In Athens EIT Jumpstarter Finals 2023

EIT Jumpstarter in its seventh cycle. One of the best-known projects for pre-integration ideas in a “accelerator” and is supported by the European Institute of Innovation Technology (EIT) and its community. Through the programme, Europe is turning its attention to Athens, as innovators and interested investors will be able to monitor how ideas are transformed into businesses. The EIT Jumpstarter Grand Final Programme, which will take place in Athens on 30 November 2023. 

Innovative groups dare to give solutions to global challenges

The journey from idea to the early stages of the creation of a startup is full of uncertainties, challenges and intensive reflection. However, this process underlines the importance of investing time, knowledge and resources in these start-ups. The dynamics of economic growth, job creation and positive impact on society are multiplied by equipping people with innovative ideas with the right tools, skills and knowledge.

“The early stages of business travel are full of a number of challenges, from understanding the market to attracting initial funding. But, as the participants in this year EIT Jumpstarter demonstrated, with appropriate guidance, preparation and flexibility, everyone can overcome these tests, "says the Head of the Programme, Piotr Boulange. And adds: “Participants are now better prepared to attract funding, not only because they have innovative ideas that can evolve into partnerships, but also because they have improved their entrepreneurial skills and how to present their ideas”.

EIT Jumpstarter Grand Final Programme

The EIT Grand Finalist Jumpstarter 2023 will be broadcast online, offering everyone the opportunity to follow the path that turns innovation into business. All that is required is to register in this link. The total amount allocated to the groups is EUR 160.000 and the winner in each category will receive EUR 10.000, so it is evident that the incentive is quite large for participants. 

During the event over 100 participants from Central, Eastern and Southern Europe will present their ideas in 9 categories: EIT Health, EIT Digital, EIT Raw Materials, EIT Food, EIT InnoEnergy, EIT Manufacturing, EIT Urban Mobility, New European Bauhaus and Rebuild Ukraine, the latter being the new addition to the programme. An event showing the importance of combining good guidance, universal engagement and innovative thinking.

The event takes place on 30 November 2023 and the ideas presented can serve as inspiration for those who want to make their own journey to entrepreneurship, building on the programme. Pre-registrations for EIT Jumpstarter 2024 have already started through this link. In addition, the previous day, on 29 November, Athens will host its BoostUp Grand Finalist! Southeast 2023, organised by EIT Manufacturing. You can find out more about this event here. 

Over 70 startups were created thanks to EIT Jumpstarter

Starting in 2017, EIT Jumpstarter has grown rapidly, supported by the 7 EIT communities: EIT Health, EIT Digital, EIT Raw Materials, EIT Food, EIT InnoEnergy, EIT Manufacturing and EIT Urban Mobility. To date, it has guided and helped deploy more than 750 teams from Central, Eastern and Southern Europe. Over 70 startups were created to address issues such as innovative food production, better patient care, smart travel and green cities. For its impact on the innovation ecosystem, EIT Jumpstarter has been honoured by the Best Association Training Initiative Award, in the European Association Awards.

Initially, participants competed in seven different competitions, each of which was held by each of the seven EIT communities. Since 2021, the programme has been extended to include applications related to the New European Bauhaus initiative. This year there is another milestone, with the introduction of the ‘Reconstruction of Ukraine’ category, which attracted a record of participations, with 20 % of applications coming from Ukraine.

The programme is coordinated by EIT Health under the umbrella of the EIT Community Strategic Regional Innovations Cluster.