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Our first DDAccelerator cohort kicked off in February 2025, and we’re now two-thirds of the way through. Designed to empower Central & Eastern Europe’s next wave of innovators, the programme supports early-stage startups working on groundbreaking ICT innovations rooted in academic research.
DDAccelerator is co-funded by Interreg Danube and the European Commission as part of the CapTTict initiative, helping bridge the gap between deep tech ideas and real-world impact.
Each team is matched with a dedicated mentor for fortnightly sessions, and we’ve been running a mix of interactive workshops and deep-dive webinars. So far, startups have explored core topics like strategy and team building, tech and business validation, product management, and funding models. Up next: sessions on IP valuation, business development, and pitching – to help prepare teams for what comes after the programme ends.
On the webinar side, we’ve already tackled regulatory challenges around trustworthy AI and data governance, and explored what makes a startup truly successful. Still to come are sessions on navigating business value chains and positioning, and how to lead green digital transformation as a deep tech company.
Startups are telling us that mentorship is the standout element of the programme so far. As one team put it:
“An invaluable mentoring experience with our mentor Vojtech Nosek, who provides us with precisely the feedback and guidance we need at this stage of our startup.”
And it’s not just anecdotal – based on our mid-programme survey, the DDAccelerator is currently averaging 4.7 out of 5 in participant satisfaction.
We’re also learning a lot. The structure is working well, but we’ve identified one clear challenge: building stronger peer-to-peer connections. So we’re experimenting with more open discussion formats and feedback loops – and already collecting ideas to improve Cohort 2.
As we wrap up Cohort 1 in May, we’re focused on:
- Gathering feedback and tracking outcomes,
- Tweaking the format for Cohort 2,
- Boosting peer learning and community,
- Creating cross-border pilot opportunities.
Stay tuned – and if you're a startup building something bold in deep tech, get ready for the next call.
Author: Rory Taylor – Coordinator of the DDAccelerator incubation programme
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