The University of Cape Town demonstrated a clear and active commitment to supporting start-ups that contribute to a low-carbon economy through its innovation, funding, and entrepreneurship infrastructure. This support is delivered via multiple channels — technology funds, student-entrepreneurship programmes, and ecosystem incubation — which together foster the development of climate-relevant enterprises.

Firstly, UCT’s entrepreneurship hub, Solution Space, plays a central role in incubating high-impact ventures, explicitly including those in environment, urban infrastructure, agriculture & environment, and mobility. Solution Space offers early-stage start-ups access to co-working infrastructure, mentorship, corporate partnerships, and academic resources. Its mission closely aligns with UCT’s sustainability objectives, thus creating a pathway for climate-tech innovators to mature into viable low-carbon businesses.

Secondly, UCT provides financial support for technology commercialisation through its investment in innovation funds. In early 2025, UCT invested R100 million in the South African SME Fund, a “fund-of-funds” that includes the University Technology Fund (UTF This strategic investment supports early-stage, research-derived ventures, including university spin-outs, enabling UCT researchers and alumni to scale technologies with social and environmental impact. The pre-seed and gap-funding capacity helps de-risk climate-relevant technologies that might otherwise struggle to attract traditional early-stage capital.

Thirdly, UCT supports climate-oriented entrepreneurship among students via its flagship The Pitch UCT programme. The Pitch enabled student entrepreneurs to present their ventures for funding and mentorship; though not exclusively “green,” the programme is part of UCT’s broader commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship across sectors. By encouraging student-led enterprise creation — including start-ups that could address low-carbon challenges — The Pitch contributes to embedding climate-aware business thinking in the next generation of innovators.

Vuyo Hlongwane’s Caelix, a renewable energy company that leverages economic drivers and pioneering technology to make an impact, won at The Pitch UCT finals in October 2025. This year’s event was a special occasion as it was the 10th anniversary of the flagship student entrepreneurship programme and competition at the University of Cape Town .

The event, hosted at UCT’s Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB), was themed “From Campus to Continent: 10 Years of Entrepreneurial Vision”. For the past decade, The Pitch UCT has empowered over 1 000 students to transform ideas into real, impactful startups. The 10th anniversary finals combined Oscars-style elegance with entrepreneurial energy: live jazz by students from the South African College of Music (SACM), vibrant decor, and a diverse audience of students, alumni, industry leaders, and senior UCT leadership.

“Caelix began in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, with solar panel, inverter, and battery sales to support households and businesses seeking reliable energy solutions. Building on that foundation, we are expanding our energy product portfolio by developing a robust process for producing biodiesel from used cooking oil. In simple terms, we take something as ordinary as waste cooking oil – which would normally be discarded – and transform it into biodiesel, a cleaner fuel that can power vehicles, trucks, and farming equipment,” said Hlongwane.

A master’s student in chemical engineering, Hlongwane was up against fellow students who wowed the judges and audience and left people with the sense that innovation and entrepreneurship is in safe hands, so long as there are opportunities to showcase them.

The Pitch UCT’s vision is to make the institution the heart of Cape Town’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, where students turn bold ideas into ventures that uplift communities, inspire change and lead South Africa into the future. Spearheaded by founder Frank Karigambe, The Pitch UCT is led by the Academic Representative Council in the Department of Student Affairs (DSA) in partnership with the Office of the Vice-Chancellor.

The initiative is supported by the Hasso Plattner School of Design Thinking Afrika (d-school Afrika), the Solution Space at the UCT Graduate School of Business, the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation, the Residence Academic Development Committee (RADC), UCT Careers Service and the Development and Alumni Department (DAD).

Finally, UCT graduates engaged directly in low-carbon innovation: for example, five UCT graduates were reported in March 2024 to be competing for a R18 million prize for their renewable-energy start-up focused on serving rural communities. This shows that UCT not only supports early technology entrepreneurship but also helps foster high-potential, climate-positive ventures emerging from its alumni base.