Industrial Net Zero Accelerate Brief

Applications are now closed for the Industrial Net Zero Accelerate programme - 20 early-stage companies will be working towards the creation of sustainable supply chains and enabling a circular economy.

About Industrial Net Zero Accelerate

Programme overview

This programme is designed to accelerate the development of 20 early-stage businesses developing innovative and commercially focused digital solutions, working towards the creation of sustainable supply chains and enabling a circular economy.

Once onboarded participants will join our industrial net zero cohort and gain access to bespoke business and investment mentorship, knowledge sharing through collaborative workshops and support to confidently pitch their ideas directly to industry and investors.

The challenge brief

Working address the challenges of creating an industrial net zero future in the following two areas:

Sustainable supply chains:

Eight supply chains account for more than 50% of global emissions; Food, construction, fashion, fast-moving consumer goods, electronics, automotive, professional services and freight. Decarbonising a supply chain is incredibly difficult; even leading companies struggle to acquire the data they need to set clear targets and standards to which their suppliers must adhere. Engaging an often-fragmented supplier landscape is challenging – especially when emissions are “buried” deep in the supply chain, or when addressing them might require collective action at the industry level. Finding data-driven approaches to supply chain management and optimisation are crucial to delivering sustainable products and services.

Zero waste and circular economy:

Zero waste is possible by designing and utilising products for reuse, remanufacturing and recycling and digital technologies can boost this transformation to enable a more sustainable circular economy. The application of advanced digital technologies can help to close the material loops by providing accurate information on the availability, location and condition of products. Digitalisation also enables more efficient processes in companies, helps minimise waste, promotes longer life for products and minimises the transaction costs.

What’s involved

This 12-week programme is designed to support early-stage startups to improve product-market fit, develop critical business skills, and get investment-ready.

Through a series of weekly workshops and one-to-one meetings designed to meet their specific needs, companies will benefit from expertise in developing their product, business strategy, communications skills and investor readiness.

A wide range of industry and technology experts, mentors and delivery partners, experts from the industry and the investment ecosystem will support the startups throughout their journey with Digital Catapult.

Successful applicants will also have the chance to benefit from networking sessions, peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and have access to other opportunities offered by Digital Catapult.

Who should apply

Early-stage startups:

Designed for early-stage startups developing innovative and commercially focused digital solutions to accelerate the transformation of UK industry to net zero, in one of the following investment phases:

  • Pre-seed startup with a minimum viable product (MVP) in the pipeline.
  • Pre-seed startup with an MVP and demonstrated early traction.
  • Seed startup with a developed product and demonstrated early traction.

Digital technology startups

Companies that use one or more technologies from the advanced digital technology stack such as artificial intelligence, immersive (VR, AR and XR), internet of things, distributed ledger technologies and 5G.

Working within or can apply solutions to industrial settings

Companies developing solutions in one of the following industries:

  • Sustainable supply chains: sustainable supply chain management and optimisation in areas like food, construction, fashion, fast-moving consumer goods, electronics and automotive.
  • Circular economy: digitalisation applied on reuse, recycling, remanufacturing and zero waste.

Industrial Net Zero FAQs

Read our programme specific FAQs to understand more about this brief and requirements

  • What are some examples of how scaleups are tackling challenges in industrial net zero?

    Advanced digital technologies can deliver a raft of benefits for an organisation’s green credentials, helping businesses measure environmental impact, reduce waste, optimise usage and extend the life cycles of vital assets.

    Some examples of the challenges we might expect applicants to be tackling include, but are not limited to:

    • Material resource optimisation – Optimising the outputs of an organisation or facility, without increasing input or sacrificing quality
    • Zero waste manufacturing – Designing and utilising products for reuse, remanufacturing and recycling to enable a more sustainable circular economy
    • Circular economy – Enabling an economy in which materials are reduced, reused, remanufactured or recycled
    • Net zero agriculture – Reducing the emissions of our foodstuffs and enabling more sustainable land use
  • My company doesn’t quite fit some of these criteria, can I still apply?

    Across the industrial net zero themed applications – Industrial Net Zero Accelerate, Industrial Net Zero Build UK India and Industrial Net Zero Scale, all applicants must be applying advanced technologies to tackle the challenges of industrial net zero, and must be incorporated and headquartered in the UK. If your application doesn’t quite fit other criteria and you still believe the programme would benefit your company, you’re very welcome to apply.

    If this particular programme isn’t right for the maturity of your business or its specific focus, sign up here to stay in the loop on future opportunities offered by Digital Catapult’s range of FutureScope programmes.

Industrial Net Zero Accelerate FAQs

Read our programme specific FAQs to understand more about this brief and requirements

  • What are the requirements for the Industrial Net Zero Accelerate programme?
    • Applicants must be a UK based registered company – or prove they have an establishment in the UK and undertake the majority of the activity in the UK.
    • Applicants must develop solutions enabled by advanced digital technologies.
    • Applicants must have a product-based business at the minimum viable product stage (for example, at least TRL5 on technology readiness level)
    • Applicants must have two or more team members
    • Applicants must be considered as an early-stage business, for example, a business that received under £1,000,000 in private investment or public funding
    • Applicants must be looking to raise pre-seed or seed investment in the next 12 months
  • What are the key dates for Industrial Net Zero Accelerate?

    Please see below the programme key dates:

    • Applications open Monday 13 September
    • Application Closing Deadline Sunday 31 October at 23:59
    • Programme start date: Friday 10 December 2021
    • Kick-off: w/c 13 December 2021
    • Workshops: weekly January – March 2022
    • Mentorship: ongoing from Monday 3 January 2022 – Friday 18 March 2022.
    • Showcase: March 2022, to be confirmed.
    • Programme End Date: March 2022

Register your interest in future opportunities

Applications are now closed for our Industrial Net Zero Accelerate cohort, register your interest and visit our how to apply page for current and future opportunities.

Register your interest How to apply

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FutureScope is delivered by Digital Catapult, the UK authority on advanced digital technology.