Riga Technical University (RTU) invites start-ups and climate-friendly technology enthusiasts to apply for the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) accelerator programme “Baltics & Slovakia ClimAccelerator” until 12 June. The accelerator aims to support the commercialisation of clean technologies and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
To apply for the accelerator: https://balticsk-climaccelerator.eu/#registration
Participants will be offered one-to-one mentoring, expert training, access to the accelerator’s network of partners and the opportunity to obtain growth funding. The programme is scheduled to be active from late August until mid-November.
For the second year, the programme is being run by partner organisations from the Baltic States and Slovakia, providing participants with more networking and business networking opportunities. To gain more insight into the possibilities offered by the accelerator, interested parties are invited to participate in a special online information session on 6 June.
The programme will be held at several levels, and interested parties are invited to choose the most appropriate one for the stage of development of their business idea. At the first level, activities will focus on basic business principles and business model testing. A growth grant of €2,850 is offered at this level. The second level will offer more funding – up to €20,000. Participants at this level will develop sustainable business models by validating them with real customers, plan the development of their products and services, and learn financial, sales and marketing skills. The climate impact of all business ideas and solutions will also be assessed.Second-level teams will have the opportunity to go to the sTARTUp Day 2022 startup festival in Tartu to raise the profile of their business idea when they start the programme. In the final level, teams will gain knowledge on investment strategies, work with mentors and present themselves to international investors. More information about the programme: https://balticsk-climaccelerator.eu/#about
“Several Latvian start-ups have taken advantage of the EIT Climate-KIC Accelerator, such as Fermentful, which has developed a fermented green buckwheat kefir, positioning itself in the Baltic alternative milk market, and Carbon Capture Fund, which offers a blockchain-based platform for the acquisition of forests, where they are decentralised – broken down into smaller units and linked to virtual assets. Participation in the accelerator programme has enabled these companies to grow and move towards commercial success.
The accelerator in Latvia is organised by RTU in cooperation with the Green and Smart Technologies Cluster. RTU has been a partner of the EIT Climate-KIC since 2016, providing students, scientists, start-ups and professionals from different fields with the opportunity to develop entrepreneurial skills and create solutions to reduce climate change. “The EIT Climate-KIC programmes are implemented by the EIT Climate-KIC HUB Latvia, an innovation and co-creation focal point under the auspices of the RTU Science and Innovation Centre.
