• EIT Jumpstarter 2024 awarded 22 winners in 9 categories
• This is a pre-acceleration program for idea-stage startups from Europe’s outermost regions
• The winners collectively received EUR 150K of non-equity prize
• The pre-registration for EIT Jumpstarter 2025 is already open

On November 28th, this year’s EIT Jumpstarter pre-acceleration program concluded with its Grand Final event in Budapest. As an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, a body of the European Union, the program altogether awarded 49 teams from 21 countries in 9 categories, with the prizes’ collective worth of EUR 150K.

The European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) is dedicated to enhancing Europe’s capacity for innovation by driving solutions to global challenges and fostering entrepreneurial talent. As an essential component of Horizon Europe, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, EIT plays a key role in creating skilled employment opportunities across Europe.

EIT Jumpstarter 2024 was a seven-month program designed to help participants identify and validate the most effective business models for their science-based innovative ideas. The program’s ultimate goal was to transform these ideas into market-ready startups. Out of 600 applications, only 180 innovators were selected for the training phase. From this group, the top 49 teams advanced to the live pitching competition in Budapest. The finalists competed across eight industry-specific categories, ranging from food to energy. Collectively, winners and runners-up received non-equity prizes totaling EUR 150K.

Additionally, standout alumni from previous editions of the program had the opportunity to showcase their progress and compete in a dedicated ninth category, highlighting their continued growth and success since graduation.

‘The pipeline of startups established in non-Western countries through programs like EIT Jumpstarter is growing every year, and many ventures from previous editions have now reached multimillion valuations. This is particularly important to close the funding gap in the European innovation ecosystem. The program helps create new jobs, brings new skills, and stimulates entrepreneurship in the region. 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,’ EIT Jumpstarter’s project lead Piotr Boulangé states.

He specifies that, most importantly, the future startup founders have to be from one of the RIS (Regional Innovation Scheme) countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia,  Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Réunion, Martinique, Mayotte and Saint-Martin (France), the Azores and Madeira (Portugal), and the Canary Islands (Spain), Moldova, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo. In 2025, Israel is added to the list. The applicants need to have a startup idea in one of the verticals operated by EIT’s KICs (Knowledge innovation communities):

• EIT Food
• EIT Health
• EIT InnoEnergy
• EIT Manufacturing
• EIT RawMaterials
• EIT Urban Mobility

The applicants can also be participants of this year’s additional acceleration programs, including:

• EIT Post-Jumpstarter
• New European Bauhaus
• Rebuild Ukraine
• Western Balkans special award

During the pitch all of the founders had to convince the jury members that they have the passion for solving the presented problems, and have what it takes to incorporate a company to commence their entrepreneurial journeys. Representatives of the CEE region came out as winners in 5 out of 9 categories. ITKeyMedia approached the winners:

NEAMO (Latvia)

EIT Food category winner NEAMO is developing an integrated sensor system for autonomous surface vessels that can be used in offshore fish farms to help farmers prevent operational risks, optimize water quality, monitor infrastructure, and enhance overall farm efficiency through real-time data and predictive analytics.

At our university, we have a group chat where all sorts of exciting opportunities are shared, and that’s where we came across EIT Jumpstarter. At the time, my colleague and I were already thinking about applying to a business accelerator, and EIT Jumpstarter showed up at the perfect moment. Initially, we decided to apply because we really wanted to test if our business idea could even make it through the first application round. EIT Jumpstarter seemed like a supportive and low-risk way to give it a shot. We were genuinely surprised and thrilled every time we advanced to the next stage!

When we first applied, we didn’t know much about the program, and honestly, our initial impression was that it seemed more geared toward students. The early introductory video calls and Q&A sessions with all the participants felt quite chaotic and gave off a somewhat disorganized vibe, so our expectations weren’t very high. However, perhaps because of those modest expectations, we were pleasantly surprised as each phase turned out to be progressively more enjoyable, educational, informative, and professional. It was during the local training session, meeting other teams in person, that we truly realized how serious the competition and the program itself was. By then, we had also encountered people who had participated in EIT Jumpstarter or knew of it and shared positive reviews, though it was hard to believe at first. In short, while our expectations weren’t high at the beginning, the program far exceeded them and left us genuinely impressed.

– Aija Monika Vainiņa, Founder at NEAMO

Total Energy (Croatia)

In the EIT RawMaterials category, Total Energy designs lightweight, flexible solar cells to cover new surfaces.

Our team previously undertook another startup program called Nuqleus. Our mentor told us about the EIT JumpStarter program and suggested that we enroll. My co-founder and I researched about the program and were appealed with the broad network of people and thorough approach to the program, so we instantly decided to send our application.

We expected to attend a few workshops and mentoring sessions after which we would pitch our idea, since this is the most common approach amongst these kinds of programs. We were very positively surprised when we realised that the mentoring sessions were much more often than expected and the materials we were given have really proven to be beneficial for our long-term growth and communication with potential investors

– Stjepan Dolić, Co-Founder at Total Energy

Urbix Hub (Bulgaria)

Winner in the EIT Urban Mobility category, Urbix Hub positions itself as Europe’s first driving simulation network, offering on-demand, affordable training for mobility businesses. It helps reduce operational disruptions, crash costs, and improve driver safety through realistic, risk-free simulations tailored to the needs of modern fleets.

Since Urbix Hub was conceived as an idea of high societal impact in Urban Mobility, we identified the immense value that the EIT brings to its startups portfolio. After reviewing many calls and programs, we knew that for the stage of our development (TRL4), the Jumpstarter was the most suitable option to begin our journey towards becoming part of the prestigious EIT Urban Mobility startups portfolio!

Our main motivation was to build our business case and business plan as we received market validation. Of course, winning first prize and receiving marketing exposure by a prestigious organisation like the EIT were determinants for us to apply although we knew competition was strong

The program exceeded by far our expectations. The combination of group mentoring sessions with private sessions should be a must for all incubators. The pitch training with Carles Caño was mind blowing, and it was only with his expertise that we could make it onto the stage. Celeste Regla – KIC Urban Mobility’s lead – kept us informed, and set clear expectations as we moved through the different stages of the program. Last but not least, the grand final event had an impeccable organisation!

– Lore Andrade, Founder at Urbix Hub

Drone NonDestructive Testing (Ukraine)

From the Rebuild Ukraine category, Drone NonDestructiveTesting provides advanced remote diagnostics to detect and rank infrastructure defects by size and danger using UAVs and AI analytics. The solution delivers real-time monitoring and comprehensive reporting to enhance safety, optimize maintenance, and support data-driven decisions.

We heard about EIT Jumpstarter through a notification from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. They announced the launch of the EIT Jumpstarter’s Rebuild Ukraine initiative, and it immediately caught our attention as it focuses on helping Ukraine recover during the war and rebuild afterward.

We already had experience using UAVs to inspect large structures, supported by the National Research Foundation of Ukraine. We saw how our technology could help protect historical landmarks, keep critical infrastructure in good shape, and ensure public safety. Joining the program felt like a great chance to grow our work and prove its value.

This was the first time we took part in such an activity, so it felt a bit unusual to sit at a desk again after years away from university and start learning new topics. However, it was very helpful to understand the important aspects of technology from the business side.

We hoped to learn how to turn a scientific idea into a product that could succeed in the market, get advice from experts, and meet possible investors. These hopes were mostly met. The program taught us a lot about building a business plan, pitching our ideas, and understanding what customers need. It was an invaluable experience that gave us the tools and confidence to keep moving forward.

– Viktor Savitsky, Founder at Drone NonDestructive Testing

Lightly (The Czech Republic)

Lightly, the EIT Post-Jumpstarter winner, is developing a portable device called Catcher to help police units identify counterfeit medicines and track them back to the manufacturer by delivering sample results right on the spot. Catcher is compatible with proprietary single-use cartridges called Fenty. All results are automatically transmitted through into a global database,and the user-friendly solution issues timely warnings about dangerous drugs, traces their origin, flags new products entering the market before it’s too late, and ultimately helps save lives.

I discovered the EIT Jumpstarter program last year through a LinkedIn post, I believe. At the time, we were at the very beginning of our journey, and the program provided exactly what we needed: mentoring, pitch deck creation, networking opportunities, and financial support: all the essentials for a startup in its early stage.

Last year, we were thrilled to place 2nd in the Grand Final, and this year, we continued our journey with the EIT Post-Jumpstarter program for alumni, where we were honored to win 1st place as the Most Outstanding Alumni.

Seeking guidance on various aspects of our journey, not only did we receive everything we hoped for, but so much more. However, I must emphasize that nothing comes without hard work. While the people we met were incredibly supportive, and we formed valuable partnerships and friendships, one key tip I’d offer to other founders is this: don’t wait for help to be offered — be proactive and ask for it. Success requires effort and initiative.

For us, the EIT programs were true game changers, far exceeding my expectations and providing opportunities that significantly accelerated our growth.

– Monika Štěpánová, Co-Founder and CEO at Lightly

The next edition of the EIT Jumpstarter program will launch in January, with pre-registration already open. In 2025, the program plans to offer enhanced support for talents from the Western Balkans and Ukraine. Additionally, a new prize will be introduced to honor the best newly established startup from the Mediterranean region and the Outermost Regions of the European Union.