• H2020
• Policy & Research

Climate-KIC UK has announced its collaboration with the Entrepreneurial Finance Hub (EFH).

EFH is a financial technology company that connects innovative growth companies with the best intellectual property (IP)-focused finance and services.

A total of 19 high-potential start-ups in stages two and three of the UK Accelerator have been invited to participate in the EFH process in early 2016 so as to help them reach their full potential. Climate innovation start-ups such as these often have principal assets that are intangible, e.g. knowhow or a patent, as opposed to physical assets such as machinery or buildings. EFH’s platform offers tools and analysis to ensure these kinds of companies are valued in light of their intangible assets. It ensures companies are IP aware, investment-ready and connected to the right finance providers to support future success.

Climate-KIC has organised a launch workshop which introduces start-ups to the EFH platform and provides insights into the importance of IP for growth and innovation. EFH will then connect start-ups with the right partners to ensure they have the tools they need to be investment-ready. The programme will conclude with a showcase event where start-ups share their products and services with finance partners who will help fund their growth.

Desolenator, a Climate-KIC Stage 3 start-up, participated in the first EFH pilot earlier in 2015. CEO Alexei Levene said the process “opened up a very interesting discussion both within our team and with some of our partners about how we should be thinking about the value of our IP”, especially when approaching investment.

Off the back of this endorsement, Climate-KIC UK has extended the opportunity to the highest-potential start-ups in its pipeline to ensure they have valuations that take into account their intangible assets and help them access appropriate funding.