We guide your corporate-startup solution closer to market readiness
*From Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean
Deadline to apply: 30 November 2026
€10,500 in grants available for startups to execute their PoC with the corporate partner
68.9% of corporate venturing initiatives FAIL to deliver the expected results*.
*MIT Sloan Management Review, The Three Internal Barriers to Deep-Tech Corporate Venturing.
Our goal is to bring you in the 31.1% batch
We are an international corporate-startup accelerator
The EU-LAC Digital Accelerator accelerates corporate-startup partnerships to launch market-ready digital solutions.
We encourage partnerships from Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean to join.
The acceleration programme is 100% financed by the European Union.
Acceleration services rated 9.1/10*
Once your partnership has been selected, we will define together what services serve best your interests: internationalisation, PoC, investment readiness, and more. See list below.
* Based on 49 post-acceleration surveys.
€10,500 in grants for startups
Additionally, startups running a proof of concept can earn grants for development (€7,000), travel (up to €2,000) and equipment transportation (up to €1,500).
Explore our acceleration services
Click the “+” of each acceleration group
What are your partnership goals and needs?
We will define: goals, most suitable services, milestones and deadlines.
Risks
Misalignments of corporate-startup expectations and failed collaboration
Results
- Startup scouting good practices
- Knowledge on various corporate venturing mechanisms
- Mutual agreement on the value proposition to deliver
Deliverable
1-day workshop (online or onsite)
Risks
Waste time and money on a solution that is not technologically feasible
Results
Know whether it’s worth further developing the product and scaling it
Deliverable
- PoC design and evaluation plan
Risks
Poor corporate innovation practices such as:
- Excessive risk aversion
- Bureaucratic systems
- Overfocus on tech instead of market needs
Results
Good practices to identify precisely the value of the startup and launch successful pilot projects.
Deliverable
Online workshops.
Risks
Spend months building an AI tool, then find out your data is missing, messy or too thin to make it work
Results
A clear go or no-go on your AI use case, plus the data, tools and steps you need to build it
Deliverable
- Technical feasibility report and AI roadmap
Risks
Your pilot works, then stalls because no one owns it, no budget is approved, and IT, legal or procurement block the rollout
Results
Know who owns the rollout, what it will cost, and which IT, legal and procurement steps stand between your pilot and full-scale use
Deliverable
- Integration readiness assessment and scaling roadmap
Open innovation bootcamps: Align corporate-startup expectations
PoC design & Prototyping: Validate solution’s feasibility before implementation
Risks
- Misevaluating the market demand
- Disregarding cultural differences
- Ignoring tax & regulatory environment
Results
First paying customers in a new country in a matter of months
Deliverable
- Market study
- Mentoring sessions
Risks
Implementing the wrong technologies, leading to bottlenecks in development, and missed opportunities for innovation and competitiveness
Results
The right technology for your given pain point, along with an implementation plan for the “go-live” and adoption KPIs
Deliverable
Product roadmap
Risks
Sluggish revenue due to:
- Incomplete competitive analysis
- Unrealistic financial forecasts
- Weak branding
- Ineffective pricing or sales strategies
Results
A business model that generates money
Deliverable
- Business plan review
- Mentoring sessions
Risks
Legal disputes between partners and other industry stakeholders leading to financial losses and impossibility to sell the developped solution
Results
A product launch with a clear, defensible IP position in your target markets
Deliverable
IP assessment
International growth & Soft landing: Adapt your sales strategy to new markets
Product roadmap: Implement the right technology and measure impact
Risks
Failure to transition from lab testing to real-world implementation (little budget, no operational readiness to scale, etc.)
Results
Seamless integration of your solution into the corporate infrastructure
Deliverable
- Scaling plan
- Mentoring sessions
Risks
High rejection rates from investors and missed funding opportunities
Results
Compelling, investor-ready pitch deck (shaped by direct investor feedback) that demonstrates business’s growth potential, financial health, and scalability
Deliverable
- 3-4 online workshops
- 1-2 meetings with investors
Risks
Waste time and money chasing investors with a weak story
Results
Investor-validated pitch & Improvements regarding business model and investment strategy
Deliverable
- One-day intensive session
- 5 rotating 1:1 meetings with investors or advisors (20 minutes each)
Risks
Chase equity investors for months when a grant, a crowdfunding campaign or revenue-based financing could have funded you faster
Results
Know which funding routes fit your stage, and leave with a shortlist of grants, calls and funders to go after
Deliverable
- Fundraising assessment report and funding opportunities portfolio
Risks
Poorly prepared applications that fail to meet – the complex – public funding requirements
Results
Equity-free EU grants (through the EIC Accelerator or other public funding initiatives) to scale
Deliverable
Public funding assessment
Scaling into corporate structures: Prepare a bullet-proof implementation
Investment readiness & Matchmaking: Meet and catch the eye of investors
5 steps from application to selection
80+
Partnerships have already joined the accelerator
CORPORATE Success story
Alfonso, from Ormazabal, shares PoC good practices implemented in the collaboration with startup Bork.
STARTUP Success story
Fabiana, from TechBalance, tells about how decisive the EU-LAC acceleration was for her Portugal expansion.
We applied because the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator gives us exactly what we need but can't easily build alone: a structured PoC roadmap, expert mentoring and funding guidance, plus the €7,000 grant to adapt, integrate and test Compass in a real Spanish hospital.
Pablo Tabares
Co-Founder & COO
Bork’s platform allows us to make better-informed decisions on when to buy, which in a volatile market is a game-changer. Through this partnership, we’re exploring not only cost savings but a new level of procurement intelligence.
Koldo Atxutegi
Chief Innovation Officer
EU-LAC has provided us with the necessary tools to reach a corporation, enabling us to carry out a pilot project that would otherwise have taken us many months to present and develop.
Héctor Gil
CEO
We particularly appreciated the pilot-focused approach, which allowed us to validate Azitek’s RTLS system in real operational conditions. The outcome that excited us most was gaining real-time visibility of our industrial assets, enabling smarter decision-making.
Gordon Reid
Chief Sales Officer & Chief Operating Officer
The outcome that excited us most was the successful deployment of Azitek’s real-time tracking system in Jamaica, proving the scalability of our technology and opening the door to broader regional adoption.
João Ferreira
Senior Business Developer
Joining this programme, together with the support of EU-LAC, has allowed us to move from intention to action, achieving an important milestone and, most importantly, creating real opportunities for growth and better support for our patients at Centro Skinner.
Diana Luna Torres
Marketing & Administration Director
What makes the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator unique is how hands-on they are in turning international collaboration into tangible outcomes. We found the perfect clinical partner to pilot our digital mental health solution and validate its impact in a real-world setting.
Rocío Fausor de Castro
Co-founder & Chief Scientific Officer
The EU-LAC Digital accelerator opened access to innovative technologies hard to find in the local market and helped us develop a solid business case and technology roadmap tailored to the sector's real needs.
Jean Louis Fallen
Corporate Head of Innovation
Through collaboration with MotionsCloud we significantly streamlined vehicle damage inspections, reducing processing time and improving consistency, while the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator played a key role in aligning our goals and accelerating the pilot into a scalable solution.
Joaquín Barboza
CEO
Working with Mobility allowed us to validate and scale our automated AI vision damage inspection solution in a real-life environment. The EU-LAC Digital Accelerator was crucial in facilitating the partnership and accelerating the path from pilot to tangible business value.
Seba Hawas
Customer Success Manager
EU-LAC helped us move from interest to evidence: testing whether Advanced Microturbines’ solution can operate reliably in real water network conditions and become a replicable model for other facilities in Latin America.
Franco Guazzotti del Risco
CEO
This pilot project allowed us to validate, in a real-world setting, an artificial intelligence solution for personalised progress tracking of our 8,000 students in schools.
Juan Manuel Bottía
Innovation Manager
This pilot programme has been decisive: the tool produces the same results in the Colombian education system as it does in Spain, and it has shown us how to adapt it to the country’s specific context to ensure its viability.
Sergi Grau Carrión
CEO
Through our FutureScents open innovation challenge, we identified Nextmol as a strong partner to accelerate data-driven innovation in the development of sustainable fragrance solubilisers.
Renata Corradi Haenel
Innovation Management Global Director
The EU-LAC Digital Accelerator helped us bring Nextmol's computational chemistry platform to Latin America. The combination of co-funded PoCs, direct industry connections and their support opened the door for us to work with Indovinya and take a first step in Latin America.
Monica de Mier
CEO
Thanks to the EU-LAC programme, we were able to connect with the ideal client for our AI-powered voice agent solution, allowing us to take the pilot project into a real-world, relevant setting.
Susanna Hoyer
SVP of Commercial Operations
This time, it allowed us to work with Alvarez Bohl, a leading corporate company in Peru whose innovation strategy is fully aligned with ours. The positive outcome of the PoC gives us a strong foundation to move forward into a commercial contract with the client.
José Cristian Cortés
CEO
By launching Alma, our AI-powered assistant, we automate routine enquiries so our teams can focus on the moments that matter most: delivering empathy, human connection, and exceptional service. The result is a more efficient, scalable, and people-centred operation.
Romina Pró
Chief of Staff
Machu Picchu Foods was spending a full day of team time on a single supplier search. With our Company Agent that same search takes about an hour, and their buyers spend it choosing suppliers instead of hunting for them.
Sebastian Denef
CEO
No partner, no problem
Corporate without a startup partner? Startup without a corporate partner?
Discover the Matching Platform:
• 40+ active corporate challenges
• 1,900+ startups
• A team of Key Account Managers ready to assist you in your partner quest.
FAQ
The EU-LAC Digital Accelerator is a 6-month acceleration programme to help corporate-startup partnerships – from the European Union (EU), Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) – reach their digital innovation goals. The acceleration programme includes:
- Acceleration services valued up to €30,000 (or €40,000 if a Caribbean partner is involved).
- Grants for startups and SMEs of up to €10,500 to cover development, travel expenses, and equipment transportation related to proof of concept.
We organise 2 open calls per year to select the most promising corporate-startup partnerships to enter the acceleration programme.
There are 3 crucial eligibility criteria:
- Both partners have to belong to TWO of these regions: the European Union (one of the 27 member states), Latin America, or the Caribbean.
- You have to be TWO partners for one application: at least 1 corporate and 1 startup.
- The applying corporate-startup partnership should address a digital transformation challenge.
Example: A Chilean startup applies with a Spanish corporate that wants to automate its procurement process with AI.
This is not an exhaustive list. Check out all eligibility requirements in our Guide for Applicants.
You will benefit from services to accelerate your corporate-startup partnership:
- Roadmapping: Definition of the plan and services to achieve your partnership goals.
- Proof of concept: Risk mitigation before scaling up your digital solutions by running PoCs and testing prototypes.
- Business case: Definition of your business model and IP policy, as well as market analysis to enter a new continent or region.
- Investment & Scaling: Assessment and improvement of your scaling capacity in a corporate structure as well as your investment readiness.
The programme also provides grants for startups of up to €10,500 to cover development, travel expenses, and equipment transportation related to proof of concept.
For more information about the acceleration services and grants, access the acceleration services section.
The EU-LAC Digital Accelerator provides various grants to selected startups:
- PoC development grant (€7,000): Adaptation, integration, and testing of the digital solution.
- Travel grant (max. €2,000): Transport and accommodation costs for PoC execution at the corporate’s premises.
- Equipment transportation grant (max. €1,500): Equipment transportation needed for real-environment testing.
N.B. Only startups can receive this support, provided they meet the grants’ eligibility criteria.
For more information about grants, check out all eligibility requirements in our Guide for Applicants.
Open call #5 will close on 12 June 2026.
We process applications processed on a first come, first served basis.
- Read the Guide for Applicants to make sure you comply with the eligibility criteria.
- Apply through this form (it should take you around 10 minutes).
We encourage both existing and new partnerships to apply.
The key requirement is a formal agreement outlining the scope of collaboration once you have been selected and prior to the acceleration programme.
For open call #6, we more specifically invite corporate-startup partnerships developing an AI solution to apply.
HOWEVER, partnerships from ALL industries and developing ANY digital technology are welcome to apply. We won’t prefer any application over another based on the industry.
The programme is 100% funded by the European Union, which means there is no entry fee for the accelerator.
However, entering the programme is a commitment. You will spend time on a variety of activities: bootcamps, online workshops, and, of course, collaborating with your partner on an ongoing basis.
Besides, collaboration can generate real costs: if the startup programmers travel to the corporate premises to execute the PoC, the corporate can’t always expect them to work for free, especially considering how small startup teams can be and how dependent they can be on one team member.
Contact our team at opencall@eulacdigitalaccelerator.com or fill out the contact form.
No. Public entities are NOT eligible. Only organisations belonging to the private sector are.
To be eligible, the “corporate” must comply with the following criteria:
• Headcount > 50 employees.
• Annual turnover > €10 million.
• A digital challenge requiring a technological implementation.
• Resources (funding, access to infrastructure, distribution network or experts, etc.) for the technological implementation.
Therefore, if you consider yourself as an SME, but you comply with the criteria above, you are eligible.
N.B. If a partnership include a corporate from the Caribbean, it may be eligible even if it does not meet the minimum headcount and turnover criteria.
We are looking for companies that already have customers and are ready for internationalisation. From a TRL perspective, we are looking at 7 and above.
Startup criteria:
a) Headcount: 2 to 50 employees.
b) Annual turnover: €50,000 – €10,000,000.
c) Core business: Development or integration of digital technologies.
d) Have a corporate partner identified to deploy an innovation project.
Scaleup or innovative SME criteria:
a) Headcount: <250 employees.
b) Annual turnover: <€50,000,000.
c) Core business: Development or integration of digital technologies.
d) Have a corporate partner identified to deploy an innovation project.
Proposals must include propietary solutions. Third-party applications can be integrated, but they shouldn’t be the main component of the innovation project.
On a general basis, you must have a finished product to solve the challenge of the corporate. However, in some cases a prototype may be sufficient to be adapted to the corporate’s needs.
It is perfectly acceptable to have more than 2 entities involved in a corporate-startup partnership. You here have an example of 2 Uruguayan startups partnering with 1 Spanish corporate.
We consider these territories as part of the EU region. Companies from French Guiana, Curaçao and Martinique are European and would only be able to apply along Latin American and Caribbean partners.
The acceleration programme is both in Spanish and English.
