Innovative solutions in the pandemic are being promoted

The EU-funded Special Covid-19 Accelerator Program is a first: 23 start-ups are being supported with innovations to combat the coronavirus pandemic. One of them is Nüwiel from Hamburg.

The coronavirus crisis has changed the purchasing behavior of many consumers. Last week, the delivery service DHL alone delivered 56 million parcels in Germany. Start-ups working on solutions for urban challenges, such as delivery traffic, were able to present themselves to 400 investors as part of a Europe-wide program.

Hamburg-based start-up Nüwiel also took advantage of this opportunity. With a trailer for electric bicycles, the start-up has developed a solution for delivering suppliers to the company or to the front door. The so-called e-trailer makes it possible to transport heavy and bulky goods. In the long term, this should significantly reduce the volume of traffic caused by bicycle deliveries.

The accelerator program is the first EU-funded initiative of its kind for start-ups. It is intended to support ideas for overcoming the urban challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic. The program was launched by the Deep Tech Alliance, an association of European innovation centers. It is funded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). The start-ups are not only provided with capital, but are also supported with expertise and mentors by EIT Urban Mobility.

It is managed by the Copenhagen-based Futurebox in the DTU Science Park, with Munich-based investor UnternehmerTUM also among the supporters.