We guide your corporate-startup solution closer to market readiness
*From Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean
Open call open until 12 June 2026
NEW: €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.
CORPORATE Success story
Alfonso, from Ormazabal, shares PoC good practices implemented in the collaboration with startup Bork.
STARTUP Success story
Camille, from IDMAPS, tells about how her partnership with Italian firm Engage, was a stepping stone to enter the European market.
5 steps from application to selection
45+
Transatlantic partnerships have already joined the accelerator
Acceleration services rated 8.9/10*
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.
€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).
* Based on post-acceleration surveys.
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
Wasting time and money on a solution that isn’t technologically feasible
Results
A product or a service that you can build and scale.
Deliverable
- PoC design and evaluation plan
- Prototyping plan with AI
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
Building an AI solution that is technically unfeasible, based on poor or insufficient data, or using the wrong algorithms, leading to wasted budget and stalled pilots
Results
A validated technical feasibility assessment and a clear, step-by-step AI PoC roadmap aligned with the business case and ready for structured development
Deliverable
- Technical feasibility report
- AI Roadmap design report
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 & Digital skills: 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
- Lack of clarity on technology integration
- Resistance to change
- Concerns over data security
Results
Full automation of a manual process (resorting to technologies such as AI or NLP)
Deliverable
- Process workflow
- 1-2 online workshops
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
We’re expanding our vision to international markets, leveraging the programme’s expertise to navigate this growth strategically. This partnership is a vital step forward to redefining how the construction industry operates globally.
Flavio Terzi
This collaboration allows us to offer more transparent and accessible solutions, adapted to the changing needs of our customers.
Marc Vallhonesta
DataFlow and Medlab are combining IoT and AI to create accessible, efficient and high-quality healthcare solutions that impact lives across borders.
Hugo Articardi
We are thrilled to partner with Infotrack, a corporate with over 23 years of experience and presence in Latin America, including Mexico, Colombia, and Panama. This is an opportunity to continue expanding our company internationally together with Infotrack’s specialists.
Félix J. García Clemente
This partnership with Nuda and Ventia represents a pivotal step in integrating cutting-edge technology to optimise our services.
Marc Cucala Puig
With these strategic initiatives, we are positioned to bring our health technologies to the European market, meeting high standards of safety and effectiveness while forging impactful partnerships and investment opportunities.
Fabiana Almeida
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 #5, we more specifically invite corporate-startup partnerships in the mobility field to apply.
HOWEVER, partnerships from ALL industries are welcome to apply and we won’t be preferring any application to another based on the industry.
The programme is 100% financed by the European Union, which means you pay nothing to 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 on-going 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 dependant 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 startups that already have customers and are ready for internationalisation. And most importantly, that already 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.
