First Access, First Say: join our Funders Circle and shape FIRST Fund's investments in resilient food supply chains
Climate shocks are outpacing the resilience of food systems and livelihoods, on land and at sea. The FIRST Fund for Adaptation Finance backs early-stage, tech-enabled solutions that address the breakpoints in the food supply chain where actors - from farmers and fishers to downstream businesses - can't absorb climate shocks or invest in climate-proofing their operations.
We're gathering a curated circle of funders and investors to shape FIRST Fund's next open call for ideas from the inside. We want the group to feed into our open call for our second Cohort of 3-4 ventures at £20-30k each by critiquing and influencing our investment thesis, refining our definition of what success should look like, and optionally supporting the scoring and selection of our next cohort of partners.
In return, you get: a front-row seat on what the market is learning, first access to a de-risked, portfolio of ventures and a community of funders already excited & investing in this space.
Grow this space: join the funders and investors already backing this space
- Jul 22: Kickoff (60 minute call, 4-5pm Singapore, 9-10am UK)
Shape the open call and build on the investment thesis together.
- Aug: Pitch panel (online, optional)
Join as a panellist: hear pioneering ventures pitches, ask them critical questions and score the ventures.
- Sep 8–10: SAFET Conference (Seafood and Fisheries Emerging Technologies) (in person, optional)
Showcase learning from Cohort 1: parametric insurance, shape the future learning agenda, and design future call for ideas
- Nov 25: Session 1 of 3: Meet the ventures (60 minute call, 4-5pm Singapore, 9-10am UK)
A candid exchange between funders and real ventures on ideal investments and deal structures - no pitch decks, just the honest conversation.
- Jan 27: Session 2 of 3: Define success (60 minute call, 4-5pm Singapore, 9-10am UK)
Co-create the metrics we'll all use to judge what "good" looks like for ventures and investments driving adaptation and resilience.
- Feb 24: Session 3 of 3: Portfolio rating (60 minute call, 4-5pm Singapore, 9-10am UK)
Rate Cohort 1 and 2 against the metrics you jointly built in Session 2 - putting the metrics to work on our portfolio.
Who this is for
Funders and investors already active in, or seriously exploring, climate adaptation, agriculture, and ocean/fisheries finance in Southeast Asia.
Related areas include: Small-Scale Fisheries Management, Restorative Aquaculture, Blue Economy, Coastal Ecosystem Resilience, Smallholder Livelihoods, Regenerative Agriculture, Food Security, Climate Adaptation & Resilience, Financial Resilience, Disaster Risk Finance
The FIRST Fund for Adaptation Finance is led and delivered by
Frontier Tech Hub, backed by UK FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
For queries, contact Gita@hellobrink.co and Samuel.Fookes@dt-global.com
Joining the Funders Circle is a non-binding expression of interest, not a funding commitment or agreement of endorsement.