Overview
Catalytic Finance Foundation (Catalytic) is a Geneva-based non-profit organisation established from its predecessor R20 Regions of Climate Action — originally formed around 2009–11. Its purpose is to accelerate the design and deployment of financing mechanisms that unlock investment for sustainable infrastructure.
Mission and focus areas
Catalytic’s mission is to develop and deploy “catalytic finance” solutions — financing structures that generate positive environmental and social impacts alongside financial returns, and which help attract additional private capital. The organisation focuses on infrastructure in sustainable energy, waste and sanitation, regenerative agriculture and urban-climate solutions. It contributes to sustainable finance and ESG integration by structuring blended-finance vehicles, engaging public and private partners, and supporting projects that might otherwise struggle to become investable.
Structure and governance
Catalytic is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, taking advantage of proximity to international organisations, financial institutions and NGOs. Leadership includes a Chief Executive Officer and a senior management team; the team page lists key roles and board members overseeing governance. Funding partners comprise donors, investors and technical partners, with operations spanning technical assistance, advisory services and fund-incubation.
Programs and offerings
Catalytic’s key offerings include a Blended Finance Incubator which designs custom blended-finance investment funds and supports investment-ready projects. Its Technical Assistance function helps early-stage project development, de-risking and capacity building. It also accelerates capital deployment through convertible grants, equity and debt instruments to unlock private finance in underserved sectors and geographies. Additional initiatives include dedicated programmes such as “Catalytic Cities” for urban climate solutions and the “Subnational Climate Fund”. The organisation publishes resources including annual reports, case studies, toolkits and project-pipeline insights to inform practitioners.
Our mission
Our mission is to accelerate the design and deployment of catalytic finance solutions for sustainable infrastructure.
