Acceleration Program

Selected startups will benefit from a robust, hands-on acceleration experience combining personalized mentorship, expert-led workshops, and strategic growth support. Specifically, the program offers:

🎯 Tailored Support

• 1-on-1 Mentorship sessions
  Each startup will receive dedicated mentorship from a seasoned expert within the Consortium, offering customized sessions. Where needed, additional mentors may be brought in to address specific technical challenges. Mentors will also facilitate introductions to relevant partners, and networks.
• Pitch Deck Review
  Toward the end of the program, startups will receive detailed verbal, written or audio feedback from a second expert, focused on improving their pitch deck for fundraising or partnership discussions.

📚 Cohort-Based Learning

• Workshops
  Startups will take part in a series of deep-dive workshops led by seasoned experts with practical, real-world experience. Each session blends theoretical insights with hands-on examples and case studies, covering essential topics such as innovation, product development, market readiness, business development, intellectual property, and strategies for securing both dilutive and non-dilutive funding. Designed to be highly interactive, the workshops are tailored to address the real-world challenges startups commonly face
• Business Management Tools & Resources
  Participants will gain access to a comprehensive suite of practical, startup-ready tools designed to accelerate growth, streamline operations, and support strategic decision-making. These resources will help teams set clear objectives, monitor progress, and stay focused – from planning and performance tracking to execution and scaling.
• Peer-to-Peer Sessions
  These collaborative sessions are designed to foster learning and exchange within the cohort, enabling know-how and experience sharing among startups. Participants will learn from each other’s journeys, challenges, and strategies through interactive, co-designed formats tailored to their needs and interests.

🔧 Additional Operational Support

• Progress Tracking
  Regular check-ins and milestone reviews will be conducted to ensure momentum, accountability, and tailored feedback throughout the program.

• Exposure & Promotion
  Startups will benefit from visibility across targeted social media and partner channels, enhancing their reach to potential investors, customers, and collaborators.

• Support for Breakthrough Innovation
  Startups pursuing new products, processes, or technologies will receive expert support on innovation strategy and IP protection, tailored to their specific development stage.

🔄 Post-Program Engagement

Ongoing Alumni Support
High-performing startups will continue to receive guidance beyond the formal program, including follow-up support for product development, scaling, and fundraising.

Startups must meet all of the following eligibility criteria:

• Geography: Registered in the European Union or one of the Associated Countries:
  

Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Ukraine

• Legal Status: Must be a registered legal entity (early-stage teams planning to incorporate may be considered separately)
• Sector Focus: Must operate in one or more of the EIT-defined deep tech areas
• Sustainability: Must contribute to the green and/or blue economy transition
• Maturity: Technology Readiness Level (TRL) between 3 and 6

Funding Raised: Total public and private funding raised must not be more or equal to €50,000 to date

Startups must complete the online application form and upload all required documents in English:

🔗 Apply here

📝 What You’ll Need to Apply

Before starting your application, make sure you have the information mentioned in Annex 1 ready. Having this information ready will help streamline your application process and ensure a smooth submission.

Required Attachments:

• ✅ Completed online Application Form. You can download the template here to prepare your answers and documents.
• ✅ Signed Declaration of Honour –  download, sign and upload as part of your application [Download Template]
• ✅ Pitch Deck (.ppt/.pdf – standardized format) – upload as part of your application

Only complete submissions, with all required documents provided before the deadline, will be considered for review.

⏱ Program Duration

The Knowledge Rise Acceleration Program runs over 10 intensive weeks, designed to fit the pace and needs of early-stage deep tech startups.

🗓 October – December 2025
During this time, selected startups will participate in workshops, mentoring, peer sessions, and ongoing progress tracking – all aimed at accelerating their development and market readiness.

 🕒 Overall Time Commitment: 1–2 hours per week

 🗣️ Working Language: English

 💻 Delivery Mode: All sessions (individual and cohort-based) are delivered online

Evaluation Criteria

Eligible applications will be assessed based on two main criteria categories.

1. Alignment with Program Objectives (max 12 points)

• Geography: Is the startup registered in one of the consortium partner countries (i.e. Bulgaria, Hungary, Lithuania, Slovakia, Norway, Turkey, Ukraine)?

   

• Type of Founder: Are founders from academia, recent graduates (≤3 years), university spin-offs, or researchers?

   

• Gender: Does the startup have a female founder(s)?

   

• Sector Alignment: Does the startup operate in key deep tech sectors? 

For the purpose of this application, the following deep tech sectors are considered key: 

• Aerospace 
• Automotive 
• Remote Sensing
• Artificial Intelligence 
• Machine Learning 
• Big Data
• Cybersecurity 
• Data Protection
• Sustainable Energy 
• Clean Technologies
• Advanced Materials
• Growth Potential: How strong is the startup’s potential for impact, scalability, and market success?

   

• Competition Winners: Has the startup placed in a partner-led Knowledge Rise Startup Competition (1st or 2nd place)?

2. Quality of the Application (Max 15 points)

• Team: Assessed on the team’s composition, roles, skills&experience, complementarity.
• Solution Excellence / Innovation: Evaluation of the innovation’s necessity, novelty, technical readiness, and IP protection
• Potential Impact: Analysis of the market opportunity, competitive landscape, sustainability relevance, and scalability of the business model

Evaluation Timeline (May be subject to change)

Evaluation of Applications: 8 – 19 Sep 2025

Notification of Results (Successful and Unsuccessful Applicants): 22 – 26 Sep 2025

Program Start Date: 1 Oct 2025

Q1: Can I apply if I haven’t registered my startup yet?
You must be a registered legal entity to be selected for this acceleration program. However, if your startup is not yet registered, you may still be considered for specific support if incorporated before the project’s end. Get in touch with us!

Q2: Do I need to submit all attachments at once?
Yes. Incomplete applications will be considered ineligible. 

Q3: Can I update my application after submission?
No. But you can submit a new application before the deadline. The most recent submission will be considered final.

Q4: I’m based in an eligible country, but my activities are elsewhere. Am I still eligible?
Yes, as long as you’re registered in an eligible EU or associated country.

Q5: How is gender or academic origin considered in evaluation?
Points are awarded for academic spin-offs, founders from research backgrounds, and gender diversity among founders.

📬 Still have questions?  Reach out to our team at: jana.jakubikova@usegforce.com.

The Knowledge Rise project’s Consortium is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. The privacy policy complies with the Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation – GDPR) of the European Parliament and the Council, relating to personal data processing and disposal. By submitting the application form, the applicant allows the personal data collection and processing by the Knowledge Rise team and its funding agency for the purpose of the application. Data will be retained for 5 years after the end of the project. Personal information submitted through the form will be used for the selection, communication and administrative purposes, related to the Knowledge Rise project or communication regarding future activities of the partners’ organisations. By applying, the Applicant consents to the processing of their data for program purposes. For more information, read our Privacy Policy.