Climate-Kic Accelerator

Technology start-ups seldom fail on technology, they fail on commercialisation. Climate-KIC Accelerator is the only EU acceleration programme focused on climate impact by cleantech commercialisation.

In three stages, our 18-month program brings you the knowledge, resources, tools and the coaching a cleantech start-up needs for success. We’ll let you in on all the secrets of achieving global domination in your chosen market niche.

Stage 1: Fundamentals

Find your market niche, develop a financial model and figure out how to make money and scale your business. Depending on where you follow this program, this stage comes with a grant of up to € 20,000*.

Stage 2: Validation

Are you solving real customer problems? Talk to customers and verify your business assumptions. The grants in Stage 2 are meant to cover your travel costs and could add up to € 25,000*.

Stage 3: Delivery

Get your business ready for take-off. Find launching customers, development partners or investors. Form partnerships that make you grow fast. This final stage, you may get up to € 50,000.

When you enter the Accelerator programme you will be asked to sign an Investment Agreement that will come into effect once you enter stage 3. We ask a fair equity percentage in return for the grants and all other ingredients that you will receive throughout the programme, like masterclasses and start-up tours. The Investment Agreement enables Climate-KIC to secure future support of early stage start ups.

Ready to fast-track your business?

Climate-KIC Accelerator is the world’s first real-life business school for cleantech entrepreneurs. You learn whilst building your business better. You get great education, intensive coaching, substantial financial support and access to an extensive relevant international network.

Every year, Climate-KIC Accelerator supports over 150 start-ups in Europe, and this number is still growing.

How to apply?

Participants need to have a breakthrough idea with a substantial impact on climate change. Still in doubt if entrepreneurship is your life calling? You may want to check out our pre-incubation programme first. You need to be extremely motivated, because being a start-up is hard work. We expect your full commitment. Convinced and dedicated to achieve global success? Then we would love to hear from you.

Climate-KIC Accelerator is run from all our main locations: France, Germany, the Netherlands, Nordics and Switzerland. Our Regional Innovation Centres have also started to offer acceleration activities: Valencia (Spain), Central Hungary, West-Midlands (UK), Hessen (Germany), Lower Silesia (Poland), Emilia Romagna (Italy)). * Grants and terms may slightly differ per location due to local regulations.

You can attend in any country, yet bear in mind that you need to be able to frequently attend the Climate-KIC centre that you apply in!

Request an application kit

We organise intake rounds across Europe where we call in successful applicants to pitch their start-up to an expert jury, in person. The most promising entrepreneurs are admitted into the Climate-KIC Accelerator.

You can request your application kit at any time during the year. The kit includes application forms specific to your local Climate-KIC Accelerator as well as the date(s) of the next jury session.