business idea has to be positioned within at least one of the green economy sectors – refer to the investment opportunities highlighted in GreenCape’s Market Intelligence Reports. Your business can be based anywhere in South Africa. Terms and conditions apply.

KEY EVENT DATES

Entries open: 30 May 2025

Entries close: 4 July 2025

Finalists announced: 28 July 2025

Pitch prep workshop: 1 August 2025 (Cape Town)

Pitching event: 4 September 2025

Circular Economy

Energy

Sustainable Agriculture

Water

Who should enter?

Innovators and entrepreneurs with economically viable green economy innovation business ideas.

The business idea has to be

1) Early-stage start-up (proof of concept e.g. pilot project running, looking for the first round of seed funding) or

2) Pre-growth (registered and trading, with sales - looking for series A funding).

Why enter?

As part of the journey towards resilience, GreenCape supported by FNF Africa, offer their support to innovators and entrepreneurs in the green economy landscape. The winner and finalists of the 2025 FNF GreenPitch Challenge will be awarded a range of cash and in-kind prizes to the value of more than R300 000.

Competition prizes

The winner and finalists of the 2025 FNF GreenPitch Challenge will be awarded a range of cash and in-kind prizes to the value of more than R300 000. These will include but are not limited to:

Cash prize (Winner)
A full-day workshop to all finalists on investment strategies hosted by RMB Ventures (All finalists).
Mentoring support
Access to a network of potential funders to accelerate your business idea.

2025 FNF GreenPitch Challenge prize sponsors

Thinkroom helps businesses develop customised SME programmes and assists them with implementing those systems through a carefully curated programmatic approach. We help businesses formulate and refine their SME development strategy towards success, from conception to the management of the interventions.

Innovate UK Global Alliance Africa is proud to support this year’s 2025 FNF GreenPitch Challenge— its first year supporting the event— and, with a keen interest in circular waste and water streams, looks forward to assisting finalists through the pre-pitch stages and providing post-pitch mentorship and funding prizes to selected candidates, enabling them to scale solutions that drive sustainable growth and lasting environmental impact.