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5 European accelerators worth knowing: terms behind each
By GrantSnap team · Published 2026-10-31 · guide
The EIC Accelerator page, captured 31 October 2026.
Five European programmes are worth comparing: the EIC Accelerator, the Station F Founders Program, Seedcamp, Startup Wise Guys and Antler. They differ most in what you give up. The EIC pairs a grant with possible equity. Seedcamp invests without a fixed programme. Startup Wise Guys and Antler publish fees and convertible or equity terms. Station F charges for desk space. This is a comparison, not a ranking.
We chose them on three criteria: each publishes some terms on its own website, each takes applicants from across Europe or runs European locations, and each has an intake that its page describes as of 31 October 2026. Where a page does not publish a term, we write "not published". Confirm every figure on the official page before you apply.
EIC Accelerator: public money, grant plus equity
The European Innovation Council runs the EIC Accelerator, funded under Horizon Europe. Its page states a lump sum grant "below € 2.5 million" for technology work at readiness levels 6 to 8 completed within 24 months, and an investment of "€1 - €10 million", with higher amounts through STEP ScaleUP. The equity percentage and any application fee are not published on that page.
It suits single start-ups and SMEs, including spin-outs, from EU Member States or Horizon Europe associated countries. UK applicants can apply for the grant-only scheme. Small mid-caps with up to 499 employees can apply for investment only. You may hold only one active application at a time.
The route has several stages. A short proposal can be submitted at any time and is evaluated remotely by four experts, with feedback in about 4 to 6 weeks. A full proposal follows, then a Jury interview for the top-ranked proposals. Investment decisions take 2 to 6 months after that. The page lists 2026 batch dates, the last being 04/11/2026.
Station F Founders Program: a campus place, not a cheque
Station F runs the Founders Program in-house at its campus. Its in-house programmes page calls it "the most selective program on campus", for early-stage tech startups. Format is hybrid with a minimum presence, in French and English, lasting 3 to 18 months, priced "starting from €259 / desk / month".
Investment terms are not published. The page mentions only "a chance to receive funding from STATION F", with no amount or equity figure. Applications are "reviewed on a rolling basis" through an online form, but the page does not say whether intake is open now or give a start date. Station F's help centre also covers this programme, but we could not load it, so check it for the current status.
Seedcamp: a seed investor, not a classroom
Seedcamp's FAQ describes an early-stage investor and no accelerator curriculum. It says a first cheque is usually "between $350K-$1.25M", structured as either a convertible or equity. Ownership percentages and fees are not published.
It backs companies "based in Europe and Israel, or companies with a distinctively European angle", from pre-product to post-launch, in any sector. Companies that have raised more than a couple of million dollars are generally not a fit. The FAQ describes an initial call, then a 45-minute pitch to the full team, and says Seedcamp aims to complete the process within two weeks of meeting you. It usually takes a board observer role, and for lead rounds uses a standard pre-seed ASA based on Seedsummit terms.
Startup Wise Guys: two B2B routes with fees
Startup Wise Guys runs several programmes. Its Flagship Accelerator page states a convertible investment of up to €100,000, a possible €250,000 follow-on and a programme cost of €35,000. Delivery is hybrid, about 80% online and 20% in person, and the page gives both five months and three months as the length. It targets early-stage B2B teams with a working MVP, at least two team members and early revenue. Applications are first come, first served, and no deadline is stated.
The Founders Club is a 12-week online programme with the same convertible investment of up to €100,000, or a €50,000 alternative. Enrolment fees are €1000+VAT for individuals, €1500+VAT for teams and €500+VAT for CTOs and developers. If you accept an investment, a further €35,000 or €20,000 is payable. The page says the 21st cohort is open "until November 2nd" and may close earlier. Conversion terms and equity are not published on either page.
Antler: residency, with equity terms on the UK page
Antler's UK page describes a full-time, in-person London residency, usually four to six days a week. It lasts about 6 weeks for complete teams and up to 8 weeks for incomplete teams, then up to 12 weeks to build and raise. The initial investment is stated as £210k, made up of £125k for 8.5% equity and an £85k convertible note, plus a "£40k program fee". Follow-on of up to £330k is mentioned. The page says Antler does not invest in solo founders, and you need the right to work in the UK.
Antler's cohort page lists Copenhagen, Helsinki, Stockholm and Oslo on rolling intake, with no fixed residency programmes. The page does not give terms for those cities, so do not assume the UK terms apply there.
What each application asks
The EIC publishes the most. The short proposal is a 12-page form, a pitch deck of up to ten slides as a PDF, and a video of up to three minutes from up to three core team members. The full proposal adds a 20-page form, an implementation plan, financial information, letters of intent and a freedom-to-operate analysis.
Antler's application form asks for your name, email, an optional LinkedIn link, your stage, region and city. A separate pitch form takes an optional deck up to 10MB, and Antler says it will email if there is a fit. Seedcamp describes a call and a pitch rather than a form. Startup Wise Guys and Station F link to online forms but do not publish the fields. Startup Wise Guys says shortlisted Founders Club candidates are interviewed, and its Flagship process includes a pitch day and due diligence.
How to choose and what to prepare
Start with what you need. If you have a working technology and need a large sum, the EIC grant and investment fit, at the cost of a long process. If you want a first cheque from an investor with no curriculum, Seedcamp fits a pre-seed or seed company. If you need a co-founder or structure, Antler and the Startup Wise Guys Founders Club target that stage. If you want a desk and community, Station F is priced that way.
Read the price before the benefit. Add fees, equity and any convertible terms, and ask each team for the full terms in writing. Prepare a deck of ten slides or fewer, a video pitch of three minutes or less, a short founder biography, basic financials and evidence of traction or technology readiness. One set of core answers can then be adapted to each form.
Open now, and where GrantSnap fits
As of 31 October 2026, GrantSnap's catalog lists several related calls, including the EIC Accelerator 2026 short proposal, French Tech Nova, the Co-Creation Accelerator 2026-2027, the second call of the BSGN Agri-food Industry Accelerator and the Innovate UK First-of-a-Kind builder expression of interest. Check each deadline on the funder's page.
GrantSnap tracks live calls like these, drafts answers from your profile and fills the funder's form in Chrome. You review every answer before submitting.
Common questions
Which of these programmes takes no equity?
The EIC Accelerator offers a grant-only option, according to its page. The same page also describes blended finance with equity, so check which route you apply for.
Does Seedcamp run a fixed programme with a cohort?
Seedcamp's FAQ describes an investor process of calls and a partner pitch, not an accelerator curriculum. It does mention a founder community.
Do Startup Wise Guys and Antler charge fees?
Startup Wise Guys publishes a €35,000 Flagship Accelerator programme cost and Founders Club enrolment fees. Antler's UK page states a "£40k program fee". Confirm current amounts with each.
Can a non-EU company apply to the EIC Accelerator?
Its page says applicants must be from EU Member States or Horizon Europe associated countries, and third-country applicants may relocate before Step 2. UK applicants can only apply for the grant-only scheme.
Sources
- EIC Accelerator, European Innovation Council (accessed 2026-10-31)
- In-house Programs, STATION F (accessed 2026-10-31)
- FAQs, Seedcamp (accessed 2026-10-31)
- Flagship Accelerator, Startup Wise Guys (accessed 2026-10-31)
- The Founders Club, Startup Wise Guys (accessed 2026-10-31)
- Antler UK (accessed 2026-10-31)
- Apply, Antler (accessed 2026-10-31)
- Cohort start dates, Antler (accessed 2026-10-31)
We checked the official EIC, Station F, Seedcamp, Startup Wise Guys and Antler pages listed in the sources on 31 October 2026, and the open-call figures come from the GrantSnap catalog as of 2026-10-31.
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