Two men discuss the business ideas of the cleantech start-ups in Climate-KIC’s accelerator.

ClimAccelerator: Fostering innovation

EIT Climate-KIC (Knowledge & Innovation Community) is the European Union’s largest public-private climate initiative. Together with Munich Re and ERGO, EIT Climate-KIC has set the ambition to enable transformational start-ups to accelerate through radical collaboration and shared resources. In the newly launched Carbon Removal ClimAccelerator. EIT Climate-KIC joined forces with Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), the Sustainability in Business Lab at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), and Pannon Pro Innovations (PPIS).

The newly launched Accelerator continues the cooperation started in 2017 with the promotion of clean-tech start-ups. In addition to financial support and targeted coaching for the development of the business model, each start-up receives mentoring from Munich Re and ERGO employees.

Carbon Removal ClimAccelerator
Carbon Removal ClimAccelerator

The Carbon Removal ClimAccelerator programme supports start-ups focusing on technological and nature-based solutions such as afforestation, direct air capture, biochar, and bioenergy-based carbon capture and storage. Selected start-ups will receive training, grants, mentorship, and access to networks.

Teaser Interviewreihe next Startups
Interview series: Startups explore new ways to capture CO2

The creative minds explain how their business ideas can help tackle the climate crisis. They are among the teams of founders supported by ERGO and Munich Re as part of the EIT Climate-KIC ClimAccelerator program.

The start-up teams of the phase of the ClimAccelerator that started in July 2022

Co-founders David Izikowitz (top, 2nd from left) and Jia Li (top, 3rd from left) with the rest of the Carbon Infinity team
Silicate

Permanent carbon removal through enhanced weathering

Christopher Knoch and Justin Scholz - phelas
Ucaneo

World’s first cell-free DAC technology leveraging enzymes

Christopher Knoch and Justin Scholz - phelas
Treeconomy

Unlocking Nature's Value

Christopher Knoch and Justin Scholz - phelas
Reverse Carbon

Moving carbon from the air to biochar repositories

Christopher Knoch and Justin Scholz - phelas
NeoCarbon

Capturing carbon at scale with cooling towers

The start-ups supported thus far

Chris Cardé - HeyCharge
These start-ups are already on their way to success

Their creative solutions are as different as the start-ups themselves. But there is one thing they all have in common: Their applications for support have been selected in the Side Call of Climate-KIC and Munich Re/ERGO.

A sales assistant serves a customer at a Solarkiosk producing sustainable energy and providing access to electricity and the internet independent of power grids.
Good ideas generated at the Climathon in Munich, Sydney, Tallinn and Vilnius

In 2019, Climate-KIC again invited participants to develop innovative climate solutions in their 24-hours ideas competition. Munich Re and ERGO are supported the Climathon in Munich, Sydney, Tallinn and Vilnius.