Warsaw Booster 21 will streamline sustainable and smart city solutions

Start-ups can apply until 5 September

The latest edition of Warsaw Booster 21 is currently accepting applications. This time, local authorities will provide support for start-ups working in the field of smart city and sustainable development. Interested companies can apply for funding until 5 September on www.warsawbooster21.pl.

Where to find innovative solutions to contemporary urban challenges? Ask young companies

Warsaw Booster, a twelve-week program supporting young technology companies in improving their business competencies, is once again accepting applications. It provides support from mentors and advisers tailored to the most urgent needs of companies conducting their business in Warsaw, for not more than 3 years.

Other than the local authority, the program involves more than 50 partners including international corporations, public administration and NGOs, which will provide expert knowledge to the winners.

In 2021, the Polish capital is expecting exceptional projects based on technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), big data analysis, data processing in cloud computing, machine learning, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).

In the current edition, it is essential that the Booster finds innovations that meet the capital's mission of becoming an ideal place to live. Said solutions should, therefore, improve the quality and comfort of life of Warsaw residents, as well as respond to environmental challenges.

The proposed solutions are grouped into the following categories:

• city transport and communication infrastructure;
• city planning and taking care of its inhabitants;
• environmental protection, pollution and sustainable energy;
• public services, resources and administration.

Other than support to grow their ideas, three winning start-ups will receive financial awards with a total value of PLN 87,500 (around 19 thousand euros) from the budget of the Capital City of Warsaw.

Karolina Zdrodowska, Coordinator for entrepreneurship and social dialogue at the City Hall explained the involvement of the city this way: “The task of the local government is to support entrepreneurship, invest in economic development, and start-ups play a very important role in this.

The implementation of innovative solutions allows local governments to respond more efficiently to the challenges of building a sustainable city, resistant to crises, and to improve the quality of life of its inhabitants.” She further said for the city website that municipal units and companies want to strongly attract young entrepreneurs to the program.

Warsaw Booster program for 2021-2023 is managed by a consortium of three foundations with extensive experience in supporting innovation: Coalition for Polish Innovations (KPI), Mobile Open Society Through Technology (MOST) and Startup Hub Poland (SHP).