The SuperCluster ClimAccelerator is a first-of-its-kind programme designed to accelerate high-impact industrial decarbonisation startups in the Climate Tech SuperCluster region. This 16-week hybrid programme, starting in spring 2025, is a collaboration between Cambridge Cleantech, Cambridge Consultants — the Deep Tech powerhouse of Capgemini — and EIT Climate-KIC.

Why us?

World-leading Deeptech and Climate Tech Expertise

Cambridge Consultants is one of the World’s leading deeptech consultancies with unparalleled expertise in developing and commercialising cutting-edge deep tech solutions. Alongside Cambridge Cleantech and the Climate Tech SuperCluster the accelerator has a unique combination of skills to support emerging and scaling industrial decarbonisation innovators.

Global Ecosystem

The Climate Tech SuperCluster is emerging as a new engine of economic growth for the UK and Europe. Centred around London as a global financial hub it has the UK and Europe’s highest concentration of start-ups, investment and innovation.

Global Networks and Investment

Through EIT Climate-KIC participants gain access to a global network of resources, partners and investors. The programme is also connected to the Cleantech Venture Day, one of Europe’s foremost cleantech investment days providing access to UK and European cleantech investor networks.

Partners

The ClimateTech SuperCluster is a groundbreaking initiative spanning five European nations – the UK, Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. It fosters a powerful concentration of entrepreneurship, research and development (R&D), innovation, and markets dedicated to the fast-growing ClimateTech sector. This geographically diverse cluster encompasses 15 cities, with the ambitious goal of accelerating the development of a globally competitive ClimateTech industry while aiding individual nations and regions in their climate transition journeys.

Cambridge Consultants (CC) is the deep tech powerhouse of the Capgemini Group. Deep tech is a mindset, a bold strategy that harnesses radical science and engineering to achieve things no-one else can. It delivers transformative business value and growth for our clients, who gain defensible commercial and operational advantage from new-to-the-world products, services and processes that they own. We overcome the ultimate business challenge: turning something that doesn’t yet exist into a reality. Our advice is built on practice, with over 750 scientists, engineers, designers and consultants working globally across more than 20,000 sq. m of state-of-the-art R&D facilities. As part of Capgemini Invent, CC is backed by 340,000+ Capgemini team members in more than 50 countries.

Cambridge Cleantech is a UK and European-based innovation network that connects SMEs, investors, corporations, and academics for a smarter, more sustainable future. Founded in 2011, we are the UK's leading cleantech cluster firmly embedded in Cambridge, UK, and in international climate tech innovation ecosystems. We work across the low-carbon economy to facilitate innovation partnerships and technology commercialisation in some of the most dynamic sectors, including energy, transport, green buildings, water, smart cities, advanced materials, and hydrogen.

EIT Climate-KIC is Europe's leading climate innovation agency and community, supporting cities, regions, countries and industries to meet their climate ambitions through systems innovation and place-based transformations.

The programme in numbers

16 weeks

Hybrid online and in-person

8-10

High-potential startups

750+

Scientists, engineers, designers, and consultants

Programme highlights

Intensive training

4-day in-person training in Cambridge and once a fortnight 2-hour masterclasses / fireside chat / industry leaders advice and feedback sessions.

Targeted support

Fortnightly (2-hour) one-to-one mentoring with senior Cambridge Consultants experts and technical leads to address your company's specific techno-commercial challenges

World-class expertise

Access in-depth business planning and technology roadmapping guidance from Cambridge Consultants.

Rigorous validation

Third-party technology and investment readiness evaluations to enhance investor confidence.

Climate-SAFE

Access to EIT Climate-KIC's financial sustainability tool.

Cleantech Venture Day

Demo day during the Supercluster Cleantech Venture Day in London.

Climate Impact Hypothesis

Preliminary assessment of the potential climate impact of the company's innovative solutions by Impact Forecast.

International networking & ecosystem access

Integration into the Climate Tech SuperCluster ecosystem, including access to Climate-KIC's investor network.

Timeline

Applications open

22 Jan 2025

Applications deadline

21 Feb 2025

Cohort selection announcement

28 Feb 2025

Online programme start

17 Mar 2025

In-person week (Cambridge)

24, 25, 26, 27 Mar 2025

In-person demo day (London)

25 June 2025

Programme closure

30 June 2025

Eligibility

Geography: The company must be based in Europe, preferably within the Climate Tech SuperCluster region, which includes the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Focus: The company is developing a deep-tech solution focused on Industrial Decarbonisation.

Incorporation: The company must be officially incorporated before the programme commencement.

Technology Readiness Level (TRL): Preference will be given to startups with a TRL between 4 and 7.

Team Participation

  • Participants in the programme must be founders or members of the C-suite team.
  • The participating founder or C-level individual must be fluent in English.

Travel Requirements

  • The founder or C-level participant must be able to travel for on-site programme activities in Cambridge (24, 25, 26, and 27 March 2025) - and Demo Day in London – (25  June 2025).
  • The company is responsible for covering the costs of travel and accommodation for these on-site activities.

The Team

Eric Greiss

Programme Lead, Cambridge Consultants

Steve Thomas

Commercial Lead, Cambridge Consultants

Tony Dickens

Technical Lead, Cambridge Consultants

Sam Goodall

CEO, Cambridge Cleantech

Camila Vila-Echagüe

Head of Innovation and International Projects, Cambridge Cleantech

Sylvie Russell

COO, Cambridge Cleantech

FAQs

Does the SuperCluster ClimAccelerator have any cost?
No, this is free of charge for the start-ups and its team members. Start-ups only need to cover their travel and accommodations cost for the in-person part of the programme.
How many startups will be participating?
We are aiming for a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 10 startups per cohort.
Do you take equity or provide grants?
No, the SuperCluster ClimAccelerator does not take equity or provide grants. Startups have the option to get the Climate-SAFE programme by Climate-KIC.
What is the Climate-SAFE tool?
The Climate-SAFE is optional and non-mandatory for startups participating in the programme. It has been designed as a founder-friendly and efficient means for Climate-KIC to invest in Europe’s most exciting Climate-tech companies. The Climate-SAFE is a simple agreement for future equity – a convertible investment.

The key terms of the Climate-SAFE are:
• €50,000 value
• 24-month long-stop date
• No valuation cap – we don’t want to limit the valuation of any future funding rounds
• 20% discount rate
• No most-favoured-nation clause

The Climate-SAFE is structured as a cash + services investment and grants access to the following package of support:
• Carbon Impact Forecasting, Modelling, and Validation
• Access to ClimateHIVE community
• Fundraising support & connections to the Climate-KIC investor network
• Commercialisation Opportunities
• EU Policy & Affairs support
• A dedicated portfolio manage