Observed Signal · Oct 29, 2026 · Expansion · Source: Tech.eu (European Tech & Deals) · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
imec.istart Expands to Spain, Germany, Bulgaria
Belgian startup accelerator imec.istart is expanding its operations into Spain, Germany, and Bulgaria, building on its existing presence in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy. The expansion is supported by a network of independently managed regional investment funds, currently exceeding €160 million in total capacity and projected to surpass €250 million by 2027. imec.istart provides early-stage funding, coaching, and access to investors and industry partners for digital and deep tech founders. The program collaborates with regional partners such as Novel-T in the Netherlands, Additio Capital, Eurecat, and Mobile World Capital in Spain, and Pariter Partners in Italy, tailoring each program to local market conditions while sharing a common methodology and international investor network. Since its founding in 2011, imec.istart has supported over 380 startups, whose portfolio companies have raised over €1.25 billion in follow-on funding.
Expansion of a prominent startup accelerator into new markets, indicating growth in the European startup funding ecosystem, which indirectly supports the adtech/martech sector by fostering innovation.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- imec.istart expands its startup acceleration programs to Spain, Germany and Bulgaria.
- The expansion is supported by regional investment funds exceeding €160 million, targeting over €250 million by 2027.
- The accelerator has supported over 380 startups since 2011.
- Portfolio companies have raised over €1.25 billion in follow-on funding.
- Regional partners include Novel-T (Netherlands), Additio Capital, Eurecat, Mobile World Capital (Spain), and Pariter Partners (Italy).
Connected Companies & Entities
“Imec.istart is behind fast-growing scaleups such as Octave, DataCamp, and Payflip.”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
EIC Scaling Club firms raise €4B, outpacing peers
The EIC Scaling Club, an initiative funded by the European Innovation Council, has helped its portfolio companies raise over €4 billion since joining, according to a new report. The analysis covers 120 companies across 26 European countries, with data up to September 29, 2026. Club members saw their funding grow 2.3 times faster than comparable non-selected companies, with 56% of active companies securing investment versus 38% for the control group. Average funding for Club members was €60.6 million compared to €39.7 million for controls. The largest investments went to New Space and Next-Gen Computing sectors, attracting €1.34 billion and €1.32 billion respectively. Funding was geographically concentrated, led by Spain (€1.48B), Germany (€750M), and the Netherlands (€508M). Public co-investment played a significant role, with 80% of rounds involving the EIC or other public investors. The report also highlights 210 disclosed partnerships and ongoing challenges like fragmented markets and access to growth capital.
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EIB Raises €10B for European Scaleups, Uniqa Joins
The European Investment Bank (EIB) announced a new fund-of-funds initiative to channel over €10 billion into European scaleups, targeting high-growth tech companies in AI, deep tech, life sciences, cybersecurity, and space. The first closing includes €2 billion from seven EU member states—Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Spain—and over €8 billion in commitments from 15 institutional investors, including Dutch pension managers APG, PGGM, and MN, banks ABN AMRO, Santander, BBVA, and Danske Bank, asset manager Azimut, foundation Compagnia di San Paolo, the French Tibi initiative, and Austrian insurer Uniqa. The fund, part of the second European Tech Champions Initiative (ETCI 2), will invest indirectly through large VC funds with average tickets of around €200 million. Austria is notably absent as a state participant. The EIB also launched a second Defence Equity Facility targeting €1 billion for defense, space, and cybersecurity. First investment decisions are expected within weeks.
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