Africa Carbon Removal Accelerator

What Africa Carbon Removal Accelerator does

Africa Carbon Removal Accelerator (ACRA) is a 6-month, cohort-based accelerator program dedicated exclusively to early-stage Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) startups based in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is positioned as the first accelerator of its kind in the region and accepts applicants from any of the 48 Sub-Saharan African countries as defined by The World Bank. The program is led by a consortium comprising remove (a premier CDR-focused global accelerator), sus.lab at ETH Zurich, and the Net Zero Lab at the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, with on-the-ground African research support from Strathmore University and the Nuvoni Centre for Innovation Research. Cohort 1 ran April–September 2025 with 12 alumni startups and Cohort 2 launched in April 2026 with 12 selected startups spanning biochar, enhanced rock weathering, direct air capture with mineral/concrete storage, blue-green carbon, biomass carbon capture, and digital MRV (dMRV) systems.

The underlying 'product' is a structured program of CDR-focused mentorship, technical content drawn from current research at ETH Zurich and Max Planck, and facilitated introductions to global CDR buyers, verification bodies, policy stakeholders, and fundraising professionals — with explicit emphasis on the Sub-Saharan African operating context. Technology-wise, ACRA does not build or own CDR technology; rather, it curates and accelerates startups working across the CDR modality stack. Distribution is community-led and application-based: prospects register interest via a Typeform hosted by remove, with cohort-based selection mixing virtual delivery with in-person events.

ACRA's business model is grant-funded and non-commercial. It is financed by the Swiss Agency for Cooperation and Development (SDC) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) under the SOR4D programme. The program is offered to selected startups at no cost, takes no equity, and provides no direct funding to participants — its value proposition is knowledge transfer, ecosystem access, and connections rather than capital. ACRA is therefore a mission-driven, donor-financed platform rather than a revenue-generating business.

Name

Africa Carbon Removal Accelerator

Legal name

Africa Carbon Removal Accelerator

Website

https://acra-program.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ACRA is a 6-month, grant-funded accelerator program for early-stage Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) startups in Sub-Saharan Africa, delivered by a consortium including remove, ETH Zurich's sus.lab, and the Max Planck Net Zero Lab. It offers non-dilutive mentorship, research-backed content, and global CDR ecosystem access at no cost to selected participants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant funding (not for startups): ACRA is funded by Swiss Agency for Cooperation and Development (SDC) and Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) as part of the SOR4D programme. The program does not provide funding to participating startups - it is a non-dilutive accelerator program offering knowledge, connections, and ecosystem access rather than capital.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ACRA is a 6-month accelerator program dedicated to supporting early-stage Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) startups in Sub-Saharan Africa. Selected startups receive CDR-focused expertise, connections to leading CDR buyers, verification bodies, tech and policy stakeholders, and fundraising professionals globally, as well as access to research from sus.lab at ETH Zurich and Net Zero Lab at Max Planck Institute. The program is provided free of charge, takes no equity, and does not deliver direct funding to participating startups.

Product overview

ACRA operates as a single unified accelerator program rather than a platform with multiple modules. The core offering is a 6-month CDR-focused accelerator program that connects early-stage startups in Sub-Saharan Africa with global CDR ecosystem stakeholders including tech and policy experts, leading CDR buyers, verification bodies, and fundraising professionals. The program is led by CDR-focused experts including the remove team (premier CDR-focused accelerator), sus.lab at ETH Zurich, and the Net Zero Lab at the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, in partnership with Strathmore University and the Nuvoni Centre for Innovation Research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ACRA Accelerator Program A 6-month, free, non-dilutive accelerator program for early-stage Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) startups based in Sub-Saharan Africa. The program delivers CDR-focused expertise, connections to global CDR buyers, verification bodies, tech and policy stakeholders, and fundraising professionals, and embeds participants in research on CDR technologies with greatest sustainable development potential for Sub-Saharan Africa. It is led by remove, sus.lab at ETH Zurich, and Net Zero Lab at Max Planck Institute in partnership with Strathmore University and Nuvoni Centre for Innovation Research.
• ACRA Cohort 2 (CDR Startup Cohort) Second cohort of the ACRA 6-month accelerator program, serving 11 selected early-stage Sub-Saharan African CDR startups across biochar, dMRV/MRV, mangrove and saline aquaculture, biomass capture, enhanced rock weathering, and direct air capture with concrete storage.

Named customers24 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• removecoreStrategic or Co-development Partnerremove is the premier CDR-focused accelerator with a history of supporting CDR startups globally. They lead the ACRA program alongside sus.lab at ETH Zurich and Net Zero Lab at Max Planck Institute, bringing CDR-specific expertise and global network to the program.
• sus.lab at ETH ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development Partnersus.lab is a think and do tank launched by the Group for Sustainability at ETH Zurich. They contribute academic rigor and sustainability expertise to the ACRA program, providing research-backed knowledge on CDR technologies.
• Net Zero Lab at Max Planck InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Net Zero Lab drives impactful climate action via carbon markets & climate tech innovation. They are part of the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition and co-lead the ACRA program, contributing expertise in carbon markets and innovation research.
• Strathmore UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrathmore University strives to mainstream policy and research for a positive impact on society. Based in Kenya, they provide local African context and research grounding for the program, helping participants understand factors critical for developing a domestic CDR ecosystem.
• Nuvoni Centre for Innovation ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNuvoni Research focuses on science, technology and innovation for inclusive development in Africa. They contribute expertise in innovation research specific to African development context, helping ensure CDR solutions are appropriate for Sub-Saharan Africa.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• remove: remove is the premier CDR-focused accelerator globally and the lead program partner of ACRA, running cohort-based accelerator programming exclusively for carbon dioxide removal startups. It is the closest direct comparably-positioned CDR accelerator and co-designs and co-delivers the ACRA program.
• Third Derivative: Third Derivative is a climate-tech-focused accelerator that runs cohort-based programming for early-stage startups working on decarbonization solutions, including CDR. It is structurally comparable to ACRA as a cohort-based program targeting climate-tech founders with mentorship, network, and ecosystem support.
• Elemental Excelerator: Elemental Excelerator runs cohort-style climate-tech accelerator programs supporting startups across energy, mobility, water, and carbon. Its model of cohort-based deal flow, partner network activation, and deployment-stage focus mirrors ACRA's accelerator structure for climate startups.
• Greentown Labs: Greentown Labs is the largest climatetech incubator in North America, supporting early-stage hardware and CDR startups with shared lab space, mentorship, and programming. Its model of supporting capital-intensive climate and carbon startups is closely comparable to ACRA's role in accelerating CDR startups.
• Climate-KIC: Climate-KIC is the EU's climate innovation initiative running accelerator and scaling programs for climate-tech startups across Europe. It is comparable to ACRA as a regional accelerator convening research institutions, corporates, and founders around climate innovation.
• IndieBio: IndieBio runs a biology-focused accelerator program backing science-driven startups across sustainability, food, and carbon. Its cohort model of intensive programming for science-grounded, early-stage founders parallels ACRA's focus on science-grounded CDR startups.
• MassChallenge: MassChallenge operates a global network of equity-free, cohort-based startup accelerators with explicit climate and sustainability tracks. Its non-dilutive, cohort-driven model and emphasis on connecting founders to corporates and investors is structurally analogous to ACRA's program design.

Broad incumbents

• Decarbonization Partners: Decarbonization Partners is a Blackstone and Temasek-backed late-stage venture partnership focused on scaling decarbonization and CDR startups. It is comparable as a CDR-adjacent ecosystem participant, though it operates downstream of ACRA at growth-stage rather than seed/acceleration.

Others

• Carbonfuture: Carbonfuture is a digital marketplace and advisory platform for high-quality CDR credits, supporting biochar, DAC, and other removal project developers with MRV and offtake. It is comparable as an adjacent ecosystem participant that CDR-startup alumni of ACRA could rely on for credit issuance and sales.
• Puro.earth: Puro.earth is a CDR registry and marketplace issuing certified removal credits for biochar, geological storage, and other methods. It sits adjacent to ACRA's mission by providing the credit issuance and offtake infrastructure that ACRA's portfolio startups depend on.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sustainability-in-business-lab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments13 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Africa Carbon Removal Accelerator