EIT Climate-KIC Accelerator invites innovators, startups to apply

Europe’s largest cleantech accelerator, EIT Climate-KIC Accelerator, has invited innovators with disruptive ideas to counter climate change to apply by January 27.

EIT Climate-KIC Accelerator is looking for an early-stage startup (up to five years since incorporation and minimum two founders) or teams that want to create a startup based around new technology or service with high potential for both commercial viability and climate impact (you can apply here).

This edition of the accelerator is open for applications from EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (EIT RIS) countries: Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, and Lithuania.

The EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (EIT RIS) is EIT Climate-KIC’s outreach program to increase the innovation capacity of European regions that don’t yet benefit directly from the EIT and its Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs).

The selected applicants will win the chance for expert coaching, pitch training and workshops, international bootcamp, mentoring and networking, financial support up to EUR 50,000 EUR per team (depending on stage), and access to Climate-KIC partners and network.

Climate-KIC is the EU’s largest public-private partnership addressing climate change through innovation to build a zero carbon economy. It is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.

Local partner is Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia

So far 56 applicants from the region have been included in the EIT Climate-KIC Accelerator. Some of them are Biomyc (Bulgaria), CarGo (Serbia), Bio2CHP (Cyprus), Tomappo (Slovenia), M-Swis (Romania).

Serbia joined the EIT RIS network in 2016. The network’s local partner is the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (PKS).

According to the EIT Climate-KIC’s website, in Serbia, the focus of activities is on nurturing and further developing the nascent cleantech ecosystem in the country. Serbia also functions as its gateway into the Western Balkans.