Grassroots innovators take the spotlight at Climate Innovation Fund Founders’ Forum

TAM Desk ||

The British Asian Trust and SAJIDA Foundation co-hosted the inaugural Founders’ Forum of the Climate Innovation Fund (CIF) on Wednesday (July 30) in Dhaka, celebrating a cohort of grassroots innovators working at the intersection of community resilience and digital technology in the agriculture sector.

Launched jointly in 2023, the Climate Innovation Fund was developed by the British Asian Trust and SAJIDA Foundation to identify and scale locally grounded solutions that strengthen climate resilience. Since its inception, the Fund has supported over eight enterprises, reaching over 5,595 farmers, with a target to reach 10,000 farmers, across 13 districts, with catalytic support from Prime Bank PLC.

The Fund has committed BDT 16.5 million (1.65 crore) to enterprises through two pathways: Venture Building for early-stage innovations and Catalytic Funding for more mature businesses.

Catalytic Funding awardees ATEC International Pty Ltd., Deshifarmer Ltd., and The iPAGE Global Ltd. highlighted how digital infrastructure—ranging from embedded IoT tech to carbon monitoring platforms—has driven tangible improvements in income, productivity, and ecosystem outcomes, according to a press release.

Five early-stage enterprises—Potro, Digital Innovation for Impact (Dii), Boichitro.shop, Hillsbazar, and the Department of Animal Nutrition at Bangladesh Agricultural University—shared frontier approaches combining AI, indigenous practices, and bioeconomy models for sustainable agriculture.

“This Forum demonstrates the momentum behind grassroots innovation in Bangladesh,” said Eshrat Waris, Country Director at the British Asian Trust. “The Fund is helping mission-driven enterprises use digital tools—AI, remote advisory, IoT, and carbon platforms—to improve yield, protect ecosystems, and shift how we finance resilience.”

“Supporting early-stage agri-businesses in Bangladesh is critical to building a future-ready agricultural economy,” said Sarah Iqbal, Head of Impact Partners at SAJIDA Foundation. “Through the Climate Innovation Fund, we aim to integrate innovation, improve value chain efficiency, and drive scalable, financially sustainable models that uplift smallholder livelihoods and attract private investment.”

“This joint initiative stands as a powerful example of how collaborative philanthropy can drive grassroots climate resilience,” said Fareba Naz Shaule, Deputy Head of Sustainable Finance, Prime Bank PLC. “This program is empowering local entrepreneurs and community-led solutions, which demonstrates what meaningful, locally grounded agricultural innovations truly look like.”

The Climate Innovation Fund continues to unite climate innovators, private sector players, and development allies to serve as a platform for scaling climate-smart, product-led innovations and building a supportive ecosystem for adopting solutions that confront climate challenges at the last mile.