Opportunity for students, researchers and early–stage idea holders to receive up to €10,000 for growth
Applications are open until 8 May for EIT Jumpstarter 2026, one of Europe’s leading pre‑acceleration programmes designed to help science‑based ideas grow into viable start‑ups.
This comprehensive entrepreneurship training programme provides participants with mentoring, support in business development, access to the wider European innovation ecosystem, and the opportunity to compete for up to €10,000 in prize funding. Participants work within six thematic areas related to healthcare, food technologies, smart cities and mobility, energy, advanced manufacturing and raw materials.
An online information session is also planned to introduce the programme structure and the application process. Register your interest here.
Over the past six years, Latvian teams have achieved remarkable results in the programme, securing victories in various thematic categories every year and demonstrating the strong competitiveness of Latvia’s innovators at the European level. Previous winners include DronePlan (2020, EIT InnoEnergy), BirgerMind (2021, EIT Health), Bruntor (2022, EIT Urban Mobility), which developed a cargo‑carrying electric scooter for deliveries, WatchBuilt (2023, EIT Digital), and Neamo (2024, EIT Food), creators of an integrated sensor system for autonomous vessels to automatically monitor fish farms. Last year, two Latvian teams took top positions: Boreal Cacao (EIT Food), which developed an innovative cocoa‑free sweet made from fava beans, and ARKai (EIT InnoEnergy), which created an AI platform that combines satellite and geotechnical data to detect land movement with millimetre precision and provide early‑warning signals.
For Boreal Cacao, participation in EIT Jumpstarter became a turning point that helped elevate their idea to the international stage and receive valuable support from industry experts. "It’s an opportunity to receive critical yet supportive feedback and test your idea in real life,” says co‑founder and business development lead Zanda Ozola, adding that the programme provided both practical tools and confidence in their direction. She encourages innovators not to wait for the perfect moment: "Don’t start with a perfect product — start with validation. Ask yourself: what is the smallest step I can take to understand whether someone really needs this? And do it. Ideas grow through action, not by waiting for the ideal moment."
Since its launch, EIT Jumpstarter has trained more than 1,500 innovators, supported the creation of over 150 start‑ups, facilitated the creation of 2,600 jobs, and helped attract more than €150 million in investment.
EIT Jumpstarter is open to early‑stage innovators and teams whose ideas are already in development and could be commercialised into a start‑up during 2026. Eligible applicants include researchers, students, professionals and idea holders who have not registered a company related to their idea before 1 January 2026. Through practical training, mentoring and expert support, participants learn to validate their ideas, build business models and prepare for company creation.
Selected teams will begin online training in May and June, followed by advanced Start‑up Builder sessions in the summer. The top six teams from each category will advance to the Grand Final in October, with winners honoured at an in‑person award ceremony at the end of the year.
About EIT Community Hub Latvia
EIT Community Hub Latvia is the official national representation of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), operated by Riga Technical University and supported by the Ministry of Education and Science and the Latvian Council of Science. Its mission is to promote the involvement of Latvian companies, researchers and students in European innovation networks and funding programmes.
About EIT
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is Europe’s largest innovation network, operating since 2008. It is an EU body and an integral part of the EU’s research and innovation programme Horizon Europe. The EIT Community offers a wide range of innovation and entrepreneurship activities across Europe, including entrepreneurship education, start‑up support services, business creation programmes and collaborative research and innovation projects.