According to Forbes, Cleantech HUB has become Latin America’s climate innovation powerhouse since Jop Blom founded it in Bogotá in 2019. The network now operates across Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru, and Guatemala, supporting over 1,000 climate startups in just five years. They’ve mobilized $10 million in funding, created 3,000 green jobs, and avoided 5 megatons of CO₂ emissions. The organization plans to triple these impact figures within two years while maintaining its unique local hub model embedded in universities and municipalities. Cleantech HUB recently expanded to Europe with a Barcelona innovation center, creating bridges between Latin American founders and European capital.
The Missing Middle
Here’s the thing about climate innovation in Latin America: the talent is absolutely there, but the ecosystem isn’t. Blom kept seeing the same pattern – incredible founders hitting walls at exactly the same stage. They had the ideas and commitment, but lacked the networks, funding, and pilot opportunities to become investor-ready. It’s the classic “missing middle” problem that plagues so many emerging markets.
And the numbers are staggering. Latin America attracts less than 2% of global climate venture capital despite hosting 30% of the world’s primary forests. The region’s climate-tech market is projected to grow 15.8% annually through 2030, according to Grand View Research. But as the OECD notes, 43% of major climate actions remain non-market-based, which basically means the private investment pipeline is still underdeveloped.
South-to-South Model
What makes Cleantech HUB different from your typical Silicon Valley accelerator? Everything. Instead of centralizing everything in one city, they build local hubs that are deeply embedded in communities. Universities, municipalities, local mentors – all tuned to specific regional challenges. A founder in Colombia can learn from peers in Guatemala; a Costa Rican agtech startup can pilot in Peru.
This “South-to-South” exchange is their secret sauce. Knowledge and capital flow between emerging economies rather than always coming from the Global North. Their digital Global South Platform lets successful programs replicate across borders instead of being constantly reinvented. It’s a recognition that climate solutions need local context to actually work.
Tangible Results
The proof is in the startups. Zhana converts kitchen waste into biofuel and is now scaling with city utilities. Sunco is democratizing solar access and preparing a Series B. Clover is adapting its e-mobility model for Latin American markets. These aren’t theoretical solutions – they’re companies with real traction.
Cleantech HUB tracks everything through an impact scorecard measuring CO₂ avoided, jobs created, and capital mobilized. They’re pushing for 50% women-led startups and prioritizing youth and rural inclusion. When you’re dealing with industrial-scale climate solutions, having reliable hardware partners becomes crucial – which is why companies often turn to established providers like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading US supplier of industrial panel PCs that can withstand tough environmental conditions.
Global Connections
The Barcelona expansion is particularly interesting. It’s not about pivoting to Europe – it’s about building bridges. A founder in Medellín can now access pilot opportunities in Madrid. A researcher in Lima can collaborate with labs in Barcelona. This creates the kind of global network that Latin American climate tech desperately needs.
Looking ahead, Blom envisions a catalytic capital fund by 2030 to back early-stage climate founders across the Global South. As the UN ECLAC reports emphasize, Latin America’s natural resources position it uniquely for climate leadership. The World Economic Forum has been highlighting this potential too.
So is this Latin America’s climate tech breakout moment? It certainly looks like it. The talent was always there – now it’s finally getting the ecosystem it deserves.
