Bilbao Acceleration
Program 2026
Turn your next scale-up into an international leap.
Bcombinator launches an immersive 6-week program in Bilbao for international startups to enter the European market: first sales, pilots with corporations, and contracts.
Free participation. No equity stake taken. Up to €3,000 in expense allowance. Connect with corporations, clients, and investors, validate business opportunities, and build your expansion strategy.
An ecosystem designed to accelerate, invest in, and connect startups
Your gateway to the European market
Bizkaia combines industry, innovation, investment, and institutional support for international startups. Together with Bizkaia, we help you connect with the ecosystem, validate market-entry opportunities, and accelerate your expansion into Europe.
Access to Europe
Use Bizkaia as a launchpad to expand into the European market from one of the most dynamic ecosystems in Southern Europe.
Corporates
Connect with leading industrial and technology companies and corporations in the region to explore pilots and new business opportunities.
Institutional support
Bizkaia offers guidance and resources to facilitate the establishment and growth of international companies.
Investment
Access to investors, fundraising preparation, and dedicated investment sessions.
STEM talent
Access universities, technology centers, and highly specialized professionals to scale your project.
Strategic connections
Direct relationships with startups, institutions, accelerators, technology centers, and investors.
What does the experience include?
The program begins with a virtual diagnostic and needs-assessment phase, followed by six weeks immersed in BAT Bilbao, an innovation and entrepreneurship hub, to accelerate your international expansion, validate opportunities, and build strategic relationships within Bilbao's business ecosystem.
Onboarding & Diagnostics
A 1-2 week virtual phase to analyze your startup's needs, define goals, and prepare a personalized work plan before immersion in BAT Bilbao.
Workshops
Hands-on sessions on expansion strategy, B2B sales, market entry, and pipeline generation.
Corporate Matching
Meetings with corporations to open pilots, contracts, and first sales.
Mentoring
Personalized support from experts, entrepreneurs, and leading figures in the Basque ecosystem.
Investor Readiness
Fundraising preparation, investor feedback, and access to players in the financial ecosystem.
Softlanding
Legal, tax, and operational guidance to facilitate your establishment in Bizkaia and Europe, based at BAT Bilbao, one of Southern Europe's leading innovation hubs.
Take the next step toward Europe
Selected startups will receive financial support of up to €3,000 for expenses, in addition to access to corporations, clients, and investors, and to Bizkaia's business ecosystem.
