The startup dotLumen (.lumen) has received funding worth 9. 3 million euros in the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator.
The startup is developing glasses for the blind with a technology to understand the environment and give feedback using sound and impulses.
In total, 99 startups and SMEs were selected in what is the largest-ever funding round from the European Innovation Council Accelerator. They will receive 627 million euros of EU funding to help them bring their promising technologies to the market.
The selected companies will receive grants and/or equity investments, depending on their needs, up to a maximum of 17.5 million euros. They were selected following a process involving an ideas screening stage, and full applications assessed by external experts and an interview with a jury of experienced investors and entrepreneurs.
The EIC Accelerator offers startups and SMEs grants of up to 2.5 million euros combined with equity investments through the EIC Fund ranging from 0.5 euros to 15 million euros. In addition to financial support, all projects benefit from a range of Business Acceleration Services that provide access to leading expertise, corporates, investors and ecosystem actors.
Previously, .lumen was one of the 96 startups selected to receive mentoring and business support, as well as 40,000 euros in the 2020 Headstart program of EIT Health. This September, it was also one of the winners of the Grand Final, winning an additional 10,000 euros.
.lumen designs a system which uses artificial intelligence and robotics to duplicate the benefits of a guide dog, in a scalable solution using the form of a headset. The device understands the environment, computes navigation paths for the users, and transmits information through the sound and impulses on the forehead.
