Is your business eligible?
The Climb connects startup founders with investors working within Islamic finance. Eligibility depends on your business activities and how you earn revenue. You do not need to be Muslim, and your business does not need an Islamic name, identity or religious purpose.
Businesses that can apply
Businesses providing lawful products or services can apply where their activities do not fall within the exclusions below. Examples include:
- Software, technology and business services.
- Education, skills development and healthcare.
- Agriculture, food production and food retail involving permissible products.
- Manufacturing, trade, logistics and transport.
- Clean energy, infrastructure and environmental services.
- Consumer products and services that meet the same activity requirements.
These examples are a starting point. Being in one of these sectors does not automatically make every product, revenue stream or financing arrangement eligible.
Businesses that are not eligible
Businesses built around the following activities are excluded:
- Betting, gambling, casinos or services whose core purpose is enabling them.
- Producing or selling alcoholic drinks for consumption.
- Producing or selling pork and pork products for consumption.
- Pornography and sexually explicit adult services.
- Conventional interest-based lending or financial products whose core revenue comes from interest.
- Illegal trade, fraud, scams or other unlawful business activities.
Businesses that need further review
Tell us if your business has mixed revenue streams, serves clients in an excluded sector, carries interest-bearing debt, or offers financial services, insurance, digital assets, tobacco or vaping products, weapons, or entertainment with potentially prohibited content. The team needs to understand the specific activity and arrangements before deciding.
An ordinary business bank account or existing borrowing is something to disclose; it does not by itself mean your business is an interest-based lending business. Do not assume that financial screening thresholds used by other investment products apply to The Climb.
What to include in your application
- Your founder profile and contact details.
- A clear description of your product or service, customers and business model.
- How you earn revenue, including any activities that may need review.
- Your business stage, traction and what support or investment you are seeking.
Provide accurate information and explain anything you are unsure about in your business description. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. The team may request further information during review.
Eligibility and selection
Eligibility allows your business to be considered. It does not guarantee approval, a pitch invitation or investment. NADWA reviews applications, and investors make their own investment and Shariah compliance decisions. Program acceptance is not a halal certification.