EIT Jumpstarter comes back in 2025 with new cohorts

The EIT Jumpstarter 2025, a flagship pre-accelerator focused on unveiling talented innovators from emerging European countries, is now open. This year’s programme will seek innovative ideas in more than 27 countries and territories in Europe, with a special radar on the Western Balkans, the EU Outermost Regions and Mediterranean, offering additional prizes and opportunities.

The EIT Jumpstarter is an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, a body of the European Union. This programme supports innovators in transforming their innovative ideas into prosperous start-ups in a safe and supportive business environment. It does not require equity and is free of charge for individuals and teams coming from Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, where the pace of innovation is still progressing. During the last eight editions the EIT Jumpstarter has upskilled more than 1300 talents in the field of entrepreneurship and helped establish 124 start-ups. These companies have already raised approximately 150 million euros in the form of external investment.

'EIT Jumpstarter is the perfect platform to validate an innovative idea and determine whether your research results can be commercialised as a product or service.

We offer support in the initial stages of setting up a start-up and developing an entrepreneurial mindset. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded individuals and learn from industry experts who will help you refine your idea and establish a prosperous startup,' underlines Tina Benda from the EIT RawMaterials, who curates the Metals, Minerals, Advanced Materials & Industrial Side Streams Cohort in the EIT Jumpstarter.

Refreshed cohorts

The 2025 edition of EIT Jumpstarter features eight dynamic categories, powered by the EIT’s Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs):

• Healthcare powered by EIT Health
• Food & Agritech powered by EIT Food
• Metals, Minerals, Advanced Materials & Industrial Side Streams powered by EIT RawMaterials
• Energy and Renewables powered by EIT InnoEnergy
• Advanced and Green Manufacturing powered by EIT Manufacturing
• Smart Cities and Mobility powered by EIT Urban Mobility
• New European Bauhaus (NEB) powered by EIT Culture & Creativity
• Rebuild Ukraine powered by EIT Health

In each category, winners can receive €10,000 in prize money and gain access to tailored support to help bring their innovations to market.

Special Focus on Mediterranean, the EU Outermost Regions and Western Balkans economies

EIT Jumpstarter 2025 introduces special awards for innovators from the Mediterranean and the EU Outermost Regions. The EIT Community aims to support even more talents from such territories as Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Reunion, Martinique, Mayotte and Saint-Martin (France), the Azores and Madeira (Portugal), and the Canary Islands (Spain). Two cash prizes will be waiting for the best start-up from the EU outermost Regions and for the best one from the Mediterranean, regardless of the thematic cohort. In addition, EIT Jumpstarter aims to support even more actively the Western Balkans economies, offering additional 30 seats for talents coming from North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo  and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The best team from this region will also be awarded an additional cash prize, regardless of the thematic cohort.

'There is much more than the award itself, as it is the recognition of our project from the EIT Community that means a lot.

Also, the support of the EIT Community in developing our start-up is huge and can take us to the top. The EIT Jumpstarter programme taught us the basic, but also the most important steps for setting up a healthy, lean start-up, how to be fast and how to be the first on the market. Perhaps the most important of all is how crucial the team and communication are for success and reaching the goal.” shared Neo Pill’s team, winners of the Healthcare category at the 2023 EIT Jumpstarter Grand Final and recognized as the best team from the Western Balkans. Neo Pill, a Serbian start-up, which has developed an innovative oral cleaning product specifically designed for people with fixed dental braces. It is the world’s only dental product powered by electrolysis, made from recyclable materials. This convenient solution requires no water or access to a bathroom, making it both practical and eco-friendly.

How to Join

The applications can be submitted until April 2, 2025 via the EIT Jumpstarter page. The selected 190 teams will join the online bootcamps and the Pitch Days. Only 80 teams will advance to local trainings, build their business plan and register their start-up. In November 48 teams will enter the final pitching competition with the chance to win cash prizes (150,000 EUR in total) and get exposure to the largest innovators network in Europe – EIT.

For more information and to register, visit EIT Jumpstarter website.

A full list of eligible countries can be found at the EIT Jumpstarter About Us page.

About the EIT

The European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) strengthens Europe’s ability to innovate by powering solutions to pressing global challenges and by nurturing entrepreneurial talent to create sustainable growth and skilled jobs in Europe. The EIT is an EU body and an integral part of Horizon Europe, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.

The Institute supports dynamic pan-European partnerships, EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs), among leading companies, research labs and universities.  These KICs are dedicated to driving systemic change in Europe and beyond, focusing on key areas such as climate change, energy, health, food, manufacturing, raw materials, digitalization, urban mobility, and culture and creativity. Together with their leading partners, the EIT Community offers a wide range of innovation and entrepreneurship activities across Europe: entrepreneurial education courses, business creation and acceleration services and innovation driven research projects. 

About the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme

The EIT launched the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (EIT RIS) in 2014 as its main tool contributing to reducing Europe’s regional innovation disparities. It helps innovators from eligible countries to access EIT activities, creates links among regional innovation actors and offers tailor-made programmes to support moderate and emerging innovating countries and the EU Outermost Regions to build their innovation capacity. The EIT RIS has created a dense and resilient network of people and organisations, supported by the EIT’s nine Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs): EIT Climate-KIC, EIT Digital, EIT InnoEnergy, EIT Health, EIT RawMaterials, EIT Food, EIT Manufacturing, EIT Urban Mobility, and EIT Culture & Creativity.

More information:

Olga Kozlitina | Communications Coordinator, EIT Community Strategic Regional Innovations | +48 576 018 901 | olga.kozlitina@eithealth.eu