The global EIT Climate-KIC network dedicated to supporting the development of climate startups is opening up to the Polish market. Recruitment for the first edition of the program is starting, aimed at business acceleration of the most promising, pro-environmental technologies in the areas of sustainable development. The program operator is the Accelpoint technology accelerator, and PKO Bank Polski has assumed the role of the leading partner.
“We treat the necessity to implement solutions conducive to the improvement of the natural environment not only as a generational obligation but also as a great opportunity to optimize business costs. This applies to both the bank itself and our customers, who, like us, are looking for access to pro-environmental technologies. Actions in this area are of particular importance at a time when the energy crisis has revealed the vulnerability of economies to the turmoil in the energy resources market. That is why PKO Bank Polski joined forces with the global EIT Climate-KIC network and Accelpoint and assumed the role of a leading partner in the first edition of the acceleration program for startups “Poland ClimAccelerator”. We hope that thanks to this cooperation we will be able to better use our potential to implement and scale innovations in the field of green technologies and, together with startups, to develop tools to solve timeless challenges,” – said Marcin Eckert, Vice President of the Management Board of PKO Bank Polski, Supervising the Corporate and Investment Banking Area.
What solutions is the Bank looking for?
PKO Bank Polski is particularly interested in solutions in the areas of green financial products and scoring. The Bank is also looking for technologies that enable or improve the measurement of clean energy supplies and optimize the management of the transport fleet. Bearing in mind the internal needs of the bank and customers, it is interested in cooperating with startups offering services in all areas of monitoring and compliance supporting the achievement of a positive climate impact.
The program is open to technologies from various sectors, such as clean energy, broadly understood as increasing energy efficiency, green transport, clean industry, water management and purification, green finance, and improvements in agriculture or decarbonization. The full list of areas and the application form are available on the Poland ClimAccelerator program website: www.greentech.ac.
“We encourage all pro-ecological startups interested in developing their technologies in close cooperation with corporate partners and acquiring new customers and investors to cooperate with us. We are extremely pleased with the acquisition of partners such as PKO Bank Polski, thanks to which technologies operating in the Polish and Central European markets have a chance to attract informed business customers,” – emphasizes Maciej Majewski, President of Accelpoint.
The development opportunities for green technology startups
Thanks to participation in the 5-month acceleration program, selected startups will gain access to an international investor network and a community of industry experts and mentors. In addition, the best of them will have a chance to finance technological tests in cooperation with corporate partners (PoC), and thus the possibility of implementing their solution and acquiring numerous customers.
The elements of acceleration will also include training in the presentation and optimization of the business model, market and competition analysis, and the protection of intellectual rights. The program will end with a presentation of the best solutions to an international network of investors and potential business partners (Demo Day).
The recruitment for the program, which has just started, will last until October 31st, 2022.
The global acceleration network is entering Poland
The ClimAccelerator network is the result of EIT Climate-KIC, the leader in European climate innovations. The institution operates worldwide, with acceleration partners on most continents. Thanks to its activities, over 2,100 climate startups have obtained over EUR 2 billion in external funding.
“EIT Climate-KIC is very pleased with Poland ClimAccelerator joining our offer for entrepreneurs. We look forward to the opportunity to support our knowledge and tips from Polish, pro-ecological artists and their innovative ideas. We would like to thank the Accelpoint and PKO Bank Polski teams for their cooperation and commitment in the pursuit of a zero-emission education, resistance to climate change society,” – says Christian Daube, Strategic Programs Builder & Leader of Open ClimAccelerators Around the World, Climate-KIC.
Source: the Bank`s press release dated September 13, 2022
