Don't forget Snjallræði this summer
It's easy to slip into summer mode when the sun comes out, travel plans take over and email gets a bit of a rest. But for any team with a good idea in their back pocket, one thing is worth keeping in mind: applications are now open for the Snjallræði university accelerator.
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Snjallræði is a 16-week university accelerator for social innovation. Teams receive support to develop ideas, research, products, services or projects that tackle the challenges of our time and can have a positive impact on society, the environment and the future. The accelerator is a joint initiative between the University of Iceland, Reykjavík University and the University of Akureyri, run in collaboration with MIT DesignX. In Snjallræði, participants gain access to a focused development process, workshops, mentors and experts from academia, industry and the innovation ecosystem. The work spans everything from needs assessment and solution design to sustainable business models, networking, financial planning and pitching projects.
The accelerator is aimed especially at students and staff of the universities, research teams, scientists, entrepreneurs and start-ups emerging from the academic community. University-linked projects take priority, but Snjallræði is also open to other strong teams working on ideas with social value.
A wide range of teams have taken part in Snjallræði before, demonstrating just how varied the ideas that belong in the accelerator can be. In 2025, participating projects addressed, among other things, organic waste and Icelandic soil, the capture and conversion of CO₂, geothermal solutions, biotechnology, the inclusion of people of foreign origin, school menus, a song bank and improved services in the health and welfare system. In 2024, eleven teams were selected to take part, with projects addressing challenges affecting the young and old, immigrants, people with mental health conditions and the natural world.
Taking part in Snjallræði suits teams who want to take a meaningful idea further. The idea doesn't have to be fully formed, but the team needs the willingness to test, to ask critical questions and to work methodically toward the next steps.
We especially encourage applications from all parts of the country. Good ideas don't only come from one place, and Snjallræði wants to reach people working on solutions for different communities, different challenges and different needs.
Applicants must apply as a team. Teams can be made up of students, university staff, researchers, entrepreneurs, specialists or others who complement one another.
The application deadline is 27 August 2026.
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