Through ECCI's partnership with EIT Climate-KIC, the three stage Accelerator programme gave entrepreneurs funding, coaching and support to develop a successful business model.
Start-up success: 2017-2020
Launched in Scotland at ECCI in 2017, the EIT Climate-KIC Accelerator* offered early stage entrepreneurs a three-step development programme with access to funding, business coaching with experienced professionals, a range of masterclasses and free workspace at ECCI’s vibrant Edinburgh hub. In 2020 stage 1 and 2 of the programme ran entirely online in response to Covid-19.Through our renowned EIT Climate-KIC Accelerator programmes, from 2017-2020, ECCI supported 43 innovative climate start-ups to create 115 jobs, earn over £8m investment and £6.5m in grants and awards, create £1.44m turnover and 42 new products and services.
Furthermore, a carbon audit of 2018 alone calculated the total programme carbon savings was equivalent to mitigating emissions the weight of 136 male Asian elephants or avoiding the emissions produced by generating 2,589MWh of UK-grid electricity.
Over the years ECCI's Accelerator start-ups have developed a staggering range of innovations, with products and solutions spannng the full spectrum of the world's industries and global systems, aimed at tackling local, national and global challenges.Innovations ranged from technology for social change (such as Elpis Solar's off-grid solar technology to enable people in refugee camps to become more self-sufficient and Clean Water Wave's decentralised water treatment system that generates clean, safe drinking water), to transformational solutions for food systems (check out MiAlgae's waste water-grown fish food, Carbogenic's innovative use of waster coffee products and Seawater Solutions who work with farmers around Scotland and Vietnam to develop innovative sustainable farming techniques using seawater) and cutting-edge monitoring and measuring tools that help forestry organisations meet government goals on tree planting (SilviBio) and SME's measure and reduce carbon emissions (Dodo).
Clocking up around £6.5m in grants and awards, the long list of accolades ECCI's Accaelerator start-ups have attained include a couple of AccelerateHer awards; SP Iberdrola Entrepreneural Energy Challenge and Shell Livewire grants; a trophy cabinet full of VIBES, ScottishEDGE and Unlocking Ambition grants; an impressive array of Royal Society of Edinburgh and Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Fellowships; two MSDUK awards and several annual Converge awards...to name a few!
Find out more about the innovative start-ups we've supported over the years.
*The world-renowned Accelerator initiative is the only EU acceleration programme focused on climate impact by climate-focused commercialisation. Over the last nine years, the EIT Climate-KIC Accelerator has supported over 2000 early-stage climate positive ventures in 32 locations across Europe.
ClimateLaunchpad is the biggest clean technology ideas competition in the world. Running in 50+ countries around the world, it was hosted at ECCI in Scotland from 2017-2020. The competition offers entrepreneurs the chance to launch a green business idea and win up to €10,000.
To find out more about our innovation and SME work, and connect with our in-house specialists, contact us.
Find out more about the team involved with this project.
Head of Climate Partnerships
Climate Strategies Lead
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Project Officer, Climate Partnerships