The regenerative bioeconomy has emerged as a promising framework for addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainable development by rethinking how biological resources are produced, managed, and used. While technological innovation has advanced rapidly, many regenerative solutions struggle to scale because existing financial systems tend to favor technologies with established markets and predictable financial returns. As a result, promising innovations that require longer development timelines, involve greater uncertainty, or primarily generate public benefits often struggle to attract investment.
Recent scholarship argues that markets do not develop on their own. Instead, they are shaped by governments, investors, philanthropic organizations, research institutions, and other organizations that influence where capital flows and which innovations receive support. This research suggests that accelerating the transition to a regenerative bioeconomy requires more than increasing the amount of available funding; it requires new ways of coordinating organizations, directing investment toward emerging solutions, and creating the conditions needed for innovation to succeed.
This project explores these ideas through an in-depth qualitative case study of Capital for Climate, an organization that has successfully mobilized capital and brought together stakeholders to advance nature-based and regenerative innovation in Brazil. The central research question guiding the study is: How can innovative finance and ecosystem-building accelerate the development of the regenerative bioeconomy, and what lessons can be learned from Capital for Climate? To answer this question, the research will examine how Capital for Climate defines the barriers limiting regenerative innovation, the strategies and financial tools it uses to address those barriers, the partnerships and organizational structures that support its work, and the evolution of the organization over time.
The research will combine background research with document analysis, interviews, and timeline reconstruction to produce a comprehensive case study. By connecting existing scholarship with evidence gathered through interviews and organizational analysis, the project aims to improve understanding of how financial systems and innovation ecosystems can support sustainability transitions. The findings may also inform efforts to develop a regenerative finance initiative in Nairobi while providing broader lessons for policymakers, investors, philanthropic organizations, and other practitioners working to accelerate regenerative innovation.
Thank you for taking the time to read through my (evolving) project outline! I would greatly appreciate feedback or suggestions on additional literature, comparable organizations and/or case studies, interview opportunities, or methodological approaches that could strengthen the analysis.