Deadline: 23-Aug-20
Applications are now open for the EIT Climate-KIC Accelerator Program which is a clean tech startup accelerator run in more than 15 locations across Europe.
EIT Climate-KIC is the EU’s main climate innovation initiative. It supports entrepreneurs, businesses, students and researchers bring their clean tech innovations, products and services to the market.
Here in the German-speaking geography comprising Germany, Switzerland and Austria, teams are eligible for up to €85 k of financial support (€95 k in the Side Call Programme), business coaching and mentoring, investor matchmaking, events and training. They help you build a scalable clean-tech business, accelerating you to enter the market successfully and lever investment.
Accelerator Benefits
- Financial support up to 85.000 €
- No equity taken
- Coaching, Mentoring and Peer-to-Peer learning
- Exposure to customers, partners and investors
- Four locations: Berlin, Munich, Vienna, Zurich
- Access to an extensive relevant international network
Duration
The programme consists of three fixed term 6-month phases, after which you leave the programme and become alumni. If you apply for and are successful in completing each stage, they will have supported you for a period of 18 months.
What are the three stages?
EIT Climate-KIC understand that startups move at different paces and that some prodcuts take longer to build than others. Nevertheless they have a rough idea what the focus would be per stage. You are more than welcome to move faster.
- Stage 1: Business Model Development – 20k: The first stage of the Accelerator is intended to help early-stage startups refine and develop their specific USP and business model. Here the first prototype can be finalised and assistance is provided to obtain industry feedback. This stage critically provides access to more mature startups in later stages of the Accelerator as well as to expert coaching, 1-2-1 mentoring and workshops, and the Climate-KIC European contacts network and events.
- Stage 2: Customer Traction – 25k: The second stage of the Accelerator helps move startups with a well-formulated business model to the next phase: validation and customer acquisition. Teams can now focus on acquiring their first customers and an iterative process of business model validation whilst receiving continuing support from expert coaches and mentors and participating in programme activities and workshops. These more mature startups will be able to display their ventures in several internal and external showcase events, growing their individual network.
- Stage 3: Investment Readiness – 50k: The third and final stage of the Accelerator prepares businesses for a future of investment rounds and scaling. Teams get continued access to their office and meeting spaces, as well as to all events, coaching, mentoring and workshops. Startups in this stage of the programme are supported in preparation for negotiations with potential investors and partners and can tap into a huge network of investor contacts and partners.
For more information, visit https://www.climate-kic-dach.org/