Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme
ClimAccelerator is a global climate-tech accelerator programme operated by EIT Climate-KIC, the European Union's innovation body. It runs theme- and place-based programmes across 100+ countries, supporting 6,000+ startups with coaching, impact measurement, and investor deal flow via the Climate Marketplace.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme does
ClimAccelerator is the global flagship acceleration programme of EIT Climate-KIC, a non-profit knowledge and innovation community of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union. Founded in 2012 and operating from Berlin, the programme runs theme- and place-based accelerators across 100+ countries that provide climate-tech startups with coaching, mentoring, peer learning, financial support, and access to a curated network of more than 400 partner organisations. Core products include the ClimAccelerator programme itself, the Climate Impact Framework for pairing climate KPIs with financial KPIs, the Impact Shift impact-measurement suite, the Climate Marketplace investor deal-flow platform, the open-sourced ClimAccelerator Operating System used by partner organisations, and the 'Investing for 1.5C' initiative that channels institutional capital into portfolio companies. EIT Climate-KIC also takes equity in select graduates via SAFE agreements.
The business model combines three streams: institutional grant and sponsor funding from the EU/EIT and public-private partners, equity participation in the most promising graduates through SAFEs, and partner-organisation licensing under the open-sourced methodology. Customer segments are Climate Tech Startups (primary), Entrepreneurship Support Organisations that franchise local ClimAccelerators (primary), Corporate and Institutional Partners such as Ferrovial, UPM and city councils (secondary), and Investors including Almanac Ventures and UnaTerra accessing deal flow via the Climate Marketplace (secondary). Customer acquisition is community-led and event-driven: Demo Days in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas serve as the principal pipeline for both startup inflow and investor engagement.
Across its 15-year operating history, the programme claims to have supported more than 6,000 startups that have collectively raised more than €2 billion in follow-on funding; flagship alumni include direct-air-capture unicorn Climeworks. The 251–500 employee base supports a decentralised delivery model in which regional lead partners (e.g., Impact Hub Bucharest for Black Sea, GrowthAfrica for Diverse African ClimAccelerators, Better Earth Ventures for Agritech Singapore) autonomously execute local cohorts under shared branding, content, and methodology.
Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme
- Legal name
- EIT Climate-KIC
- Website
- https://climaccelerator.climate-kic.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- ClimAccelerator is a global climate-tech accelerator programme operated by EIT Climate-KIC, the European Union's innovation body. It runs theme- and place-based programmes across 100+ countries, supporting 6,000+ startups with coaching, impact measurement, and investor deal flow via the Climate Marketplace.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Climate Tech Accelerator Services
- NAICS
- Environmental Consulting Services (54162)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Disaster Risk Reduction & Climate Risk Management (BPADALAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Climate Resilience & Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) (BPAGABAK), Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF), Climate Adaptation & Resilience Programs (BPADALAD), Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA), Climate Mitigation Programs (Energy, Industry, Transport) (BPADALAC), Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)
Keywords
Where Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Equity Participation in Select Startups: Once startups have successfully completed the programme, EIT Climate-KIC provides continued support to the most promising climate ventures that can demonstrate the highest impact potential. EIT Climate-KIC offers select ClimAccelerator startups funding and support services in exchange for future equity through a Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) programme.
- Grant and Sponsor Funding: Many ClimAccelerators are eligible for grant funding from external sponsors. The programme is supported by EIT (European Institute of Innovation and Technology), a body of the European Union, and various public-private partnerships.
- Partner Organisation Licensing: Partner organisations run theme- or place-based ClimAccelerators using the open-sourced methodology. Partners include universities, impact hubs, corporations, and government bodies who co-invest in programme delivery.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ClimAccelerator is a global accelerator programme that helps climate-focused startups innovate, catalyse, and scale their cleantech solutions. Powered by EIT Climate-KIC and supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, the programme delivers coaching, mentoring, financial support, network access, and climate impact measurement to selected startups through theme- and place-based accelerators run by partner organisations across 100+ countries.
Product overview
ClimAccelerator is a global accelerator programme powered by EIT Climate-KIC, offering a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core ClimAccelerator programme enables start-ups to scale climate solutions through coaching, mentoring, financial support, and global networking. This is complemented by specialized modules including the Climate Impact Framework and Impact Shift for impact measurement, the Climate Marketplace for investor connections, the open-source Operating System for programme runners, and the Investing for 1.5C initiative for institutional investors. Multiple themed ClimAccelerators operate globally (e.g., Carbon Removal, Clean Cities, Agritech), each addressing specific climate challenges in various geographies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Beyond ClimAccelerator: Cleantech accelerator programme for Croatia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Serbia and Slovenia
- Poland ClimAccelerator
- Black Sea ClimAccelerator
- Built Environment Circular ClimAccelerator
- Carbon Removal ClimAccelerator / CDR ClimAccelerator
- East Mediterranean ClimAccelerator
- Nigeria ClimAccelerator
- MED ClimAccelerator
- Baltics & Slovakia ClimAccelerator
- Clean Cities ClimAccelerator
- New European Bauhaus ClimAccelerator
- Circular Cities ClimAccelerator
- Colombia ClimAccelerator
- Cambridge ClimAccelerator
- Agritech ClimAccelerator Singapore
- Climate Marketplace
- Impact Shift
- Investing for 1.5C
Products and services
- ClimAccelerator Programme A global accelerator programme for cleantech and climate-focused startups to scale their climate solutions. Selected startups receive coaching, mentoring, peer-to-peer learning, financial support, access to a worldwide network of partners, exposure to customers and investors, and access to the ClimAccelerator marketplace. Programmes are run by partner organisations across 100+ countries.
- Climate Marketplace
- ClimAccelerator Operating System An open-sourced operating system providing partner organisations with everything needed to run a successful ClimAccelerator, including management tools, content, coaching, and mentoring networks, built on methodology shaped over 10+ years of accelerator experience.
- Investing for 1.5C An initiative partnering with impact investment funds to develop systems thinking approaches to climate-positive investing, providing investors with access to deal flow from validated climate startups and the ClimAccelerator community.
- Agritech ClimAccelerator Singapore Inaugural Asia-Pacific theme-based ClimAccelerator programme focused on climate-resilient agritech innovation, with nine companies selected for its first cohort from multiple countries across the region.
Quantifiable outcome
- 6,000+ startups supported globally
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
48 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Better Earth VenturesflagshipBetter Earth Ventures serves as the lead partner for the Agritech ClimAccelerator Singapore, the inaugural Asia-Pacific programme. They support 9 selected startups with a community of seasoned partners and mentors, providing targeted guidance on product strategy, market access, and funding. Better Earth Ventures is dedicated to accelerating transformative climate technologies and initiatives, serving as a pivotal gateway to Asia-Pacific.
- Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)flagshipLead partner for Clean Cities Spain ClimAccelerator, one of EIT Climate-KIC's longest-running acceleration programmes. UPM has supported nearly 100 startups from 18 countries since 2020 across four editions.
- City Councils of Madrid and ZaragozacorePublic-private partnership members for Clean Cities Spain ClimAccelerator.
- FerrovialcoreCorporate partner in the public-private partnership for Clean Cities Spain ClimAccelerator.
- Fundación Zaragoza Ciudad del ConocimientocoreFoundation partner in the public-private partnership for Clean Cities Spain ClimAccelerator.
- Impact Hub PrahacoreLead partner for Beyond ClimAccelerator programme covering Croatia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Serbia and Slovenia.
- AccelpointcoreLead partner for Poland ClimAccelerator focused on cleantech in Poland.
- Impact Hub BucharestcoreLead partner for Black Sea ClimAccelerator covering Romania and Bulgaria.
- GreenTech Innovation HubcoreLead partner for Built Environment Circular ClimAccelerator focused on the built environment across Europe.
- TU Delft, ETH Zurich & PPIScoreLead partners for Carbon Removal ClimAccelerator / CDR ClimAccelerator focused on carbon removal across Europe.
- Viveka - A Full Service AcceleratorcoreLead partner for East Mediterranean ClimAccelerator covering Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain.
- InquMax IncubatorcoreLead partner for Nigeria ClimAccelerator focused on cleantech in Nigeria.
- Savia VenturescoreLead partner for Chile ClimAccelerator focused on cleantech in Chile.
- Now Sprint AcceleratorcoreLead partner for Now Sprint ClimAccelerator covering cleantech and agriculture in Turkey, Sudan, and Baltics.
- BikelycoreLead partner for Green Transport ClimAccelerator focused on transport and logistics connected to cleantech in the United Kingdom.
- BridgizzcoreLead partner for Morocco, Gabon, Ivory Coast, and Congo ClimAccelerators focused on cleantech.
- Climate CollectivecoreLead partner for South Asia ClimAccelerator covering India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and UAE; also leads Adaptation & Resilience ClimAccelerator for Africa and Asia.
- Deutsch Kazakh UniversitycoreLead partner for Kazakhstan ClimAccelerator focused on cleantech.
- GrowthAfricacoreLead partner for Diverse African ClimAccelerators covering Ghana, Ethiopia, Somalia, and other African countries. Also partnered with Carbon Trust for Africa ClimAccelerator.
- Leiso Business LabscoreLead partner for Women in Botswana ClimAccelerator focused on cleantech.
- SarebicoreLead partner for South Africa ClimAccelerator focused on cleantech.
- Sustainable Cities AfricacoreLead partner for Botswana ClimAccelerator focused on cleantech.
- Vatebra Tech HubcoreLead partner for Fight Deforestation ClimAccelerator covering Nigeria.
- Westerwelle FoundationcoreLead partner for Rwanda, Tunisia, Tanzania, and Namibia ClimAccelerators focused on cleantech.
- You Think Green Egypt (YTG)coreLead partner for Egypt ClimAccelerator focused on cleantech.
- Building Global Innovators (BGI)coreLead partner for MED ClimAccelerator covering Portugal, Cyprus, and Malta with focus on 10 Impact Goals.
- Riga Technical UniversitycoreLead partner for Baltics & Slovakia ClimAccelerator covering Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Slovakia.
- Technical University of Madrid and Impact Hub ViennacoreJoint lead partners for Clean Cities ClimAccelerator focused on clean cities across Europe.
- Trinity College, DTU, Luvent ConsultingcorePartners for Circular Cities ClimAccelerator focused on cities across Europe.
- Cleantech Hub ColombiacoreLead partner for Colombia ClimAccelerator 2022 focused on cleantech.
- Allia Future Business CentrecoreLead partner for Cambridge ClimAccelerator covering Cambridge and London, UK.
- IED / Human Nation EarthcoreLead partner for CircularInnoBooster - CirCoAX - ClimAccelerator focused on fashion and reduction of emissions across Europe.
- Amazon Launchpad, EIT Climate-KICcoreJoint partners for Amazon Launchpad Sustainability Accelerator focused on sustainability products in specific European countries.
- ACTEDcoreLead partner for Tajikistan ClimAccelerator focused on cleantech.
- Tao Venture Partners & Tsing CapitalcoreJoint lead partners for China to Germany ClimAccelerator focused on cleantech.
- X23- The Innovation BakerycoreLead partner for Exoo|23™ Radical ECO-TOURISM ClimAccelerator covering Italy, Austria, Slovakia, Germany, and Greece.
- tech2B Inkubator GmbHcoreLead partner for ClimAccelerator Companion in Austria.
- FinnovacoreLead partner for CILIFO ClimAccelerator focused on firefighting open innovation in Spain and Portugal.
- Mentor DaycoreLead partner for ClimAccelerator Companion in Spain and Europe.
- Growers for ChangecoreLead partner for Italy ClimAccelerator focused on cleantech.
- Carbon TrustcorePartner with GrowthAfrica for Africa ClimAccelerator focused on cleantech across Africa.
- Anza EntrepreneurscoreLead partner for Irish Aid Accelerator in Tanzania focused on cleantech.
- Behold SA, Indalo Inclusive SA NPC and Water FinancialcoreJoint partners for Irish Aid Accelerator in South Africa focused on cleantech.
- CCS - Center for Creativity and SustainabilitycoreLead partner for Irish Aid Accelerator in Vietnam focused on cleantech.
- IdeialabcoreLead partner for Irish Aid Accelerator in Mozambique focused on cleantech.
- Kenya Climate Innovation CentercoreLead partner for Irish Aid Accelerator in Kenya focused on cleantech.
- Nigeria Climate Innovation CentercoreLead partner for Irish Aid Accelerator in Nigeria focused on cleantech.
- Renewable Energy Business IncubatorcoreLead partner for Irish Aid Accelerator in Uganda focused on cleantech.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Third Derivative: Third Derivative is a globally-operated climate tech accelerator and seed fund. Directly comparable as a climate-focused accelerator with startup cohort programmes and investor connections for early-stage decarbonisation ventures.
- Greentown Labs: Greentown Labs is North America's largest climatetech incubator/accelerator. Directly comparable as a climate-focused startup accelerator supporting hardware and software climate solutions with mentorship, funding access, and community programming.
- MassChallenge: MassChallenge is a global non-profit accelerator network with a strong climate and cleantech vertical. Comparable as a multi-region, partner-driven accelerator offering equity-free funding, mentorship, and corporate connections to early-stage impact startups.
- Elemental Excelerator: Elemental Excelerator is a non-profit climate accelerator that funds and scales startups addressing climate challenges. Directly comparable in mission, non-profit structure, and cohort-based cleantech acceleration methodology.
Emerging players
- URBAN-X: URBAN-X is an accelerator for startups reimagining city life, including climate resilience, clean cities, and built environment solutions. Directly comparable as a thematic accelerator overlapping with ClimAccelerator's Clean Cities, Built Environment Circular and Circular Cities programmes.
- SOSV (HAX, IndieBio, dlab): SOSV is a multi-stage venture capital firm operating vertical-specific accelerator programmes including climate-relevant deep-tech and biotech verticals. Comparable in operating multiple climate-adjacent vertical accelerators with cohort programmes and seed funding.
Broad incumbents
- Plug and Play Tech Center: Plug and Play is a global innovation platform and accelerator with sustainability and climate programmes. Comparable in multi-region accelerator structure and corporate-startup partnership model, though broader in sector scope.
- Antler: Antler is a global early-stage venture capital and accelerator firm with presence across multiple continents. Comparable as a globally-distributed startup accelerator competing for similar international cohorts of climate and impact founders.
- Y Combinator: Y Combinator is the world's largest generalist startup accelerator. While not climate-focused, it competes for the same early-stage cleantech founders globally and offers a benchmark for accelerator scale and ecosystem value.
- Techstars: Techstars is a global accelerator network with multiple cleantech and sustainability programmes. Comparable in its multi-region accelerator model and corporate partnership structure, though broader in sector focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme social profiles
Digital presenceClimate-KIC Acceleration Programme financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments41 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme
What does Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme do?
ClimAccelerator is a global accelerator programme that helps climate-focused startups innovate, catalyse, and scale their cleantech solutions. Powered by EIT Climate-KIC and supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, the programme delivers coaching, mentoring, financial support, network access, and climate impact measurement to selected startups through theme- and place-based accelerators run by partner organisations across 100+ countries.
Is Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme a public or private company?
Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme founded?
Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme was founded in 2012. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme based?
Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Equity Participation in Select Startups are the primary driver. The others are grant and Sponsor Funding and partner Organisation Licensing.
Who are Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Third Derivative, Greentown Labs, MassChallenge and Elemental Excelerator. Emerging players are URBAN-X and SOSV (HAX, IndieBio, dlab). Broad incumbents are Plug and Play Tech Center, Antler, Y Combinator and Techstars.
Does Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme have an API?
No public API is recorded for Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme.
What industry is Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme in?
Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme's product category is Climate Tech Accelerator Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADALAK, Disaster Risk Reduction & Climate Risk Management, with a secondary code of BPAGABAK, Climate Resilience & Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). Its NAICS code is 54162.