10 Nigerian startups tackle extreme heat

Ten early-stage ventures are accelerating solutions to extreme heat in Nigeria after being selected for the inaugural cohort of the TECA Heat Action Wave  programme.

The initiative, backed by BFA Global, FSD Africa, ClimateWorks Foundation, and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in Nigeria, targets climate adaptation innovations addressing rising temperatures and their economic impact.

According to a statement, the selected startups include Ofemini Global Limited, Agiletech Operations Consulting Limited, Emplaris, Doorcas Africa, Farmxic, Farm Fresh Grocery Ltd, Farmslate Technologies Limited, Let-It-Cold, Pod, and TheHyWing Ltd.

The ventures are developing solutions ranging from heat-resilient logistics and early-warning systems to AI-driven health, agriculture, and energy tools designed to help farmers, businesses, and healthcare providers withstand extreme heat conditions.

The organisers noted that the innovations address critical challenges such as food spoilage, livestock losses, soil degradation, and heat-related health risks affecting outdoor workers and vulnerable populations.

The statement read, “Together, the ventures address some of the most immediate and under-addressed impacts of extreme heat across Nigeria, including food spoilage and cold chain gaps, heat-induced soil degradation and crop stress, livestock disease and productivity loss, health risks for outdoor workers, and system failures in energy, healthcare, and sanitation infrastructure.”

The programme also highlights the spread of climate innovation across Nigeria, with participating startups operating in Lagos, Kaduna, and Edo states.

Each venture will receive $56,000 in funding and technical support covering product development, user validation, business model design, and investor readiness.

TECA Director at BFA Global, Tyler Ferdinand, said, “Extreme heat is rapidly becoming one of the biggest operational risks facing African economies, yet it remains dramatically underinvested.”

He added, “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. Our goal is not only to support these ventures but also to prove that climate adaptation can become a powerful new investment frontier.”

Director of Early Stage Finance at FSD Africa, Juliet Munro, said the cohort demonstrates the viability of climate adaptation investments: “If climate adaptation finance is going to scale in Africa, it has to be grounded in real, investable solutions. This group of innovators tackling extreme heat is important because it shows what those solutions look like in practice, and that’s what gives markets the confidence to follow.”

Senior Director of Adaptation and Resilience at ClimateWorks Foundation, Jessica Brown, said, “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 added, “These new business ventures are strong, community-led solutions that can accelerate resilience in Nigeria and more broadly in the West African region.”

Additionally, a representative of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in Nigeria, Temi Akinrinade, stated that the UK remains committed to supporting climate innovation in Nigeria, saying, “Responding to climate change is central to Nigeria’s future growth and resilience. The UK is excited to support this cohort of ambitious Nigerian businesses developing transformative solutions to extreme heat.”

The programme includes demo days and investor engagement opportunities, with additional support planned for top-performing ventures.