Latin America is one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth, hosting around 40% of global biodiversity and six of the world’s 17 megadiverse countries, including Brazil and Colombia. It contains globally critical ecosystems such as the Amazon Rainforest, the largest tropical rainforest, storing an estimated 150–200 billion tonnes of carbon, as well as the Andes and the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.
Yet the region accounts for nearly half of global tropical deforestation and lost around 94 million hectares of forest between 1990 and 2020, largely due to agricultural expansion. The Amazon has already lost about 17% of its original cover, nearing the 20–25% tipping point associated with large-scale ecosystem collapse. Climate change further intensifies risks, with glacier loss in the Andes exceeding 30% since the 1980s and climate impacts projected to push up to 5.8 million people into extreme poverty by 2030.
The goal of the LATAM HUB is to help build a resilient, regional economy through nature-positive innovation. By connecting the most promising startups of the region with industry and business stakeholders, the LATAM hub will play a central role in catalysing nature-positive action.
Innovate 4 Nature and FUNDES are partnering to launch the regional hub in LATAM, which aims to identify and select high-potential, nature-positive start-ups across Latin America, while strengthening their business models, governance structures, and impact measurement through tailored acceleration and mentoring support.
It seeks to facilitate strategic connections between entrepreneurs and corporates to unlock pilot projects, partnerships, and market access, while enabling access to appropriate financing mechanisms that support scaling and long-term sustainability. Ultimately, the Hub will foster a collaborative regional ecosystem aligned around advancing a nature-positive economic transformation in the region.
Read the announcement here.
LATAM Hub launch
Needs assessment & fundraising
Call for applications
Regional Award Ceremony
I4N Award selection
