Climate-KIC Valencia selects 15 entrepreneurs in “clean technologies” to fight climate change
Climate-KIC, the main initiative of the European Union in innovation against climate change, presented in Valencia at 15 Spanish companies involved in one of its programs to attract start-ups and entrepreneurs innovate in order to contribute to a more sustainable world.
The program is called Climate-KIC Accelerator and is coordinated, for Spain and Portugal, from Valencia. The call, published annually, has been open to startups of up to three years, or pre-start ups with a minimum of two enterprising and willing to form their company or existing companies that have new lines products or business models in place.
The 15 chosen, among 38 candidates, has projects related to water efficiency, energy efficiency, smart grids and smart cities, sustainable transport and new materials and technologies for sustainable building. Climate-KIC Accelerator is the largest program to accelerate clean technology companies in the European Union. The companies in the 2015 programme develop protection systems for the blades of windmills (Aerox, Valencia), make solar panels for reducing energy consumption dramatically (Solarays, Alicante) or reuse energy generated in daily activities with consequent benefits for the economy and the environment (Habb, Valladolid).
These and the other 12 selected companies are now undertaking a period of training (boot camp) that officially started its participation in the Climate-KIC Accelerator. The program will make a first screening in June and a second in October. Provides funding, training, counselling and stays in countries and companies closely linked to innovation and excellence. The elect can collect up to 60,000 euros, get trained in various parts of Europe by leading venture professionals are constantly advised by mentors class and may visit leading companies.
The Institute for Small and Medium Industry of the Generalitat Valenciana (IVACE), an agency of the Generalitat Valenciana, and AVAESEN, the Valencian Association of companies in the energy sector, are leading the Climate-KIC Accelerator, an initiative sponsored by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. Marcos J. La Cruz, president of AVAESEN, encouraged representatives of the 15 companies “to give everything for a dream, a more sustainable world” and welcomed the success of the program, “both by verifiable objective indicators such as passion” that show entrepreneurs.
Bianca Dragomir, head of the entrepreneurship program, said Climate-KIC Accelerator is “focused on satisfying the needs of the market and create a business ecosystem around climate change initiative” and reviewed the figures for 2014: “Seven companies who participated in our program are already selling their products on the market and five are in the process of investment, “closing agreements to finance its expansion. Two of the 2014 finalists, Quosys and Rank, were represented at the event. Tona Torres, of Quosys, a company with technological solutions for multi-site companies to save energy, encouraged participants to seize the 2015 Climate-KIC Accelerator, “a great opportunity to learn how to build a business and know how to approach the customer” .