Google.org has announced its support for four Indian innovators through the APAC Sustainability Seed Fund 2.0, a programme managed by the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN). Funded by a $5 million grant from Google.org, the initiative aims to empower organisations in the Asia Pacific region to create innovative solutions for climate change.
The chosen Indian organisations—INREM Foundation, CEPT Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), Institute for Financial Management and Research (WELL Labs), and Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust (MHT)—will use AI and technology to tackle environmental issues such as water contamination, preservation of carbon-absorbing lakes and urban heat islands.
“Climate change poses growing threats, but the wave of innovations addressing this challenge offers immense hope. We’re deeply inspired by Indian changemakers building climate resilience with technology and AI-powered solutions. We’re glad resources like the AVPN APAC Sustainability Seed Fund 2.0 are enabling them to showcase the potential of local solutions for global transformation,” said Roma Datta Chobey, Interim Country Manager, Google India.
Andrew Ure, Managing Director, Government Affairs and Public Policy, Southeast Asia at Google said, “Organisations, social investors, and researchers across the region are uniting to develop innovative solutions, leveraging technologies like AI to address this critical issue. We are proud to support social impact organisations like AVPN to foster scalable solutions and accelerate collaborative efforts.”
Now in its second year, the APAC Sustainability Seed Fund provides essential funding for nonprofits developing and scaling tech-based climate solutions. AVPN CEO, Naina Subberwal Batra, explained, “At AVPN, we recognise capital – financial, human, and intellectual – is crucial for initiating and advancing climate innovations often overlooked by traditional funding mechanisms. Through APAC SSF 2.0, we aim to channel resources into the early stages of the Continuum of Capital to support these grantees.”
Each selected organisation will work on specific climate challenges INREM Foundation will develop AI-enabled digital solutions for water contamination data access. “The AVPN Sustainability Seed Fund 2.0 will support INREM Foundation’s efforts to create Climate-resilient Water-Safe Communities in India,” said Sunderragan Krishnan, Executive Director.
CRDF utilizes machine learning and satellite imagery to protect lakes and their role as carbon sinks. “Our project aims to simplify the estimation of lakes’ carbon sequestration capacity,” said Meera Mehta & Dinesh Mehta, Center Head, Center for Water and Sanitation.
WELL Labs creates advanced models to address water security challenges at the village level. “The AVPN grant will enable CoREStack to advance significantly by unlocking and making foundational datasets more accessible,” said Craig Dsouza, Data and Tech Lead.
MHT develops an AI model to identify urban heat islands and propose community-centric solutions like cool roofs. “MHT aims to develop an AI-driven model for climate resilience in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, that can serve as a model for mid-sized urban towns in India,” shared Bijal Brahmbhatt, Director.