EIT Jumpstarter is ideal for teams with innovative business idea, who want to jumpstart their company. With the contribution of best-in-class experts, creative community, unique know-how our aim is to support idea-holders to turn their ideas into business. We help them build a viable business model around their innovative product or service idea, validate it and if their business idea is proven to be sustainable, we encourage them to register their company.

We introduce teams to partners, investors, regulatory bodies and companies that can produce their products, their first buyer or a test site. They meet major innovation hubs in Europe, which is important when they want to enter foreign markets.

The program contributes to boosting innovation and entrepreneurship within Central-Eastern and Southern-European Regions by validating innovative solutions and connecting them with the articulated demands from the industry. The program has trained 348 start-up teams since 2017, and in 2019 EIT Jumpstarter won the Best Association Training Initiative Award of the European Association Awards.

Are you part of a scientific project team, innovator, scientist, PhD or Master’s student with a product or service idea ready to disrupt the energy sector? Do you want to bring your idea out of the lab to the market? Then EIT Jumpstarter is ideal for you.

During the eight months-long program, you will find and validate the best business model for your innovative idea. The courses build on the lean start-up methodology from the Silicon Valley translated to the European environment. You will learn about: how to refine your deal, market segmentation, customer value proposition, financials, investment basics, legal basics

To enter the competition, submit your idea of an innovative product or service that can make an impact in the energy sector. The winners will win a EUR 10 000 prize and will be involved in various events organised by the EIT InnoEnergy Hubs, and have an opportunity to network with the world’s largest community in the energy sector!

Phase 1: Submission of ideas

• To participate in the Competition, the applicants must present a brief description of their idea of the innovative product or service proposed, answering predetermined questions online. A template is available which includes the questions and guidelines. The applicants should put emphasis on: the innovative concept, competitive advantage, customers and potential market. Ideas submission deadline: 16 April 2021 at 23:59 CET.
• The best ideas will be selected to go to the next phase.

Phase 2: Boot Camp and Coaching

• The applicants selected in phase 1 will be invited to participate to a two-day bootcamp, where they will be trained on fundamental business skills (business modelling, pitching etc.). Bootcamps will be held online in June 2021. Participating teams or individuals will be awarded EUR 1 000 per team/individual as lump-sum scholarship for the travel costs related to the participation to the allocated bootcamp in Phase 2.
• The payment of the scholarship will be done upon successful completion of the bootcamp training.
• At the end of the Bootcamps EIT InnoEnergy will evaluate the pitch decks and the pitches and based on those will invite the best 50% of the participants to continue in Phase 3.

Phase 3: Local Joint Trainings

• The applicants that went through phase 2 and have succeeded in the final pitch of phase 2 will be invited to Local Joint Trainings in September 2021. Participating teams or individuals will be awarded EUR 1 000 per team/individual as a lump-sum scholarship for the travel costs related to the participation to the allocated Local Joint Trainings and – if invited – the Joint Grand Final event in phase 3.
• The payment of the scholarship will be done upon successful completion of the Local Joint Training.
• Among the applicants to Phase 3, six finalists will be selected to go to the next phase.

Phase 4: Mentoring and Final Pitching

• The invited finalists will have a chance to get further training and dedicated mentoring through the EIT InnoEnergy Business Development Managers to compete at the Joint Grand Finals with other EIT Innovation Communities. The teams will pitch their idea in front of the Jury, composed of EIT InnoEnergy team and partners.
• The top 3 winners will be selected from the Jury and awarded:
• 1st prize: EUR 10 000
• 2nd prize: EUR 7 000
• 3rd prize: EUR 5 000

The winners of the EIT Jumpstarter 2020 competition are unveiled. 36 teams from all over Europe competed for the prize pool worth over 160 000 EUR.

• During the Grand Final 36 early-stage innovators shared their innovative projects in the field of health, urban mobility, raw materials, energy, manufacturing and food.
• The winners are ready to accelerate their business creation and develop their projects to successful deeptech ventures.
• The 1st place in the Energy category was taken by Drone Plan from Latvia. Their software helps power distribution companies to run regular inspections of power lines by drones.

Check out the winners:

1st prize – Drone Plan (Latvia)

2nd prize – Gas Trade (Germany/Ukraine)

3rd prize – Smarth-Prop (Greece)

Impact prize – Green and Clean Tech (Serbia)

Audience award – GasTrade

• Deadline for submitting business ideas: 16 April 2021 at 23:59 CET
• Selection of ideas and invitation of the bootcamps: 16 May 2021
• Bootcamps will be held online in June 2021 (tbd)
• Local joint trainings: September 2021 (tbd)
• Grand Final: November 2021 (tbd)

Events will occur either online or in-person, depending on the COVID-19 pandemic situation. At this time the programme is planned to run entirely online.

To get in touch with your regional EIT InnoEnergy Hub, check the complete list of EIT RIS Hubs and local Jumpstarter organisers:

• EIT InnoEnergy Hub Croatia: Croatia
• EIT InnoEnergy Hub Czechia: Czechia
• EIT InnoEnergy Hub Greece: Greece
• EIT InnoEnergy Hub Lithuania: Lithuania