Participate in I4C Pitch Hub Competition 2020 & Win Trip to Barcelona

INNOVATE4CLIMATE (I4C), hosted by the World Bank Group, is an annual global conference on climate finance, climate investment and climate markets. It attracts leaders focused on transformative and innovative action on climate change. Launched in 2017, I4C is designed to bring together thought leaders interested in linking climate innovation with investment opportunities – transforming dialogue into action.

This year, the I4C conference will take place in Barcelona, Spain from May 26 to May 28. It will host a summit, workshop, a pitch hub competition and much more.

About Pitch Hub Competition:

I4C Pitch Hub Competition is an annual Pitch Hub competition for innovators that showcase ingenuity, entrepreneurship, and a clear value proposition. It is a competition aiming to engage startups and entrepreneurs and to create a space for innovate at I4C.

The objective of the competition is to highlight climate-smart solutions with potential for transformative impact in reducing emissions and/or increasing resilience to climate change.

Call for solutions currently open.

The Challenge

55% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to increase to 70% by 2050. Cities account for just 2% of global land area but are responsible for 70% of greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, as much as 80% of adaptation costs are expected to be borne in urban areas.

Supporting climate-smart cities – those that are low-carbon and climate resilient – is a critical part of addressing climate change. Becoming a climate smart city requires an integrated approach combining planning, policy, regulation, and investment.

Focus Areas

• Energy
• Food/Agriculture
• Mobility/Transportation
• Waste/Water
• FinTech

Criteria

Minimum Viable Product Stage: Solutions can be goods, services (e.g. financial instruments, risk management mechanisms), technological solutions, or innovative business models that can be applied in one of the urban focus areas defined above.

• CLIMATE-SMART: Potential for climate change mitigation or adaptation
• FEASIBLE: Clear value proposition, actionable business model, preliminary market analysis, draft implementation plan
• IMPLEMENTABLE: Potential to achieve market viability and deployment capacity
• SCALABLE: Potential to be scaled-up or replicated in other contexts

Stages of the competition

• Evaluation & Selection: All applications are recorded and passes to an independent panel for evaluation.
• Coaching & Training: The selected five finalists announced on April 15, 2020 are mentored and trained to fine tune their pitches.
• Pitch: Finalists are brought to Barcelona to pitch in front of the judges on May 26, 2020.