Rihanna-Backed Fund Eyes Kenya’s Women Entrepreneurs in Climate Innovation Push

A climate-focused investment fund backed by Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation is targeting women-led startups across Africa, with Kenya among its key focus markets.

• •The fund was launched by Gather Ventures, an impact investment firm founded by Kenyan-born Jo Opot, and aims to support businesses that sit at the intersection of environmental resilience and women’s economic empowerment.
• •Since its inception in 2021, the Gather Impact Fund has allocated roughly 80% of its capital to female-led enterprises addressing climate challenges.
• •Its portfolio includes ventures such as clean-energy firms, sustainable agriculture initiatives, and gender-inclusive mobility startups.

The Rihanna-backed fund deploys a range of financing tools including grants, equity, loans, and working capital to adapt to the specific needs of early-stage businesses. Kenya, with its growing base of female entrepreneurs and climate-vulnerable communities, is expected to benefit from the fund’s expanding investment footprint.

Gather Ventures is also focusing on sectors like agriculture, construction, and technology, where women remain underrepresented despite their economic contributions. The initiative comes amid growing global interest in gender-inclusive climate finance, especially in emerging markets facing acute environmental and economic pressures.

Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation, founded in 2012, has shifted from funding health and education initiatives to focusing on climate resilience and gender equity. The foundation uses a trust-based model, offering grants to local organizations across the Global South.