AceON Accelerator is officially preparing its next batch and, with it, the beginning of a new milestone: supporting another 100 startups on our journey as a pan-European accelerator, after having accelerated 103 startups so far.
We were founded in 2023 as a private accelerator built on the combination of corporate power and venture capital expertise. Behind its foundation stand Accace, a leading advisory & BPO international company, and ZAKA VC, a global venture capital fund with offices in Silicon Valley, London, Prague and Bratislava.
Together, they created AceON with a simple but ambitious goal: to accelerate early-stage startups across Europe and invest in the best of them.
Today, AceON is supported by a strong ecosystem of partners including Labyrinth Labs, PERSONALITY Group, and Mercurtec, alongside an active community network featuring Vestbee, EU-Startups, ITKey Media, Startup Kitchen, F6S, Lovable, Doers United and many others.
Why early-stage founders thrive in AceON
Early-stage startup life is often defined by uncertainty, limited resources, and rapid decision-making. AceON is built to turn this uncertainty into structured progress. Here are five key benefits founders gain when joining the program:
1. Clarity in the chaos of early-stage building
Startups often struggle with overload in the earliest stages. AceON replaces that uncertainty with a structured journey of hands-on sessions that guide founders through the core building blocks of startup success: venture capital, fundraising strategy, pitching, validation, go-to-market execution, and other critical areas of early-stage growth.
2. Investment committee that actively shapes startups, not just evaluates them
A core advantage of AceON is our investment committee. This is not a passive selection panel, it is a group of experienced investors and ecosystem leaders who actively engage with startups, challenge assumptions, and help shape companies into investment-ready businesses.
3. Hands-on support from people who have built and invested before
Our network includes operators, investors, and experts who work directly with startups via mentorship to refine strategy and execution.
4. European scaling mindset from day one
AceON is pan-European by design. Startups are pushed to think beyond local markets and adapt their product and strategy for cross-border scalability and diverse customer environments.
5. Investment opportunity at the end of the program
At the end of the program, AceON provides at least of the startups and investment of €40K. Beyond this initial investment, standout founders also gain the opportunity to continue discussions with ZAKA VC or Accace for potential follow-on funding. This creates a natural bridge from acceleration to long-term capital support, ensuring that the strongest teams can continue their growth journey with strategic investors already aligned with their vision.
Who can apply?
We are looking for ambitious teams that want more than advice - they want accountability, structured growth, investor readiness, and real momentum.
AceON continues to evolve as a place where startups are not only supported, but actively challenged, shaped, and accelerated toward meaningful growth. The next chapter is already being written and it will be built with the founders who join us next.
Applications open in June 2026. Be ready!
