Clima Now
Clima Now is a Zurich-based Swiss foundation that funds climate solutions through an annual Spotlight project competition, policy advocacy (PACT), and a public Climate Narrative Guide, while spinning off its investment activities into the Vitamin°C climate tech fund.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersZürich, Switzerland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Clima Now does
Clima Now is a Swiss foundation headquartered in Zurich (Riesbachstrasse 61, 8008 Zurich) that pursues climate action through three coordinated programs. Its core program is Spotlight, an annual competition platform that accepts submissions from climate project initiators (aged 14+ with legal capacity), narrows them through an expert jury and community voting (three votes per visitor), and culminates in a live Pitch Night at which seven finalists compete for discretionary prize money (CHF 90,000 per edition in disclosed terms; CHF 175,000 distributed across three winners in Spotlight 2022) plus coaching via the Horizon Support Program delivered with One Planet Lab and Impact Hub Zürich. The second program, PACT (Policy & Advocacy Climate Transition), engages Swiss policymakers, political parties, and civil society through alliance-building and policy sprints aimed at aligning Swiss climate policy with the Paris Agreement and Net Zero 2050. The third program, Climate Narrative by Design, is a publicly accessible four-phase practitioner guide (Probing, Reimagining, Crafting, Catalyzing) developed in collaboration with Catalytic (Femke Bartels) and supported by Stiftung Corymbo.
The foundation operates digital infrastructure across three subdomains — climanow.ch, spotlight.climanow.ch, and narrative.climanow.ch — built on WordPress CMS hosted at Hostpoint in Zurich, with SSL encryption, Mailchimp newsletters, Google Analytics/Tag Manager, Google reCAPTCHA v3 for vote integrity, Vimeo for embedded video, and MaxMind GeoIP2 used locally for vote-origin verification. Donations are processed through RaiseNow AG (a certified non-profit payment platform) into a Zürcher Kantonalbank account (IBAN CH47 0070 0114 8047 4189 3). The organization operates with a small core team of approximately 6-7 staff plus a six-member foundation board led by Martin Meili (President). Revenue is generated primarily through charitable donations and matched crowdfunding (notably a CHF 250,000 match of the Wemakeit Impact Fund 2021). In July 2025, Clima Now announced the spin-off of its direct investment activities into Vitamin°C, an independent climate tech venture fund that reached a first close of €18 million; prior direct investments include Einhundert Energie GmbH (CHF 500,000, Feb 2022), Blue Farm (Sep 2021), Planeteers (Jul 2024), and The Generation Forest cooperative membership.
Clima Now firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Clima Now
- Legal name
- Clima Now
- Website
- https://climanow.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Clima Now is a Zurich-based Swiss foundation that funds climate solutions through an annual Spotlight project competition, policy advocacy (PACT), and a public Climate Narrative Guide, while spinning off its investment activities into the Vitamin°C climate tech fund.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Clima Now industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Climate Philanthropy & Advocacy
- akta.pro primary industry
- Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF), Climate Mitigation Programs (Energy, Industry, Transport) (BPADALAC), Carbon Markets & Climate Finance (Offsets, Allowances, Carbon Funds) (FSAAALAH)
Keywords
Where Clima Now is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Zürich
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Clima Now business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Clima Now operates as a Swiss foundation funded primarily through donations. The foundation accepts charitable contributions via its donation account at Zürcher Kantonalbank (IBAN CH47 0070 0114 8047 4189 3) and online through RaiseNow AG payment platform. As a registered foundation, it relies on private donations to fund climate projects, the Spotlight competition prize money, and operational activities.
- Investment Returns (Spin-off: Vitamin° C): Clima Now's investment activities are being spun off into an independent climate tech fund called Vitamin° C. The fund launched its fundraising phase in July 2025. Clima Now previously made direct investments in climate tech companies including Einhundert Energie GmbH, Blue Farm, Planeteers, The Generation Forest, and others, indicating a funding/investment model as a core activity.
- Crowdfunded Project Co-Financing: As partner foundation of the Wemakeit Impact Fund, Clima Now matched crowdfunded contributions (CHF 250,000) to support climate projects. This demonstrates a co-financing model where donor funds are matched and deployed to climate initiatives.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free project submission to Spotlight competition |
| One time/ perpetual license | Others | Spotlight Prize Money (discretionary) |
| Freemium | Others | Climate Narrative Guide (free access) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Clima Now product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Clima Now is a Swiss foundation that funds and supports solutions reducing greenhouse gas emissions through three core programs: the annual Spotlight competition for climate projects (with prize money and coaching), the PACT policy & advocacy initiative targeting Swiss climate legislation, and the Climate Narrative by Design guide for climate communicators. It also makes direct investments in climate tech companies (being spun off as the Vitamin°C fund).
Product overview
Clima Now is a Swiss foundation operating as a climate action platform with multiple interconnected programs. Its core product is Spotlight, an annual competition platform that sources, evaluates, and supports climate projects through community voting and Pitch Night events. The foundation also offers Climate Narrative by Design, a four-phase practitioner’s guide for building effective climate communication narratives. PACT (Policy & Advocacy Climate Transition) focuses on systemic policy change in Switzerland. Clima Now’s investment activities have been spun off into Vitamin°C, an independent climate tech venture capital fund. The offerings work together to enable climate innovation, shape policy, and drive action across Swiss society.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Spotlight: Annual competition for climate projects, featuring pitch nights and prize money for winning ideas
- PACT
- Climate Narrative by Design
Products and services
- Spotlight Annual competition and platform that invites project initiators to submit climate action ideas. Projects are evaluated through community voting (3 votes per visitor) and jury evaluation, culminating in a Pitch Night event where 7 finalists compete for prize money (up to CHF 175,000) and coaching support.
- Climate Narrative by Design A practitioner's guide in four phases (Probing, Reimagining, Crafting, Catalyzing) for building climate narratives rooted in audiences' values, helping communicators show that climate action aligns with what people care about.
- PACT (Policy & Advocacy Climate Transition) Policy and advocacy initiative focused on shaping political frameworks to enable ambitious climate action in Switzerland, building alliances and supporting selected partner projects with a systemic approach toward Net Zero 2050.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 150 project ideas submitted and 7 finalists presented at Pitch Night 2021; 175,000 CHF distributed to 3 winners in 2022
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Clima Now
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Clima Now technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Clima Now partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- WWF SwitzerlandcoreWWF Switzerland is a Spotlight 2021 partner, providing organizational support and co-branding for the annual climate project competition. WWF is committed to biodiversity and sustainable resource use in over 100 countries and shares Clima Now's mission of environmental protection.
- One Planet LabcoreOne Planet Lab is a Spotlight partner for both 2021 and 2022 editions and co-implements the Horizon Support Program for Spotlight finalists. The organization designs and shows paths to a world where resources consumed equal what the planet can provide, supporting pioneers in implementing projects.
- Impact Hub ZürichcoreImpact Hub Zürich co-implements the Horizon Support Program for Spotlight finalists and is a Spotlight 2022 partner. It is part of a global innovation network for social entrepreneurs, working with climate and circular economy as key program themes, including the Circular Economy Incubator and Climathon.
- Die LöwenbräukunstminorDie Löwenbräukunst is the venue partner for Spotlight 2022, hosting the Pitch Night at its schwarzescafé in Zürich. It is a unique art center in Zürich-West housing museums, galleries, publishing houses, and art foundations.
- Catalytic (Femke Bartels)coreFemke Bartels of Catalytic collaborated with Clima Now to develop the Climate Narrative Guide, a practitioner's guide in four phases for building climate narratives. The guide is a product of this co-development partnership.
- WemakeitcoreClima Now is a partner foundation of the Wemakeit Impact Fund 2021, which raised over CHF 500,000 total (CHF 290,000 from 2,300+ crowdfunding supporters, matched by CHF 250,000 from Clima Now). The fund supported at least 21 climate projects.
- LGT Venture PhilanthropyminorNathalie Moral, co-founder of Clima Now, previously worked at LGT Venture Philanthropy before founding her own consultancy mavia in Zurich in 2012. This represents a historical organizational connection rather than an active partnership.
- ETH ZürichminorETH Zürich's Institute for Sustainable Building and Infrastructure Management is a partner of the Spotlight 2022 winning project Co-Habitations: Urban Resilience through Art, which involves building a pavilion as a meeting place and model of ecological construction.
- ZHAW (Zurcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften)minorZHAW's Research Group on Sustainability Communication and Environmental Education is a partner of the Spotlight 2022 project Co-Habitations, contributing research expertise to the initiative.
- MYBLUEPLANET (Klimaschule)minorMYBLUEPLANET runs the Klimaschule program, a four-year educational program for schools on climate protection and sustainability. Clima Now supported this initiative, reaching 31 schools and 12,000 students by 2021.
- Take Action Global (Climate Action Project)minorTake Action Global runs the Climate Action Project, a 6-week program bringing youth together across six continents to work on climate solutions. Over 2 million students in 149 countries have participated. Clima Now supported this initiative.
- Expedition ZukunftminorClima Now supports the activities and policy sprints of Expedition Zukunft in the climate sector. This politically neutral civil society initiative brings politicians of all parties together with administration, business, academia and civil society to develop effective climate measures submitted to the federal government.
- SDSN Switzerland (Sustainable Development Solutions Network)minorClima Now supports SDSN Switzerland's parliamentary events on sustainable development and climate policy, contributing to the policy and advocacy work (PACT) objectives.
- Swiss Donut Economic NetworkminorCorinne Grässle, Managing Director of Clima Now, is co-founder of the Swiss Donut Economic Network, connecting Clima Now's work to doughnut economics frameworks for sustainable development.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Clima Now competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- myclimate: Swiss non-profit foundation (Zurich-headquartered) focused on climate protection through carbon offset projects, corporate partnerships, and education. Highly comparable to Clima Now as a fellow Swiss climate foundation with overlapping funding/advocacy model and a shared board member (Franziska Heidenreich previously led myclimate's carbon offset projects department for ten years).
- ClimateWorks Foundation: Global climate philanthropy that grants to and partners with climate-focused organizations to drive systemic emissions reductions. Comparable as a grantmaking foundation funding climate solutions, although operating at significantly larger scale and global geographic scope.
- Good Energies Foundation: International philanthropic foundation focused on climate change and clean energy access. Closely comparable to Clima Now as a dedicated climate-philanthropy foundation, although operating globally with substantially larger endowment.
- Stiftung Klimafonds Schweiz: Swiss climate foundation pooling corporate contributions to finance climate protection measures in Switzerland and abroad. Most direct geographic and structural peer to Clima Now, both being Swiss foundations funding climate projects through pooled capital.
Broad incumbents
- South Pole Group: Zürich-based global climate solutions provider offering carbon credit development, climate strategy consulting, and renewable energy projects. Broader incumbent in the Swiss climate ecosystem with overlapping customer base (corporate sustainability buyers) but more commercial, scale-driven operating model.
- 350.org: Global grassroots climate movement organization focused on climate action and fossil fuel phase-out. Overlaps with Clima Now's PACT policy advocacy mission and narrative work, but operates globally through decentralized campaigns rather than as a grantmaking foundation.
- WWF Switzerland: Large established Swiss environmental NGO with climate, biodiversity, and resource conservation programs. Acts as a Spotlight partner to Clima Now; shares leadership alumni (Corinne Grässle and Lorin Preisig worked at WWF Switzerland). Comparable in mission but operates at much larger scale and broader scope than Clima Now.
Others
- Wemakeit: Swiss crowdfunding platform for creative and impact projects; partner foundation of the Wemakeit Impact Fund 2021 where Clima Now matched CHF 250K. Adjacent ecosystem player enabling crowdfunded climate project financing.
- Generation Forest: Hamburg-based reforestation cooperative of which Clima Now is a member (6,700+ members from 30 countries). Operates a comparable member-funded, mission-driven model for climate-positive land use, but focused exclusively on tropical reforestation rather than diversified climate action.
- Impact Hub Zürich: Global innovation network supporting social entrepreneurs; co-implements Clima Now's Horizon Support Program for Spotlight finalists. Adjacent enabling organization rather than direct competitor, but shares the climate/circular economy focus and target community of Swiss climate founders.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Clima Now social profiles
Digital presenceClima Now financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Clima Now leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Clima Now funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Clima Now M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments8 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Clima Now
What does Clima Now do?
Clima Now is a Swiss foundation that funds and supports solutions reducing greenhouse gas emissions through three core programs: the annual Spotlight competition for climate projects (with prize money and coaching), the PACT policy & advocacy initiative targeting Swiss climate legislation, and the Climate Narrative by Design guide for climate communicators. It also makes direct investments in climate tech companies (being spun off as the Vitamin°C fund).
Is Clima Now a public or private company?
Clima Now is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Clima Now founded?
Clima Now was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Clima Now based?
Clima Now is headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Clima Now make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are investment Returns (Spin-off: Vitamin° C) and crowdfunded Project Co-Financing.
Who are Clima Now's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are myclimate, ClimateWorks Foundation, Good Energies Foundation and Stiftung Klimafonds Schweiz. Broad incumbents are South Pole Group, 350.org and WWF Switzerland. Others are Wemakeit, Generation Forest and Impact Hub Zürich.
Does Clima Now have an API?
No public API is recorded for Clima Now.
What industry is Clima Now in?
Clima Now's product category is Climate Philanthropy & Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAM, Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAGAF, Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation.