The city of Zurich has completed the first round of funding for its new KlimUp support program, the city's Department of Health and the Environment announced in a press release. This funding programme supports young companies and non-profit organizations in their commitment to climate protection and the circular economy. In the first round, 167 applications were received. Among them, an expert commission selected nine early-stage start-ups and eight non-profit organizations for funding.

The nine start-ups including glatec start-up Upwater AG will each receive a basic grant of CHF 35,000. This can be increased if the young company completes a successful first round of financing. In this case, KlimUp doubles the privately raised funds up to a maximum amount of 215,000 francs. The funding contributions for non-profit organizations are divided into grants of between 30,000 and 100,000 francs for five projects and multi-year operating contributions totalling 500,000 francs for three organizations. A list of the start-ups and organizations receiving funding is available online from the Department of Environmental and Health Protection. 

A total of at least 1.2 million francs will be awarded in the first round. The funding program, which is set to run until 2028 or until the funds are exhausted, has 14 million francs at its disposal. Applications for the second round of funding can still be submitted until April 29. A decision on the next award will be made in June 2024.