A first successful round The EIT Urban Mobility Accelerator has already achieved this. Launched in its first year in Barcelona, Munich, and Prague, the accelerator was also available virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic. Batch #1 has already supported a total of 15 European startups over a period of six months. The teams received €15,000 in funding, business coaching, mentoring training, technology, product, and market validation, as well as access to customers, cities, and companies within the EIT Urban Mobility network. In addition, the accelerator offered further investment opportunities and matchmaking activities with investors and EU funding bodies.
New cities and “full-service package”
The second batch now aims to build on the success of the first EIT Urban Mobility Accelerator. A new innovation: In addition to Barcelona, Munich, and Prague, the next round will also include Copenhagen and Helmond, thus covering the northern and western regions. Each city represents a region. Thus, the EIT Urban Mobility Accelerator will span the entire European region next year.
The program is scheduled to launch in early January 2021. Starting then, five startups per region will receive a full-service package. In addition to a financial grant of €15,000, the selected startups will receive a comprehensive program covering areas such as sales, marketing, finance, business model optimization, PR, fundraising, and investor pitch sessions, spanning a period of six months. Startups will also receive access to office space and "living labs" in selected cities to advance the development of new products or services, as well as the testing or piloting of prototypes.
Application and selection criteria
All mobility startups based in Europe or within an EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) are eligible to apply for the EIT Urban Mobility Accelerator. Validated, tested, and scalable business ideas are also sought.
The startup teams must consist of at least two founders and should hold at least 70 percent of the shares. The overview of the detailed Selection criteria and the application process can be found hereDue to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, most sessions will be held virtually. Registration deadline is November 15.
