Cities face an enormous challenge: They must become more resilient and healthy places to live while reaching net-zero-emissions in just a few short years. The Clean Cities ClimAccelerator is an accelerator program focused on the impact of climate change in urban areas and the commercialization of clean technology (cleantech). It is targeted at start-ups that are developing solutions that focus on transforming city systems to become climate neutral—from mobility to waste, energy to health, and the built environment. The Clean Cities ClimAccelerator is looking for start-ups with the capability to contribute to systemic change in cities, and that can work in multi-stakeholder ecosystems.

The accelerator is run by Impact Hub Vienna and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and is directly linked to EIT Climate-KIC and their Deep Demonstration of Healthy, Clean Cities. Deep Demonstrations are large-scale projects run by EIT Climate-KIC, a Knowledge and Innovation Community working to accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon, climate-resilient society. These projects focus on systems innovation and are implemented together with ambitious ‘challenge owners’ in Europe—mayors, government ministries, industries, community leaders, and funders, who have the means and mandate to tackle Europe’s biggest climate change challenges. The cities of Vienna and Madrid are both part of Deep Demonstration projects, and their portfolios of innovations and activities serve as the basis for this accelerator.