EIT Jumpstarter awards €150k to 24 science-based startups

Budapest-based EIT Jumpstarter pre-acceleration program, part of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, awarded a total prize pool of €150,000 to 24 science-based startups from 21 countries, as Vestbee was told. The prize money was distributed among the winners in nine categories, with three awardees in each category.

• EIT Jumpstarter is a pre-acceleration program supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) to help innovators turn ideas into businesses. 
• The program connects participants with experts, networks, and funding. It focuses on innovation and entrepreneurship in Central Eastern and Southern Europe, such as health, food, energy, and urban mobility.
• Since 2017, the program has trained 1,180 people, resulting in 124 new startups and 2,100 jobs. These startups have collectively attracted €150 million in external investment.
• The event, held on November 28 in Budapest, was part of the EIT Community conference, marking 10 years of the EIT Regional Innovation System. 
• Over seven months, participants in the EIT Jumpstarter program developed business models for their ideas. From 600 applications, 180 innovators were selected, with 49 teams competing in a pitching session across eight categories. The top three teams in each category received a share of the €150,000 prize pool.
• The list of winners from the nine categories, with three awardees in each category:

1. EIT Food
   Winner: NEAMO (Latvia)
   Runners-up: MultiBioCrop (Greece), Bestran (Spain)
2. EIT Health
   Winner: BIOCHIP-PATHFINDER (Portugal)
   Runners up: WellscanPro (Kosovo), NexThera Tech (Portugal)
3. EIT InnoEnergy
   Winner: StoreNow (Portugal)
   Runners up: Deltasort (Croatia), Rehemp (Serbia)
4. EIT Manufacturing
   Winner: Yapar3D (Turkey)
   Runners up: VeridianIQ (Hungary), Melt3D (Slovakia)
5. EIT Post-Jumpstarter
   Winner: Lightly (Czechia)
6. EIT RawMaterials
   Winner: Total Energy (Croatia)
   Runners up: Bristlechem (Spain), Unconventional Lithium (Ukraine)
7. EIT Urban Mobility
   Winner: Urbix Hub (Bulgaria)
   Runners up: ARport (Hungary), Wyvernn (Italy)
8. New European Bauhaus
   Winner: POWAR STEAM (Spain)
   Runners-up: RevAlve (Estonia), UrbanGeoWonders (Ukraine)
9. Rebuild Ukraine
   Winner: Drone NonDestructiveTesting (Ukraine)
   Runners up: AgRe – Technology for restoring soil (Ukraine), CathodMiner (Ukraine)

• Western Balkans Special Award
  Winner: WellscanPro (Kosovo)

“Considering that every euro invested in the program generates 30 euros in external funding for newly built start-ups, EIT Jumpstarter truly serves as a springboard for talented founders," explains Piotr Boulange, representing the EIT Jumpstarter program.

• In 2025, EIT Jumpstarter will provide additional support for innovators from Ukraine, the Western Balkans, the Mediterranean, and the EU's outermost regions. A new prize will be awarded to the best startup in these Regions. Pre-registration for the next edition opens in January.