UAM Plazza

Accelerator Programme

What will you get?

With a consortium made of international companies expert in the field of mobility, aeronautics and developing urban air mobility as well as the city of Toulouse, a pioneer city in the field of aeronautics and its high ambition in urban air mobility, the UAM Plazza Accelerator programme will offer additional support such as:

  • Policy support,
  • Citizen & regulator interaction,
  • Living lab access,
  • Open urban air mobility market,
  • Business setup support,
  • Office spaces at the B612 center in Toulouse,
  • Connection to a global UAM ecosystem, and
  • Access to EIT Urban Mobility investment initiatives and funding instruments.

The accelerator will enable start-ups to pitch their innovative solutions in front of an international investors panel to scale up their business.

Apply here (call opens 20 February)
Guide for applicants

Why join?

Ground transportation might have its future in the air, by implementing aeronautical innovative technologies in Urban Mobility. For this reason, the UAM Plazza Acceleration programme, co-funded by EIT Urban Mobility and framed in the Impact Ventures category, has a great potential to solve current city challenges.

The UAM Plazza acceleration programme will look for the 10 most promising emerging companies in Europe in the field of Urban Air Mobility and will provide them the possibility to implement their solutions in European cities.

Additionally, the programme will offer them a coaching and mentoring programme to accomplish the goal of taking urban air mobility companies to the next level. The UAM Plazza acceleration programme will bring a unique value proposition inside the urban air mobility ecosystem.

The UAM Plazza Accelerator’s consortium is made of Toulouse Métropole (a pioneer city in the field of aeronautics), Aerospace Valley (the biggest European cluster in the field of aeronautics, space and drones), Ferrovial (experts in market needs and trends to pick out disruptive ideas) and Carnet (already working in different acceleration programmes funded by EIT Urban Mobility). 

The UAM Plazza Accelerator programme perfectly complements the other already existing programmes inside the district tackling most pressing topics such as the Space Avenue for NewSpace initiatives, Green Aero Boulevard for light decarbonized aviation or the Digital Road for digital services related to the aerospace industry. These accelerator programmes are held in the B612 building in Toulouse, where our UAM Plazza Accelerator will be hosted. 

Eligibility criteria

  • A clear, scalable business idea with a Business Plan & Scalability proposal
  • Minimum of a TRL 4: existing MVP
  • Minimum of 2 team members (example: one CEO and one CTO)
  • Start-ups must be incorporated in EU or Horizon Europe associated countries
  • In the field of Urban Air Mobility, as a potential solution to revolutionise and improve the decarbonization and the mobility of citizens. The start-ups willing to participate should be related to one or various of the next areas of work:
    • Vertiport urban integration and social acceptance (architecture, noise and visual pollution, intermodality…)
    • Urban Air Logistics (cargo, drone delivery, networks…)
    • Vertiport terminal passenger journey processes and systems (automation, biometrics, first-last mile integration…)
    • Energy of the future (microgrids, on-site generation and storage, power management…)
Guide for applicants

Important moments

20 February – 21 April 2023

Open call for applications

22 April – 10 May 2023

Evaluations of applications

12 May 2023

Communication of shortlisted start-ups

May 2023

Pitches

June 2023

Communication of selected start-ups for the programme

June – December 2023

Execution of the accelerator programme

Partners

Toulouse Metropole (FR)
The city with more than 780 000 inhabitants has proven skills in terms of acceleration and living lab operation, strong UAM European cities network, in-place citizen engagement methodology and tool plus ongoing mobility & UAM specific projects. 
Aerospace Valley (FR)
Aerospace Valley is the leading competitiveness cluster in the aerospace industry, serving its three strategic sectors of Aeronautics, Space and Drones, in the Occitanie/Pyrénées-Méditerranée and Nouvelle-Aquitaine regions.
The UPC Technology Center – CARNET (ES)
CARNET, initiated by SEAT, Volkswagen Group Research and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), is an open hub for partners from the areas of automotive and mobility research & innovation.
Ferrovial (ES)
The company’s team has wide experience & knowledge about the current markets needs and trends to pick out disruptive ideas. They have a  wide experience about start-up as it participates in different programmes and forums.

Selected start-ups from our other batches

See all the Accelerator Start-ups

FAQs

Frequently
asked questions

Which different steps does the application process consist of?

The four steps of the application process are described here

How do I apply to the Accelerator programme?

Click here.
You will get redirected to the application platform of EIT Urban Mobility.

You will need to register and validate your account if this is your first time accessing the platform. If you have already created an account, you will need to log in.

Once logged in it is as easy as starting a new application and selecting the program.
During your application you will have to fill in all compulsory fields.

You can save and edit your application until the deadline. Make sure to submit your application before the call is closed.

Who can I contact in case of questions?

Do you have general questions related to the Accelerator Programmes and the application process? Please contact: impact.ventures@eiturbanmobility.eu

I have a question regarding your application platform. Who do I contact for troubleshooting?

Please make sure to provide all required information during your application, including that related to your profile and the profile of the start-up.

For any technical questions or processes regarding the EIT Urban Mobility application platform please  contact impact.ventures@eiturbanmobility.eu

Which type of acceleration services does each Partner offer?

If you are selected for the EIT Urban Mobility Accelerator programme you will receive 2.500€ equity-free funding for your start-up, regardless of which Partner you have been assigned to. Other acceleration services offered by the Partners are:

  • 6-month Accelerator programme
  • 1-on-1 Business Coaching/ Mentoring
  • Start-up Workshops and masterclasses
  • 6-months of Co-working Space/ Office Space (only in selected locations)
  • Direct access to “Living Labs” and Cities

The spectrum of acceleration services offered by the individual Partners varies. 

Which countries are “Eligible”?

Below you will find a list of eligible European countries:

  • Southern Europe: Albania, Armenia, Cyprus, France (South), Italy, Kosovo, Malta, North Macedonia, Portugal, Spain
  • Central Europe: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Germany (South / West), Italy, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, Slovenia, Switzerland, Turkey
  • Northern Europe: Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, Germany (North), Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland (North), Sweden
  • Eastern Europe: Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Germany (East), Hungary, Israel, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Ukraine
  • Western Europe: Belgium, France (North), Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, United Kingdom

Am I eligible for the EIT Urban Mobility Accelerator programme and what are the criteria for startup selection?

To participate in the EIT Urban Mobility Accelerator programme you need to fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

  • Start-ups should have received less than 1m EUR revenue (accumulated over startup lifetime).
  • No more than max. 5% of your shares are held outside of the eligible countries (no detailed cap table needed).
  • Start-up must be incorporated in EU or EIT Urban Mobility participating countries. The registration certificate will be required to participate in the programme.
  • A team with at least 2 FTE (NOT a single founder): minimum 1 team member pursuing the startup fulltime (not necessarily
    connected to monetary compensation).
  • Founders and employees (e.g. ESOP) should still own more than 70% of shares.
  • A clear, scalable business idea.
  • Duly justified TRL 4 – 7 (* more information here).
  • Minimum €1bn addressable market.
  • Fit with EIT Urban Mobility Challenge Areas:
    1. Active Mobility
    2. Future Mobility
    3. Sustainable City Logistics
    4. Mobility and Energy
    5. Public Realm

  • Fit with EIT UM Accelerator programme and full submission of application

*According to TRL definition in Horizon 2020, https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/wp/2014_2015/annexes/h2020-wp1415-annex-g-trl_en.pdf

Process & Contact

For more information, reach out to: impact.ventures@eiturbanmobility.eu
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