Founder Opportunities

Apply with the idea, problem, market evidence, founder background, availability, differentiated angle, and the studios you want to meet. Each studio reviews applications independently, runs its own interviews and due diligence, and founder/studio terms are agreed directly. The FAQ says founders should expect to retain the majority of equity, with exact split agreed with the selected studio.

Woman founder or co-founder in a top management role such as CEO or CTO, with at least 25% of company shares at submission. Company must be a commercial SME registered for at least six months and no more than five years, be before high-fidelity MVP stage (TRL4-TRL6), have raised less than €1M in equity, and must not have already benefitted from Women TechEU or EIC Accelerator.

Choose the pass that fits the goal: General for talks and expo, Founder for stronger networking and pitch eligibility, Startup Booth for exhibiting with two summit passes, Investor for curated deal flow, or VIP for premium access. Payment / Cost: early prices listed from €49 General, €99 Founder, €199 Startup Booth, €199 Investor, and €249 VIP; Build Up Labs partner link gives 50% discount.

Applications are open worldwide to public and private sector organisations, businesses, entrepreneurs, startups, digital innovators, developers, research centres, universities, cities, and NGOs. Submit an eligible project in one of the official categories by 29 Jun 2026. Travel / Accomodation: winners/finalists may need Barcelona presence for SCEWC26; verify event participation requirements on the official awards page.

Verify current application/startup package route on the official Supernova page. Best fit for startups ready with a sharp English pitch and a credible technical/commercial story. Travel / Accomodation: event takes place at Messe Berlin on 30 Jun-1 Jul 2026; participation may require Berlin presence and/or event registration.

Applications run from 3 Jun to 23 Aug 2026. Open to Portuguese and international startups, but selected teams should be available for programme activities with hospitality companies operating in Portugal. Selection considers solution quality, team, market fit, implementation potential, relevance to the programme challenges, and technical and business viability. Payment / Cost: no participation cost for selected startups.

Applications close 3 Jul 2026. Up to 40 teams are selected across two tracks. Best suited to TRL 4-5 technologies with proof of concept or early prototype in areas such as biotech, health tech, advanced materials, ocean tech, climate/clean tech, advanced computing, AI, space/aeronautics, robotics, dual-use, or GovTech. Teams need a relevant link to Portugal, English fluency, and commitment from September to December 2026; a legal entity is not required to apply. Payment / Cost: free for selected teams, with accommodation for in-person sessions covered.

Applications open until 15 Jul 2026. The selection committee will choose 5 to 10 startups. Applicants should be early-growth or scale-ready, have a product that works, show validated traction, and be committed to building a US presence. Lisbon preparation sessions run 8-9 Sep 2026. Travel / Accomodation: San Francisco participation is required for 5-7 Oct 2026; the programme is fully funded, but travel and accommodation are the responsibility of participants.

Register on Luma. No technical background required. Participants can join in person at HOOD, Lisbon, or online.

For micro, small, and medium-sized companies, including startups. The company must be majority-owned by an individual who is currently, or was in the previous two calendar years, enrolled in a degree programme at a Portuguese higher-education institution or working as a researcher or teacher at one. Applications are submitted through Startup Portugal's official funding platform; ANI and Startup Portugal support the technical review, and FITEC decides within 30 working days after the notice closes.

Early-stage; developer-first; best fit for teams building for construction, infrastructure, AEC, or spatial workflows.

Women founder / cofounder with at least 33% equity; companies registered after 1 Jan 2019; idea-stage does not qualify.

Sector-specific; applied solutions in finance, health, cybersecurity, energy, logistics, and related areas.

Startups with a clear relevant solution and partnership case.

Tech startups with enough traction or fundraising evidence to fit KPMG criteria.

Eligible Portuguese entities with pre-commercial innovation projects.

Early-stage AI startups and SMEs.

Deep-tech companies with real customer, pilot, or partner readiness. Travel / Accomodation: US market-entry programme. Verify whether any US travel or in-person participation is required before applying.

Tickets available.

Open registration.

Apply to join; spots limited.

Event access requires PIRATE Night context.

Open event.

Register for the live webinar. NOVA Legal says the access link and materials will be sent after registration.

Applicants should be based in Europe or associated countries and work in agrifood-related areas. The programme targets TRL 3-6 technologies, from experimental proof-of-concept to prototype demonstrated in a relevant environment. Payment / Cost: free of charge.

Hosting company eligibility is programme-specific: EIC Accelerator, Seal of Excellence, EIC Transition, EIT/KIC-supported startups and SMEs, MSCA companies, or startups/scaleups connected to EIT alumni/KIC activities. Talents must also fit the listed EIC/EIT/MSCA/ERC/Horizon/EIT eligibility categories. Verify eligibility on the official platform before applying.

Submit a project or nomination through the official page. Best fit where the team can evidence real impact, innovation, technical quality, maturity, traction or strategic value rather than only an early concept.

Apply through the CESARE Test Bed challenge page. Best suited to teams that can explain the retail use case, testing objective, expected impact, and what needs to be validated.

Designed specifically for university students and university startup teams. Applicants should have a startup or project suitable for acceleration and be ready to engage with a 15-week programme.

Event registration via Luma. The event is in person at Instituto Superior Técnico, Centro de Congressos, and is useful mainly as an ecosystem-learning and networking opportunity.

Projects should be Portuguese, technology-based, innovative, scalable, sustainable, and in an advanced prototyping stage. The solution should put technology at the service of society.

Event registration via Luma. This is a demo day and networking opportunity rather than a startup application call; attend if the construction or built-environment ecosystem is strategically relevant.

For non-Finnish founders or teams ready to build in Europe from Helsinki. Autumn batch runs 31 Aug to 20 Nov 2026; applications were open from 16 Apr to 6 Jun, with an extended female-founder period until 24 Jun. Travel / Accomodation: the programme provides a physical base at Maria 01 in Helsinki, so accepted teams should be prepared for Helsinki participation. Payment / Cost: standard participation fee is €2,000 incl. VAT per startup, covering up to two founders; Maria 01 advertises two free spots for female founders.

Register on the European Entrepreneurship Academy platform. Best suited to founders willing to use self-serve training and ecosystem resources rather than applying to a fixed cohort programme.

Application requires company information, pitch deck PDF up to 10MB, development stage, contact details, service type, project name, project objective, and a completed self-declaration document uploaded as DOC, DOCX, or PDF up to 10MB.

AI solutions that structure modular-construction catalogues, interpret project requirements, account for geography such as climate, regulation and local availability, recommend optimized solution combinations, generate BIM or parametric Revit components and support IFC interoperability. Deadline: Response deadline 2026-07-10 (60d).

AI solutions that integrate with existing systems, analyse external tender platforms, filter tenders based on the company profile, compare tender requirements with internal data, identify gaps and automate pre-filling of bid documentation. Deadline: Response deadline 2026-07-10 (60d).

AI and computer-vision solutions that identify parts from images, connect each part to the internal/SAP code, show stock and location data, work for non-specialist users, integrate with existing systems and keep improving through learning loops. Deadline: Response deadline 2026-08-18 (90d); Pitch deadline 2026-08-28.

Solutions with proven ability to reduce no-shows in clinical settings, using data or predictive models to anticipate absence risk, support real-time operations, manage schedules dynamically, improve patient experience, scale across a multi-clinic network and run a real-world pilot. Deadline: Response deadline 2026-07-10 (60d).

Industrial-ready solutions that automate start/end production records, adapt to different machines, work reliably in factory environments, integrate with existing systems such as MES, support pilot implementation and generate structured data for continuous improvement. Deadline: Response deadline 2026-08-18 (90d); Pitch deadline 2026-08-28.

Automated weighing solutions that integrate with existing logistics flows and systems such as ERP or MES, avoid operational stoppages or bottlenecks, are robust for industrial use and can be piloted and scaled operationally. Deadline: Response deadline 2026-08-18 (90d); Pitch deadline 2026-08-28.

Solutions that improve monitoring, traceability and operational control on the factory floor, reduce manual records, increase operational-data visibility, adapt to industrial environments and use relevant technologies such as computer vision, MES, RFID or IoT. Deadline: Response deadline 2026-08-18 (90d); Pitch deadline 2026-08-28.

Pilot-ready solutions for real operations that integrate and analyse multiple project-data sources, use predictive models to support construction planning and control and can scale across different project types. Deadline: Response deadline 2026-07-10 (60d).

We are looking for startups with scalable, practical and measurable solutions applicable to infrastructure, construction, urban services or industrial operations. Solutions should improve water monitoring, efficiency, reuse or loss reduction, and ideally be tested in relevant environments or ready for pilot implementation. Relevant technologies may include IoT sensors, AI tools, leak detection, decentralized treatment, wastewater or greywater reuse and rainwater management. Deadline: Response deadline 2026-09-13 (90d); Pitch deadline 2026-09-23.

Pilot-ready solutions for real operational contexts, especially those that provide continuous or frequent site monitoring, use automatic image or video analysis and integrate information into dashboards or management platforms. Deadline: Response deadline 2026-07-10 (60d).

We are looking for startups with scalable, practical and measurable waste-to-energy solutions for urban, municipal, industrial, construction or infrastructure contexts. Solutions may include biogas, biomethane, heat or electricity from organic waste, sludge, biomass or residues; waste-to-hydrogen; gasification, pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion, RDF or alternative fuels; modular units; AI, IoT or digital monitoring; and should be tested or ready for pilot implementation. Deadline: Response deadline 2026-09-13 (90d); Pitch deadline 2026-09-23.

Check the official page for full eligibility and application requirements. Travel / Accomodation: Location signal: Europe. Check the official page for travel or in-person requirements.