Meet the entrepreneurs closing out ECCI's EIT Climate-KIC Accelerator Stage 2

With the conclusion of Stage 2 of this year’s ECCI EIT Climate-KIC Accelerator approaching, we’ve been profiling the entrepreneurs pulling the strings behind Scotland’s most promising climate start-ups.

The renowned Accelerator programme, which gives low carbon start-ups the funding, tools and coaching they need to grow into great businesses, has adapted to the challenges of COVID-19 by switching coaching and mentoring sessions online. Stage 2 helps participants understand their target audience and comes with up to €5000 funding.

Innovations range from off-grid solar technology which will enable people in refugee camps to become more self-sufficient, to a product that helps forestry organisations meet government goals on tree planting and a super-fast carbon measurement software tool for SMEs.

Start-up profiles

Get the lowdown from Dodo, ElpisSolar, Gecko Glazing and Tech-Terra on their start-up journey, their achievements on the Accelerator and their hopes for the future.

• Dodo: "We want to help companies reduce 400m tonnes of CO2 from the world."
• Elpis Solar: "We envision a world where today’s 940 million people without access to electricity is a thing of the past"
• Gecko Glazing: "In three years, we want to be reducing CO2 significantly - the equivalent to taking 2,500 cars off the road in a year"
• Tech-Terra: "We want to play our role in the 'Energy Transition', securing valuable clean energy jobs in the UK and beyond"

Innovative cohort

The innovative 2020 cohort included six companies progressing from Stage 1 and three new recruits - with entrepreneurs from all across Scotland and the UK taking part in the wholly online programme.

Gecko Glazing, Reshape, GreenSkill, Silvibio and Loch Electronics have also all been selected for Scotland’s flagship entrepreneurial development programme, Unlocking Ambition, whcih kicked off last month.

Reshape founder Anthony Magrath said: "The ECCI Climate-KIC Accelerator offered invaluable support in Reshape's business growth journey. The tailored coaching from mentors with excellent industry knowledge helped us drill into our customer value proposition, understand our market and ultimately move forward with a better business model. We are well prepared for investment and ready to realise our vision to accelerate cities and organisations towards net zero.”

Steve Skill, director of Greenskill said: "ECCI's EIT Climate-KIC Accelerator Stage 2 has enabled us to take an entirely broader view of our business model, collaboration strategy, target customers, management team identification, innovation pipeline and routes to markets. Mentor support and clinics have been invaluable in enabling this review, and we are now in a far stronger position to define our route to positive cashflow and job creation."

"It has also catalysed innovation and facilitating the introduction of significant design changes to our core technology and IP, increasing efficiency, reducing fabrication costs and opening up new market opportunities."

EIT Climate-KIC Accelerator 2 start-ups

Agricarbon UK

Agricarbon aim to build and supply the robust, low-cost soil carbon measurement tools needed to enable regenerative farming projects at scale - accelerating a global transition from 'conventional' to regenerative farming. The science-led innovation will reduce the cost barriers of soil testing whilst maintaining accuracy, credibility and confidence in this fast emerging marketplace. Dundee based Co-founder’s Stewart Arbuckle (CEO) and Peter Lyburn (Corporate relations) make up the team.

Dodo

Dodo is a software system for businesses to efficiently track and reduce their carbon emissions in a fraction of the time it would take to manually calculate them. The system connects directly to a company's accounting system, using their existing accounting data to generate a picture of the company’s total CO2 emissions and making it possible for many more small and medium sized businesses to understand and manage their emissions. CTO Csaba Szabo and CEO Jack Kennedy are based in London. www.dodo.eco

Elpis Solar

Elpis Solar has developed a next-generation off-grid solar technology which will enable people in refugee camps to become more self-sufficient. The technology will empower solar-entrepreneurs in the camps to provide essential services like water filtration, mobile phone charging, digital services and light systems in their communities. The Dublin-based team have global ambitions and will begin operating in Rwanda. Co-founders Samuel Kellerhals and Alexandros Angelopoulos are University of Edinburgh alums. elpissolar.com

Gecko Glazing

Edinburgh’s Gecko Glazing has developed a unique, super-low cost solution to reduce heat loss from windows, even double glazed ones. Custom-made, lightweight clear plastic panels are installed inside existing window frames, where they dramatically reduce heat-loss and energy bills for a fraction of the cost of conventional double glazing. The panels can be installed in seconds and are suitable for a huge range of windows.

Greenskill Environmental Technology

Greenskill’s biological technology cleans waste water and converts polluting gases and wastewater into high value chemicals at scale, using sustainable energy sources. Greenskill’s mission is to pioneer engineered biotechnological solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, prevent the pollution of aquatic environments, cut our reliance on fossil-fuel based products in favour of economical, clean, carbon negative and sustainable solutions.

Loch Electronics

Loch Electronics has developed the world’s first personal dishwasher with medical grade UVC light - tipped as the perfect solution for households of 1-2 people for washing their cookware and tableware and disinfecting personal items and PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). With 65% of UK households made up of 1-2 people, the UK could reduce its annual consumption of water by 5.3% and of electricity by 2.2% if all households without a dishwasher switch to using Loch Electronics’ Capsule Dishwasher. The Edinburgh-based team are Francisco Carreno, Managing Director and Hang Xu, Marketing Director. lochelectronics.com

Reshape

Reshape’s platform enables citizens and organisations to work together to reduce their impact on climate change. The ClimateLaunchpad 2019 finalists aim to incentivise consumers to measure and reduce their carbon footprint and play a personal role in addressing climate change. At the same time we provide organisations with valuable and actionable data needed to accelerate the path to net zero. The team includes Anthony Magrath – Founder, Gordon Povey – Commercial Director and Joanna Allen – Client Director. www.reshapetechnology.com

Silvibio

SilviBio’s mission is to reduce seed losses that make it hard for forestry organisations to meet government goals on tree planting. SilviBio’s product, which coats seeds to absorb and retain moisture, is currently being tested in a field trial in Scotland. Led by founder and chemist Dr Alicja Dzieciol, the start-up aims to partner with tree growers in the UK and in water stressed countries internationally to increase the success of tree growing and reduce carbon at a global scale. @silvibio_uk www.linkedin.com/company/silvibio/

Tech-Terra

Tech-Terra is on a mission to create transformational green energy projects by converting oil & gas assets in the North Sea. The Aberdeen-based team aim to create a series of 'combined energy' sites around these assets, utilising their geothermal potential and other green energy sources to supply industry, transport, farming and homes, while providing new opportunities for the skilled oil & gas workforce. Helen Taylor, Director of Strategy and Managing Director Brian Archer are based in Aberdeen.

EIT Climate-KIC Accelerator

Since launching in 2017 ECCI's EIT Climate-KIC Accelerator businesses have secured more than £2.5m worth of investments and won more than 70 awards.