Description

About the AquaSphere Accelerator

The AquaSphere Accelerator 2026 (Round 2) is officially open for applications. Building on the success of its first round, which brought together over 10 start-ups from 9 countries, AquaSphere is now launching a second call to welcome 16 new start-ups into its growing community, offering them the opportunity to accelerate their innovation, visibility, and impact.

If you are an ambitious startup or scale-up creating innovative solutions for maritime challenges, water sustainability, or coastal resilience, this is your moment to scale.

The AquaSphere Accelerator is a fully-funded, 8-week virtual programme designed to help start-ups operating in the blue economy validate technologies, access new markets, and raise capital.

Why Join AquaSphere?

The ocean holds vast untapped potential for sustainable innovation. AquaSphere is a gateway to transforming breakthrough ideas into investment-ready ventures, bridging education, research, and entrepreneurship across Europe.

What participants gain:

• Tailored mentoring from maritime and water-tech experts
• Technical validation and feedback to refine their solution
• Strong investor readiness and exposure to investor/innovator ecosystems
• Strategic connections across the blue economy and academia

Who Should Apply?

AquaSphere is looking for startups and scale-ups innovating in:

• Maritime and ocean technology
• Sustainable aquaculture and fisheries
• Water and wastewater management
• Ocean renewable energy
• Coastal protection and resilience
• And many more blue economy solutions in related fields

Whether you are a technical founder with a maritime engineering breakthrough, a team solving a critical industry challenge, or a researcher with commercial ambitions, and if you are committed to scaling your impact across Europe and beyond, AquaSphere wants to hear from you.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants should meet the following conditions:

• Your company is based in an EU member state or Horizon Europe associated country (organisations outside the EU and EU associate countries are not eligible)
• You are at the pre-seed, seed, or Series A stage (see Open Call Guide PDF for details)
• You plan to raise investment within the next 18–24 months
• You have a vision for market impact and a drive to scale

Programme Components

All sessions are delivered virtually to fit around participants’ schedules, without compromising on intensity or results:

• Growth Strategy Workshops
• Technical Validation Sessions
• Business Development & Pitch Training
• Roundtables, Mentoring, and Networking Events

The full Accelerator Programme will be conducted in English.

Key Dates

Milestone	Date
Application Deadline	31 March 2026
Selected Ventures Announcement	18 April 2026
Accelerator Programme Dates	4 May – 29 June 2026