27 innovations made in Europe awarded in the EIT Jumpstarter Grand Final

Athens, Greece, December 1, 2023. Over a hundred innovators gathered in Athens for the EIT Jumpstarter Grand Final this year. They showcased more than fifty deep-tech innovations in nine categories, and the expert Jury awarded 27 that can help Europe tackle some of the most pressing challenges.

The EIT Jumpstarter Grand Final is the annual EIT Community celebration of new start-ups created and the birth of innovations made in Europe. This year, a total of 52 teams showcased their ideas in nine categories – digital, food, health, energy, manufacturing, raw materials, urban mobility, New European Bauhaus and Rebuild Ukraine. All innovators joined online and in-person on 30 November from countries located in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, including Western Balkans, the Baltics and Ukraine.

Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: “The EIT Jumpstarter acceleration programme has been helping early-stage innovators develop their business ideas and launch new products on the market. I warmly congratulate all winners on their award, but also all participants. Your ideas will help us build a better, greener future. It’s particularly heartening to see the remarkable commitment of many innovators from Ukraine. The increasing engagement from the Western Balkans is also encouraging, as it aligns with our aim to bolster and unify the European innovation ecosystem.”

We’re delighted to announce the distinguished winners of nine categories at the EIT Jumpstarter, each receiving a first prize of €10,000.

EIT Digital: WatchBuilt from Latvia, developing a comprehensive tool for capturing, processing, and reporting information.

EIT Food: Noxatest from Serbia, advancing a diagnostic panel for bacterial diagnosis in livestock. EIT Health: Another Serbian team, Neo Pill, innovating a new cleaning method for dental braces. In addition, Neo Pill won a special prize of 5000 euros as the best team from Western Balkans.

EIT Raw Materials: Matvision from Belgium, offering smart sorting systems for the recycling industry. EIT Urban Mobility: MeGoElectric from Ukraine, manufacturing affordable light- and medium-duty electric trucks for companies. InnoEnergy: Powea from Türkiye, a smart charging AI that schedules the charging times of electric vehicles to off-peak grid hours, reducing CO2 emissions.

New European Bauhaus: Seenergy from Portugal, creating innovative products that integrate generative energy systems into everyday furniture and household items. EIT Manufacturing: Fibereuse Tech from Italy, transforming waste into new, high-value products and eliminating landfill.

In a first-time category at EIT Jumpstarter, ‘Rebuild Ukraine’, the top prize went to the Ukrainian team GAPPO. They provide an AgriTech B2B SaaS solution, aligned with Global G.A.P. standards, that aids in digitalising operational reporting and compliance procedures.

EIT Jumpstarter’s mission is to strengthen entrepreneurship culture, support start-up creation, and contribute to building a diverse and inclusive innovation ecosystem with regular cross-thematic and cross-regional collaboration. The programme is powered by seven of EIT’s Knowledge and Innovation Communities: EIT Digital, EIT Food, EIT Health, EIT InnoEnergy, EIT Manufacturing, EIT RawMaterials and EIT Urban Mobility. Essentially, the programme aims to equip young innovators with the tools and knowledge to transform their early-stage ideas, secure the necessary funding, and, ultimately, build self-sustaining and profitable ventures.

Since the pre-accelerator’s initiation by three EIT communities in 2017, the programme has championed the rise of a new generation of European innovators. Today, start-ups that have emerged from EIT Jumpstarter and pursued further development employ around 1,000 individuals.

From 2017 to 2022, start-ups that graduated from EIT Jumpstarter and persevered to develop profitable businesses have successfully attracted an impressive 56 million euros in prizes, grants, and investments.

Starting with an inaugural joint call, 210 teams progressed to the programme’s first phase this year: the Online Bootcamps. This encompassed online courses, mentorship, and coaching. Subsequently, 90 teams advanced to local joint training, they are creating their first business plans, and then 54 teams are making their way to the Grand Finals. At least half of the finalist teams are expected to establish a company.

Those intrigued by the European start-up ecosystem are invited to explore the EIT website. Pre-registration for the EIT Jumpstarter 2024 is now available at https://eitjumpstarter.eu/pre-register-for-eit-jumpstater-2024. Participation in the programme comes without any fees.

Full TOP3 winners list: