Top Startup Incubators and Accelerators in Europe

Venture Kick has recorded 1,976 investments, more than any other European program in our dataset, yet PitchBook records an exit for only one in five. Paris & Co has fewer, 1,109, but 67.5% of them did. Size and results are not the same thing, so this guide ranks 95 European incubators and accelerators on both.

Key Takeaways

• Venture Kick leads on volume with 1,976 recorded investments. Startupbootcamp is second with 1,700 and has the most recorded exits, 806.
• Ten programs account for 43.9% of all 25,152 recorded investments, so activity is concentrated.
• Across the 89 programs with exit data, the pooled PitchBook exit rate is 34.9% and the median is 31.9%.
• Among 60 programs with 100 or more investments, Mission (89.3%), Ignite Accelerator (75.0%) and Building Global Innovators (72.2%) convert best; 43 of the 60 sit below 50%.
• Health, MedTech and biotech is the most common focus, named by 43 of 98 programs.

Europe’s Startup Market in 2026

European tech companies raised €27.8 billion across 732 deals in the third quarter of 2026, up 32.4% from €21 billion a year earlier, according to Tech.eu. Programs report record numbers too. Station F reports that its ecosystem raised a record €2 billion in 2026, that about 9,000 startups have passed through the campus since 2017, and that it now runs 40 programs for more than 1,000 startups a year. Venture Kick supported 130 new startups in 2025, 34% more than in 2024, and its alumni raised CHF 1.25 billion in follow-on funding that year.

One naming change matters for the table below: EIT Climate-KIC is now Climate KIC and is moving to independence from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. 

Top Startup Incubators and Accelerators in Europe

Rank	Program	Investments	Exits	Exit rate
1	Venture Kick	1,976	395	20.00%
2	Startupbootcamp	1,700	806	47.40%
3	Start it X	1,213	397	32.70%
4	Paris & Co	1,109	749	67.50%
5	German Accelerator	948	269	28.40%
6	Le Village by CA	937	159	17.00%
7	SeedCamp	836	284	34.00%
8	Lanzadera Accelerator	789	153	19.40%
9	EIT Climate-KIC	780	319	40.90%
10	Startup Wise Guys	744	200	26.90%
11	Accelerace	618	354	57.30%
12	28 Digital	580	180	31.00%
13	Fit 4 Start	577	13	2.30%
14	Tenity	558	131	23.50%
15	Agoranov	544	227	41.70%
16	Sting	479	226	47.20%
17	Founders Factory	452	138	30.50%
18	NDRC LaunchPad	392	202	51.50%
19	Kickstart	384	93	24.20%
20	MassChallenge (Switzerland)	358	4	1.10%
21	Wayra UK	333	175	52.60%
22	YES!Delft	314	102	32.50%
23	tech2b	307	115	37.50%
24	Rocket Internet	292	164	56.20%
25	InnovX	290	40	13.80%
26	Hubraum	280	135	48.20%
27	Accelerate Cambridge	279	112	40.10%
28	Bethnal Green Ventures	275	121	44.00%
29	ESA BIC Bavaria	247	73	29.60%
30	50 Partners	239	44	18.40%
31	Conector Startup Accelerator	236	144	61.00%
32	Utrechtinc	233	103	44.20%
33	Station F	227	58	25.60%
34	Startup Autobahn	227	98	43.20%
35	WILCO	212	56	26.40%
36	HEC Incubator	197	7	3.60%
37	TechFounders	188	74	39.40%
38	SpinLab – The HHL Accelerator	187	41	21.90%
39	Digital Magics	187	107	57.20%
40	APX	183	10	5.50%
41	SeedRocket	181	82	45.30%
42	Fongit	178	44	24.70%
43	Orange Fab	177	90	50.80%
44	Ignite Accelerator	172	129	75.00%
45	IMPACT Accelerator	151	83	55.00%
46	Werk 1	148	23	15.50%
47	LUISS ENLABS	144	67	46.50%
48	Mission	140	125	89.30%
49	Building Global Innovators	133	96	72.20%
50	UnternehmerTUM	131	22	16.80%
51	Barclays Eagle Lab	129	26	20.20%
52	Tetuan Valley	125	66	52.80%
53	PoliHub	117	70	59.80%
54	Media Lab Bayern	116	34	29.30%
55	StartupYard	114	8	7.00%
56	Techstars London Accelerator	113	5	4.40%
57	Arctic Business	112	65	58.00%
58	SmiLe Incubator	112	38	33.90%
59	1Kubator	105	60	57.10%
60	ABC Accelerator	101	62	61.40%
61	Xedu	96	34	35.40%
62	NCA	85	27	31.80%
63	Startup Reykjavik	83	71	85.50%
64	PLNT	83	8	9.60%
65	Next Media Accelerator	81	55	67.90%
66	AI.STARTUP.HUB	80	10	12.50%
67	The Family	72	7	9.70%
68	CyberASAP	69	23	33.30%
69	Space3ac	68	20	29.40%
70	Mola	61	53	86.90%
71	Hexa	58	10	17.20%
72	Metavallon	58	8	13.80%
73	ESA BIC Czech Republic	58	5	8.60%
74	Health Venture Lab	56	19	33.90%
75	World Startup Factory	50	n/a	n/a
76	USI Startup Centre	49	11	22.40%
77	BIRD Incubator	47	15	31.90%
78	InsurLab Germany	47	9	19.10%
79	KI Innovations AB	40	3	7.50%
80	Vision Health Pioneers Incubator	39	9	23.10%
81	FinLab	35	8	22.90%
82	The Collider	31	11	35.50%
83	ESA BIC Germany	30	n/a	n/a
84	Huge Thing	27	7	25.90%
85	Spherik Accelerator	25	n/a	n/a
86	Next Big Thing	24	10	41.70%
87	Enagas Emprende	21	5	23.80%
88	Enry’s Island SpA	20	18	90.00%
89	Female Founders	14	1	7.10%
90	BaseLaunch	13	n/a	n/a
91	Elevator Lab	13	4	30.80%
92	Maria 01	8	2	25.00%
93	Start2 Group	3	n/a	n/a
94	Startup Geeks	1	n/a	n/a
95	Traveltech Lab	1	1	100.00%

Source: PitchBook, CB Insights and Crunchbase investor profiles.

Most programs are small. 80 of the 95 programs, or 84.2%, have fewer than 500 recorded investments, and only 4 cross 1,000.

Most Active Programs in Europe

These ten programs have the largest recorded portfolios.

Rank	Program	Investments	Exits	Exit rate
1	Venture Kick	1,976	395	20.00%
2	Startupbootcamp	1,700	806	47.40%
3	Start it X	1,213	397	32.70%
4	Paris & Co	1,109	749	67.50%
5	German Accelerator	948	269	28.40%
6	Le Village by CA	937	159	17.00%
7	SeedCamp	836	284	34.00%
8	Lanzadera Accelerator	789	153	19.40%
9	EIT Climate-KIC	780	319	40.90%
10	Startup Wise Guys	744	200	26.90%

Startupbootcamp stands out for converting volume into outcomes, with 806 exits at a 47.4% rate. Venture Kick and Lanzadera Accelerator, by contrast, sit near 20% despite their size. The ten together hold 11,032 of 25,152 recorded investments.

Programs With the Highest Exit Rates

Among the 60 programs with at least 100 investments and an exit count, these ten convert the largest share.

Rank	Program	Investments	Exits	Exit rate
1	Mission	140	125	89.30%
2	Ignite Accelerator	172	129	75.00%
3	Building Global Innovators	133	96	72.20%
4	Paris & Co	1,109	749	67.50%
5	ABC Accelerator	101	62	61.40%
6	Conector Startup Accelerator	236	144	61.00%
7	PoliHub	117	70	59.80%
8	Arctic Business	112	65	58.00%
9	Accelerace	618	354	57.30%
10	Digital Magics	187	107	57.20%

Mission records 125 exits on 140 investments. Paris & Co is the only program here that also ranks among the ten largest by volume. Only 17 of the 60 programs reach 50% or more, so fewer than one in three clear that line. A high rate describes a portfolio, not a guarantee for the next cohort.

Programs With the Lowest Exit Rates

Rank	Program	Investments	Exits	Exit rate
1	MassChallenge (Switzerland)	358	4	1.10%
2	Fit 4 Start	577	13	2.30%
3	HEC Incubator	197	7	3.60%
4	Techstars London Accelerator	113	5	4.40%
5	APX	183	10	5.50%
6	StartupYard	114	8	7.00%
7	InnovX	290	40	13.80%
8	Werk 1	148	23	15.50%
9	UnternehmerTUM	131	22	16.80%
10	Le Village by CA	937	159	17.00%

MassChallenge’s Swiss entity shows 4 exits on 358 investments, and Fit 4 Start shows 13 on 577. Low rates can reflect equity-free models that hold no stake, young portfolios, or exits the databases define differently or have not captured, so they are a prompt for questions rather than a verdict.

Sector Comparisons

Health, MedTech and Biotech

43 programs name health or life sciences as a focus. SmiLe Incubator has 112 investments and 38 exits, Health Venture Lab has 56 investments and 19 exits, and Vision Health Pioneers Incubator has 39 investments and 9 exits. BaseLaunch, a biotech specialist, shows 13 investments and no exit data.

SaaS and Enterprise Software

38 programs target software. The largest are Startupbootcamp (1,700 investments and 806 exits) and German Accelerator (948 investments and 269 exits). Startup Wise Guys has 744 investments and 200 exits, and TechFounders has 188 investments and 74 exits.

FinTech and InsurTech

34 programs cover financial technology. SeedCamp has 836 investments and 284 exits and Tenity has 558 investments and 131 exits. Smaller specialists include FinLab (35 investments and 8 exits) and Elevator Lab (13 investments and 4 exits).

Climate, Cleantech and Energy

30 programs focus on climate and energy. EIT Climate-KIC has 780 investments and 319 exits, Sting has 479 investments and 226 exits, and Paris & Co, which lists climate tech among its areas, has 1,109 investments and 749 exits. Enagas Emprende is smaller, with 21 investments and 5 exits.

AI and DeepTech

27 programs are named AI and 18 are named deeptech. Accelerate Cambridge, which lists both, has 279 investments and 112 exits. AI.STARTUP.HUB has 80 investments and 10 exits, and Next Big Thing has 24 investments and 10 exits.

Cybersecurity, Space and Mobility

Niche tracks are thinner: 10 programs name cybersecurity, 7 name mobility and 6 name space. CyberASAP has 69 investments and 23 exits, ESA BIC Czech Republic has 58 investments and 5 exits, and PoliHub, which lists space and aerospace, has 117 investments and 70 exits.

How to Use These Rankings

• Start with your sector. A program that names your field has mentors and investors who know it. Use the sector counts above to build a shortlist.
• Read exit rate next to size. A 60% rate on 100 investments tells you less than 40% on 800. Look at both columns before you compare.
• Check the terms before you apply. Programs differ on equity, funding and the instrument they use. Find out what you give up and in what form.

Example: Two fintech founders compare Tenity (558 investments, 131 exits, 23.5%) with SeedCamp (836 investments, 284 exits, 34.0%). SeedCamp converts more, but the better choice also depends on cohort timing, location and the terms each one offers.

FAQs

Quick answers to questions founders ask before applying.

Choosing a Program That Fits Your Stage

The biggest programs are not always the best performers, and the best performers are not always large enough to trust. Pick on sector fit, exit rate and terms together, then model how the offer changes your ownership. Our cap table management and valuation services can help you see that before you commit.

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