Early-stage climate technology businesses in London and seven other global cities are being offered grants of up to €50,000 as part of an international programme designed to accelerate urban sustainability ventures.

Shine 2027, run by the Swiss Re Foundation in partnership with Climate KIC, is seeking applications from companies developing technologies and business models across energy, buildings, transport, waste, urban nature and climate data and governance.

The programme is open to ventures operating in or serving Bangalore, Bratislava, Cape Town, London, Manila, Mexico City, New York and Zurich. Applications close on September 15.

Successful businesses will receive seed grant funding alongside mentoring from Swiss Re employees and access to a network of climate entrepreneurs and specialists operating across the eight participating cities. Companies that subsequently demonstrate their ability to scale may also become eligible for further support.

Applicants should generally have been operating for no more than four years and must already have developed a minimum viable product that is being piloted or has reached an early stage of commercialisation.

The initiative comes as early-stage climate technology companies contend with a more selective funding environment, increasing the importance of grant and other non-dilutive financing for businesses seeking to demonstrate the commercial viability of new technologies.

The programme's focus on individual cities is intended to identify companies developing solutions to specific local challenges while giving successful businesses the opportunity to expand their technologies into other markets.

Rikhiya Banerjee, senior programme manager and Shine lead at the Swiss Re Foundation, said locally based businesses could be particularly well placed to identify and address cities' environmental challenges.

"Enterprises that are closest to a city's climate challenges are usually the ones best placed to solve them," she said. "They just need the right backing to move faster."

Banerjee added that the programme was seeking founders capable of demonstrating that their technologies or business models could be scaled beyond their initial markets.