Accelerator Future Hub aims to further develop the GreenTech and sustainability ecosystem in the Baltic and Nordic region

To encourage open innovation that offers sustainable solutions and strives to create a better future, Swedbank Latvia, in partnership with technology ecosystem most active players Helve, Greentech Alliance & TechChill, has established a new co-creation format sustainability accelerator Future Hub. The accelerator will provide selected startups a chance to co-create with leading enterprises in the Baltic market during the acceleration program from March to May 2021. The application process for startups is open until February 16.

Sustainability and climate change, in particular, will be an increasingly pressing matter for everyone in the business. It is already clear that the changes brought by the European Commission Green Deal and other current events will direct our conversations towards sustainability, not just once in the upcoming years.

“Founders with new sustainability solutions are working tirelessly to address the burning issues, while corporations are trying to figure out a way to move toward more sustainable actions and business models. We see an amazing opportunity for mutually beneficial partnerships that would not only benefit startup and enterprise businesses and further develop the GreenTech ecosystem in our region but also move us all closer to sustainable practices,” the inspiration behind Future Hub shares its creator Marija Rucevska, Co-founder at Helve and Chair of the Board at TechChill.

Future Hub will host a 2-month fast-track program from March to May to match startup solutions with enterprise challenges. Startups will tackle a challenge presented by a market-leading enterprise and explore potential pilot or market alliances in target technologies and industries. By enabling startups with access to enterprises, organizers’ goal is to further develop and grow the sustainability and GreenTech community in the region and raise awareness.

“Changing operational processes that have been set for a long time is challenging and often inefficient when done alone. Co-creation was chosen as the core concept for the accelerator to provide opportunities for enterprises to work on their business sustainability challenges by partnering up with startups. We ourselves are entering accelerator with a call to create a convenient tool for our customers, small and medium-sized companies to measure, manage, compare, and track their carbon footprint, and there are various startup teams out there who have built solutions for exactly this challenge. We hope to collaborate with these startups and find a solution for our challenge, and invite other companies to join the accelerator as well”, shares Adriana Kaulina, Sustainability Officer at Swedbank Latvia.

The sustainability accelerator is currently looking for teams in the Baltic and Nordic regions. Future Hub invites B2B, B2C, and B2B2C startups that operate in either Food and AgroTech, Mobility, Energy and Smart Cities, Supply Chain and Logistics, or Sustainable Business and Circular Economy to apply for the program by February 16.

Apply for Future Hub by February 16 here.    

Future Hub is established by Swedbank Latvia in cooperation with innovation strategy company Helve, TechChill, and Greentech Alliance.