After co-founding several tech companies in Africa, Romain Diaz wanted to leverage financing for impactful projects. "It's clearly the crux of the matter, it's about mobilizing more capital towards solutions", he explains.
Satgana was established in 2020 and has already invested in 30 startups across 16 countries, in sectors as diverse as energy, agriculture, mobility, and the circular economy.
However, it is essential to identify projects that can grow while producing a positive impact. Satgana has analyzed 6,000 startups to select only those with the highest commercial, environmental, and human potential. Among them is Voltiris, a Swiss company that develops spectral filters for greenhouses, allowing for solar electricity production while letting in the necessary light for crops. Since Satgana's investment, its revenue has increased approximately 20-fold in two years.
Beyond financing, the firm supports entrepreneurs in their strategy, development, and impact measurement. By 2025, the startups in its portfolio are expected to have valorized over 2,000 tons of waste and contributed to avoiding or reducing more than 10,000 tons of CO₂, according to Romain Diaz. The challenge is to foster companies capable of becoming major players in their sector, without separating economic success from environmental benefit.
Satgana now aims to mobilize more capital and develop new funds dedicated to Europe and Africa. This commitment is particularly relevant as climate issues may lose visibility in political and economic agendas. "We are convinced that climate issues are not just trends, not merely cycles", asserts Romain Diaz. For him, investing in these solutions is a long-term vision, essential in the face of the scale of environmental challenges.
