October 22, 2025

Five years after receiving USD 20 million in catalytic capital, 2021 Lab alum One Acre Fund shared key lessons in ImpactAlpha, a sustainable investment news platform. In the article, One Acre Fund explains how a USD 20 million subordinated loan from a group of catalytic investors helped attract new funding and accelerate growth, all with the goal of aiding smallholder farmers across Africa who are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

One Acre Fund, which launched the financial vehicle One Acre Ventures, was part of the 2021 Lab class. During the cycle, the Lab provided incubation support for the vehicle, including development guidance and technical assistance. Later, One Acre Ventures was selected for the inaugural grantee class of the Catalytic Climate Finance Facility (CC Facility), a partnership between Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and Convergence, receiving a working capital grant and additional technical support to accelerate the fund’s market roll-out.