imec.istart accelerator program

Build your company with imec.istart in Belgium

Our call is now closed. Your next chance to apply: May 2026.

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What we do

Let's accelerate your business!

Let’s face it, building a company is tough. Especially in the beginning, with limited resources and support. When all you have is you, your co-founder and your belief that you’re onto something. That’s where we come in – to invest in your company. And more importantly, to be there for you.

As a scalable tech company with a working proof of concept, you have a natural fit with imec.istart. We prep you and your product for the market, growth and investors. Our ultimate goal? To get you into the scaleup club. To help you earn your alumni badge, get lifelong support and give back to our vibrant community.

lifecycle startup
Selection criteria imec.istart

Who are we looking for?

imec.istart Belgium welcomes startups who have a

  • Tech product (this can be software or hardware, deeptech or shallowtech)

  • Working proof of concept

  • Complementary founding team

  • Headquarters in Belgium ​
Good fit

How it works

When joining the imec.istart Accelerator program in Belgium, you can expect the following:

 

Coaching for tech startups

Access to COACHING

  • Personal coaching by your Venture Acceleration Manager, a sparring partner and trusted contact on a day-to-day basis

  • A broad range of workshops and one-on-one follow-up tracks, given by topnotch experts

  • Our inhouse-developed Innovatrix, the tool to monitor your progress

  • A diverse network of experienced industry experts

Funding for tech startups

Access to FINANCE

  • €100,000 pre-seed funding through a convertible loan, including all in‑kind support.
    We invest €100k through a simple Convertible Loan Agreement (CLA), with all coaching, expertise and program support fully included. No separate contracts. No hidden terms. Just one transparent deal designed to help you move fast and raise your next round more easily.
  • An audience of 100+ investors at our biannual Investors Day
  • Our continuous support in order to secure that next funding round
Technology for tech startups

Access to TECHNOLOGY

  • Imec, a globally recognized R&D and innovation hub
  • A panel of imec domain experts to challenge your technical pitch
  • An imec.istart liaison to guide you through imec’s collaboration opportunities
Tech startup community

Access to COMMUNITY

  • A community of 300+ startups and like-minded tech entrepreneurs
  • Free office space, shared with other tech startups, during the program
  • A long list of software and service deals, tailored to startup needs
  • A wide range of various events
Hiring for tech startups

Access to TALENT

  • Our support in the war for talent
  • A dedicated Teamdynamics officer: focusing on the human aspect of entrepreneurship and offering 1-1 wellbeing sessions
  • Various ways to strengthen your founding team (expert in residence, co-founder events, ... )
  • Our guidance in developing your own talents that help your startup succeed

Access to REVENUE

  • Our broad network of corporate partners eager to get to know you
  • A dedicated internationalization officer, your advisor through our catalogue of partnerships, services and missions around the globe
  • A large network of international accelerators, experts and partners to help you touch base in new markets

Access to COACHING

  • Personal coaching by your Venture Acceleration Manager, a sparring partner and trusted contact on a day-to-day basis

  • A broad range of workshops and one-on-one follow-up tracks, given by topnotch experts

  • Our inhouse-developed Innovatrix, the tool to monitor your progress

  • A diverse network of experienced industry experts

Our selection process

Important dates for the Summer 2026 call:

 

belgium

When can you join our program?

For the program in Belgium we launch 3 competitive calls of one month with the following starting dates:

heading

You'll be in good company

 

Some notable startups that have followed our acceleration program

otiv
Ugentec
Datacamp
molecubes
Deliverect
View all startups
infosession-summer2026-1

Get ready for your application

Join us for an info session

Get all ins and outs about our program and find out what we can do to accelerate your tech startup! Register now for our upcoming info session webinar on Thursday May 7th at 11AM

Can’t join us live? Register anyways and we will send you the on-demand recording to view at your own convenience.

Register here
screenshot-2026-04-03-at-15.59.46

Discuss your project in person

Following our info session, you can also meet us live to ask any unanswered questions about your application or simply to get to know us a bit better. That's why we're organizing in-person open office hours at the following locations:

📍 Antwerp @ dunden (Mon May 11 from 2-5PM) 
📍 Kortrijk @ Hangar K (Mon May 11 from 2-5PM) 
đź“Ť Brussels @ BeCentral (Tue May 12 from 2-5PM)
📍 Hasselt @ Corda INCubator (Tue May 12 from 2-5PM)        
📍 Liège @ La Grand Poste (Tue May 12 from 2-5PM) 
📍 Ghent @ Wintercircus (Wed May 13 from 2-5PM) 
📍 Leuven @ De Hoorn (Wed May 13 from 2-5PM) 

No need to book an appointment, just come by and say hi! Don't forget to watch our info session webinar first, so we can focus on you and your startup instead.

If you can't make it in person, you can still always schedule a call with us. 

Frequently asked questions

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