BSC AI Factory Accelerator Programme – Call 1

About

A 14-week, equity-free hybrid accelerator in Spain that selects up to 100 AI-native startups for business and technical mentoring, access to MareNostrum 5 supercomputing, and investor connections through launchpads in Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid and Málaga.

Benefits

• 💸No Equity or Cost
  The programme is fully funded with no financial or equity cost to selected participants; participants retain full equity, and BSC-CNS, SEDIA, and Peninsula receive no preferential acquisition rights, purchase options, commercial exploitation licences, or shareholding
• 🎓Structured Training
• 14 sessions across INSPIRE, HANDS ON, and SCALE covering business models and go-to-market strategy, product-market fit, growth hacking, BSC open resources, the EU AI Act and intellectual property, pricing and unit economics, storytelling and pitching, agentic AI, venture capital, corporate matching, sprint updates, and Demo Day rehearsal
• 🤝Business and Technical Mentoring
  One-to-one business mentoring for CEOs on go-to-market strategy, business model design, pricing, and fundraising, alongside technical mentoring for CTOs with engineers and infrastructure specialists on advanced AI model training, distributed systems, and optimisation
• 🖥️ Supercomputing Access (Conditional)
  After Cut 1, participants may apply for MareNostrum 5 AI Update access for a specific project, subject to review and approval by the BSC technical team; top-performing teams receive hands-on access for large-scale training
• 🏢Physical Spaces
  Access to office space and in-person events at the assigned launchpad in Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid, or Málaga
• 💼Investor and Market Access
  Direct connections to specialised international AI and deep tech venture capital firms through acceleration partners, plus networking opportunities with major corporations and international investors
• 🎤Demo Day and Visibility (Conditional)
  The 12 best startups across the programme are selected for the global Demo Day in Madrid in March 2027 to pitch to investors, corporations, and the wider BSC AI Factory ecosystem; the top three projects may be selected as AI Champions

Eligibility Criteria

• 🏢 Company Incorporation
• Mandatory: Company must be legally incorporated and have its own tax identification number in Spain; pre-incorporation projects are accepted if they can demonstrate incorporation before the programme starts on 2 December 2026
• 🤖 AI Technology Focus
• Mandatory: Applicants must demonstrate intensive use, development, or investment in AI technologies, such as trained models, annotated datasets, or validated algorithms
• 📍 In-Person Availability
• Mandatory: At least one employee must be available to attend scheduled in-person activities at the assigned local launchpad
• 📋 Startup Qualification
• Preferred: Qualify as a startup under Spanish Law 28/2022, generally with no more than five years since incorporation, or seven years for biotech, energy, industrial, or strategic sectors with proprietary technology developed in Spain; must not be listed on a regulated market, have distributed dividends, maintain a registered office in Spain, employ at least 60% of its workforce in Spain, have annual turnover below €10 million, and operate an innovative project with a scalable business model
• 🛠️ Technical Maturity
• Preferred: Have an existing product with a strong technical maturity level, ready to accelerate using supercomputing
• 📈 Commercial Validation
• Preferred: Demonstrate early commercial validation
• 👥 Team Composition
• Preferred: Have a multidisciplinary team with at least a business lead and a product or technical lead

Participation Commitments

• 💸 No Fee and No Equity
• The programme is offered without financial or equity cost to selected participants; BSC-CNS, SEDIA, and Peninsula acquire no preferential acquisition rights, purchase options, commercial exploitation licences, or shareholding
• ✅ Active Participation
• Participants must actively participate in all training sessions, mentoring meetings, technical workshops, and Demo Day, and collaborate with their assigned business and technical mentors
• 🏢 In-Person Attendance
• Mandatory attendance at the Kick-off (Session 1), scheduled in-person sessions at the assigned launchpad, and Demo Day if selected; at least one employee must attend in-person activities at the assigned local launchpad; travel costs are not covered by the organiser
• 📊 Participation Rate
• Participants must achieve at least 80% programme participation, measured through verified attendance at sessions, mentoring meetings, and other designated activities, to qualify to present at the final Demo Day
• 📢 Visibility and Ecosystem Requirements
• Participants must comply with organiser visibility and communication requirements, properly acknowledge BSC AI Factory support, register their project on the BSC AI Factory One-Stop-Shop platform, develop their AI solution within the BSC AI Factory ecosystem framework, and formally submit their project as a BSC AI Factory-associated project at the end of the programme
• ⚖️ State Aid Requirements
• The programme provides state aid in kind valued at €4,500 per participant under the de minimis regulation; total de minimis aid from Spain to the same company must not exceed €300,000 over three fiscal years, and participants must declare this aid to the organiser and confirm their eligibility under the regulation

Target Region

Spain, Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid and Málaga

Target Sector

Agriculture & Food, Defense & Security, Education, Energy & Utilities, Financial Services, Government & Public Sector, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Media & Entertainment, Real Estate & Construction, Retail & Consumer, Semiconductors & Electronics, Sports & Fitness, Telecommunications, Transportation & Logistics, Travel & Hospitality, Other