14 Early Stage startups were selected to participate in the third edition of the most complex local green accelerator, Romania ClimAccelerator

Romania ClimAccelerator, the most complex local green accelerator, has designated its participants in the Early Stage category: 14 innovative teams will benefit from specialized mentoring, consultancy, dedicated events and workshops on business modeling and validation of the solution on the market. Registrations for green startups in the MVP category continue until August 22.

Romania ClimAccelerator is organized with the support of EIT Climate-KIC, the most important European initiative in the field of climate innovation, by Impact Hub Bucharest and the main partners Raiffeisen Bank Romania and OMV Petrom.

51 startups from Romania applied between May 23 and June 28 in the Early Stage category, in the first stage of Romania ClimAccelerator.

Registrations were open to all innovators and future entrepreneurs from Romania and the Republic of Moldova, who are in the early stage of business or have an idea that addresses environmental problems and contributes to combating climate change, with the help of technology and innovation.

“This year the program attracted more technical solutions than in previous editions, and the profile of the people who apply changes slightly, with more technical specialists present. This is proof of the fact that Romania ClimAccelerator is relevant in generating and supporting innovations in the field of sustainability, with a tech component. We were also happy to see that the applicants understand the legislation in the field of sustainability and develop solutions based on it,” said Raluca Grigore, Programs Operations Manager, Impact Hub Bucharest.

After registration, the preselected startups participated in an online bootcamp where they presented their business ideas and took part in two applied workshops, on the topic of Business Model Canvas and Pitching. On July 6, the jury chose the 14 startups that will continue in the program. The innovative ideas registered in the Early Stage category aim at developing a circular economy, reducing the impact of production on the environment, greening economic activities (through new processes, green technologies and services), developing smart solutions for green and sustainable cities, smart agriculture for the climate, reducing emissions from the industry, encouraging responsible consumption and using technology and artificial intelligence for a positive environmental impact.

The 14 Early Stage startups selected within Romania ClimAccelerator, the third edition:

• Applied Research Solutions develops data science-based solutions for industrial and energy applications to improve productivity and energy efficiency. The company integrates advanced visualization, prediction and anomaly detection techniques and models into intuitive systems that support the day-to-day work of field professionals. The company’s mission is to promote the adoption of data-driven innovation by risk-averse and conservative industries such as manufacturing, food processing, oil and gas, power generation, utilities or the built environment.

• Atlas of Sports is an online platform that maps mountain sports infrastructure and environmental issues arising in nature. With the help of this application, users can report in real time the problems identified on the mountain or the changes identified to the infrastructure elements. Atlas of Sports reduces exposure to potential hazards on the mountain and helps users discover places they’ve never explored before. • CarbonCel is a solution that implements practices for carbon farming (capture and measurement of sequestered carbon, as well as certification of carbon emissions). CarbonCel brings technology that helps farmers optimize their costs, products and resources and start carbon projects that bring them additional income.

CarbonCel is a solution that implements practices for carbon farming (capture and measurement of sequestered carbon, as well as certification of carbon emissions). CarbonCel brings technology that helps farmers optimize their costs, products and resources and start carbon projects that bring them additional income.

• Dash is a mobility-sharing solution, which proposes the creation of a network of dockless, anti-theft electric bicycles. Dash is mainly aimed at large companies and corporations, which can offer such a service to their own employees as an extra-salary benefit.

• DigIT innovates classic business models using AI technology, by automating processes for businesses in the agricultural area and, in the future, in the health sector, functioning as a digital assistant for the efficiency of the CO2 footprint. The application integrates AI and other related technologies to store data in the cloud, analyze it in real time and generate an archive for the management of inventory, documents and internal and external processes of the company.

• Energy Advisor develops the first sustainability application in Romania, which offers the end consumer the possibility of optimizing their own energy consumption and the opportunity to save energy, money and reduce the impact on the environment. Energy Advisor is an innovative startup with a predominant focus in the field of green technologies, especially energy efficiency and sustainability, with applicability in the residential energy sector.

• FungiHeroes proposes the use of coffee grounds, from the Horeca industry, as a substrate for the growth of gourmet mushrooms. The green startup offers a sustainable, circular economy solution to reduce organic waste and increase local mushroom production, thus contributing to the need for protein diversification. FungiHeroes is an innovative solution for end consumers who want to adopt a balanced lifestyle and discover higher quality alternatives to common supermarket mushrooms such as pleurotus and champignon.

• Kolecto is an accessible digital solution that simplifies the process of selecting, registering and reporting recyclables, connecting key actors in the collection-recycling chain. To begin with, Kolecto aims to facilitate the process of manual collection of recyclable packaging by economic operators as part of the Return Guarantee System, to be launched nationally in November 2023.

• MASAP is a startup based on Aquaponics (AP) architecture, one of the most important trends in sustainable architecture and local food production. Aquaponics architecture involves growing fish and plants together in an isolated, recirculating ecosystem that uses natural bacterial cycles to transform fish waste into plant substrate. MASAP proposes the creation of an automated and computerized greenhouse, isolated from climatic factors, energy independent, with circular architecture that produces less than 1% waste. The solution will incorporate modern technologies, such as Machine Learning, which will be used to improve system performance, but also to create a database for new AP-type systems.

• reFab is a web application that aims to revolutionize the textile industry by connecting textile manufacturers with recycling companies and actively involving consumers in the recycling process, thus contributing to reducing waste, conserving resources and promoting responsible consumption. • SISIHOUSE is a clothing rental service that focuses on consumer needs and ensures product quality, making a significant contribution to textile sustainability. Sisihouse aims to thus extend the life of textile articles and reduce the demand for new productions.

• Smart Manole is a support platform, dedicated to simplifying and optimizing the management of construction projects. Smart Manole optimizes the workflow, ensures transparency and traceability of projects, reduces time, execution costs, unnecessary waste of materials and the amount of paper used, and allows the tracking of the project’s evolution by all actors involved. The platform contributes significantly to the reduction of CO2 consumption compared to the current construction management process.

• Urban Nutribox aims to offer a concrete solution to the problem of the impressive distances that fruits and vegetables travel until they reach the final consumers, a process that generates a very large carbon footprint: the creation of urban micro-farms, located directly in supermarket parking lots, dedicated to cultivation a diversity of edible mushrooms, varieties more nutritious and tastier than those on the market.

• ZĂ KUP proposes an ecological system of reusable cups for events and festivals. The startup’s goal is to reduce waste and environmental impact by replacing single-use cups with reusable cups. ZĂ KUP offers a practical and convenient solution, helping event organizers to reduce costs and simultaneously protect the environment.

The jury that chose the participants of the current edition of Romania ClimAccelerator, Early Stage category, was formed by: Alina Stoenescu– Advisor Future Mobility, OMV Petrom, Emilian Crețu – Stream Lead, Digital Banking SME, Raiffeisen Bank and Raluca Grigore– Programs Operations Manager, Impact Hub Bucharest.

The evaluation criteria for the applying startups were: innovation and feasibility of the idea, climate impact, sustainability, scalability potential, project team and fit in the schedule.

Program calendar For the 14 teams accepted in Romania ClimAccelerator follows an intense period of business acceleration: for three months, they will take part in workshops on business modeling, marketing, sales, financial management, business consulting and investment readiness, mentoring, community meetings and peer sharing, but also media exposure and the chance to be part of an international community in the field.

Registrations for startups in the MVP category, i.e. those that have a validated prototype in the market, remain open until August 22.

The 10 most promising and innovative startups will be selected at the end of August for participation in the program. In addition to the acceleration experience offered by the program, startups in the MVP category will also participate in Demo Day, the closing event of the third edition of ClimAccelerator, during which the finalists will present their solution and evolution to investors, mentors, the media and the public.

In the two previously organized editions, the program accelerated 60 green startups from Romania, received 300+ applications from all regions of the country, brought together 60+ mentors and experts and provided a total funding of 600,000 Euros. ClimAccelerator was named the winner of the III Prize in the Environment category, within the CSR Awards 2023.

More details about the program are available on the page dedicated to Romania ClimAccelerator, here.