Black Sea ClimAccelerator 2022 – The acceleration program for green startups

Inspiration, education and know-how. 300K EUR funding and investment readiness education. Support for growth and scalability.

Black Sea ClimAccelerator is the regional accelerator driving green, scalable innovation in Romania and Bulgaria.

Its complex structure includes support for early-stage start-ups, know-how for growth and scale-ups, grant financing of 300.000 EUR and access to a network of mentors, investors and professionals. Black Sea ClimAccelerator aims to transform today’s green ideas into the world-changing innovations of tomorrow.

All of these with a single purpose: win the race to 0 carbon emissions and fight climate change.

The Black Sea ClimAccelerator program is organized with the support of EIT Climate-KIC by Impact Hub Bucharest and its main partners Raiffeisen Bank România and OMV Petrom, as well as by Innovation Starter în Bulgaria.

Reasons to join

We’re looking for driven start-up teams from Romania & Bulgaria who are building scalable solutions that fight the world’s biggest present threat, climate change, through any application that supports this purpose.

From cleantech to waste management solutions, sustainable buildings or carbon emissions capturing. From agritech and AI solutions to green transport, urban mobility or circular economy. From clean manufacturing & energy projects to recycling, if your startup idea is making a positive impact on the climate, we want you!

Selection criteria include:

• Innovativeness: Is the solution new in research? Are there protected patents? Is the product or the solution already on the market?
• Feasibility: Is the idea realistic? Is it technically feasible? Is there a prototype available? How much time would it take to get the product to market?
• Team: Are there the “right” competencies at place? Do the members have market experience? Is there a track record to measure the startup’s performance?
• Climate Benefit
• Scalability: Is the idea scalable to international markets?
• Long-term perspective: Is the concept sustainable? Can it stay on the market and bring long-term results?
• Program-Fit

Application timelines for startups in Romania & Bulgaria

Bulgaria

Stage 1 (Early Stage): June 16 – August 17 2022

Stage 2 (MVP): June 16 – August 17 2022

Stage 3 (Growth): June 16 – September 30 2022

EIT Climate-KIC

EIT Climate-KIC is a Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) working to accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon and climate-resilient society. Over the past 10 years, EIT Climate-KIC’s acceleration program has been the leading provider of climate innovation solutions, with over 1,500 accepted solutions and almost €1 billion of guaranteed capital.

Impact Hub Bucharest

Impact Hub Bucharest is the dynamic space where professionals and entrepreneurs work to develop business projects and initiatives. Since 2012, Impact Hub Bucharest is the first coworking space in Romania, with a community of about 2,000 members in 2 central locations in Bucharest, and globally the organization is present in over 100 locations in over 50 countries. Impact Hub Bucharest’s mission is to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem by offering startup acceleration programs and direct funding, as well as the largest online entrepreneurial education platform.

Innovation Starter

Innovation Starter is Bulgaria’s first specialised innovation agency, founded by Leona Aslanova in 2014. It works with business (companies and startups), the public sector, academia and the non-governmental sector to design a long-term innovation culture. Innovation Starter’s mission is for Bulgaria to become a leading European innovation country.