WHO WE ARE
Cities face an enormous challenge: They must become more resilient and healthy places to live while reaching net-zero-emissions in just a few short years. The Clean Cities ClimAccelerator is an accelerator program focused on the impact of climate change in urban areas and the commercialization of clean technology (cleantech). It is targeted at start-ups that are developing solutions that focus on transforming city systems to become climate neutral—from mobility to waste, energy to health, and the built environment. The Clean Cities ClimAccelerator is looking for start-ups with the capability to contribute to systemic change in cities, and that can work in multi-stakeholder ecosystems. The Clean Cities ClimAccelerator focuses on system-level innovations that address the impact of climate change in urban environments. This accelerator program is directly linked to the City of Vienna and City of Madrid. We have based the challenges for our Clean Cities ClimAccelerator on the portfolios of those two cities.
ACCELERATOR MANAGERS
Founded in 2010, Impact Hub Vienna is a recognized home for innovators and has served as a launchpad for numerous impact initiatives and enterprises across Europe. Over the last decade, Impact Hub Vienna’s community grew to over 1,000 active members, and more than 500 impactful startups were supported in over 40 incubation, acceleration, and investment programs. These programs were co-developed with partners to focus on topics such as integration and marginalization, education, health, responsible and sustainable consumption, biodiversity, rural development, and more. On a global level, Impact Hub is one of the world’s leading networks for social innovation and is present in over 100 cities in more than 50 countries. The United Nations officially acknowledged Impact Hub for “helping to extend the efforts directed to tackle the SDGs via entrepreneurial solutions.”
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) is the first Spanish-speaking technical university and the 75th technical university in the world. UPM is strongly committed to the Sustainable Development Goals and is working towards a climate-neutral campus by 2040. University Impact & Entrepreneurship at UPM (I&E UPM) was established by UPM's Centre for Technological Innovation. I&E UPM facilitates an "open technological ecosystem" for the development of products and processes based on technology. Under this program, the university runs activities such as trainings for entrepreneurs, and the incubation and acceleration of start-ups.
EIT Climate-KIC is a Knowledge and Innovation Community working to accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon, climate-resilient society. Supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, it identifies and supports innovation that helps society mitigate and adapt to climate change. It believes that a decarbonized, sustainable economy is not only necessary to prevent catastrophic climate change, but also presents a wealth of opportunities for business and society.
CITY HOSTS
The City of Vienna has ambitious goals to develop a sustainable and efficient energy system and to accelerate the use of district heating, waste heat, and renewable forms of energy. The city’s energy planning department initiates and develops projects to create a future-oriented energy system for Vienna. Its focus lies primarily on promoting energy innovations, initiating and supporting pilot projects, coordinating and further developing energy-related concepts, bundling skills and expertise, and facilitating the transfer of knowledge.
