What we do
Our work at Jacob’s Ladder Africa aligns around a singular enterprise-centred pathway, supported by four mutually reinforcing functions:
- Enterprise Creation and Strengthening- greenlabs
- Enterprise Scaling and Capital Mobilisation- GROWLABS
- Policy and Market Systems Change- ADVOCACY
- Evidence, Learning, and Narrative Shift- RESEARCH
Each activity under these functions serves a specific role in advancing the same objective, however with a clear focus on developing green enterprises in Africa.
Enterprise Creation and Strengthening
greenlabs®
Our proprietary incubator programme, greenlabs®, provides an environment to nurture, equip and empower young Africans with the knowledge, tools, and networks to build scalable and sustainable green ventures.
The incubator exists to increase the supply of viable youth-led green enterprises. It supports early-stage entrepreneurs to validate green business models, formalize operations, develop products and services, and reach first customers.
Enterprise Scaling and Capital Mobilisation
Growlab
Growlabs is an accelerator that focuses on enterprises with demonstrable revenues and customers that are ready to scale. It supports enterprises to expand markets, professionalize governance and operations, access finance, and grow their workforce.
Policy Advocacy for Green Enterprise Development
Advocacy ensures that enterprise growth is not constrained by policy and market failures. Jacob’’s Ladder Africa works with partners to advance policies that recognise green enterprises as economic actors, improve access to procurement and markets, reduce regulatory and financing barriers, and integrate enterprise development into jobs and climate strategies.
Research and Evidence Generation
Our research work at Jacob’s Ladder Africa establishes the economic foundation for enterprise-led solutions to youth employment and climate change. By analyzing green enterprise outcomes from GDP contribution to long-term economic resilience, we provide the evidence base required to shift policy and scale impactful investment.