Deadline: 14 September 2025.
Description
The START Fellowship Accelerator connects early-stage founders from low- and middle-income countries in Latin America and Africa with Europe’s startup ecosystem. Over three months in Switzerland, Fellows receive structured content, rigorous coaching, and direct exposure to investors and founders. The program blends workshops (fundraising, marketing, sales, and more), 24/7 co-working access, targeted mentoring, curated networking across hubs, and a culminating Demo Day. Travel and stay are supported through Founder Scholarships so participants can focus fully on building traction.
Eligibility
Applicants should be 18–25, committed to founding, and already working on an MVP or first prototype. Strong English (C1) is required. Enrollment at a partner university in Latin America or Africa is expected; if you are selected and not yet enrolled, START may help you secure enrollment. Partner universities span dozens of institutions across Africa (e.g., AUC; University of Cape Town; University of Nairobi) and Latin America (e.g., USP; UNAM; UDESA; PUC-Chile; ITESM), among many others.
Benefits
- All costs covered: apartment, health insurance, and food allowance for the duration of the program.
- Mentoring & coaching: bi-weekly guidance from two mentors plus topic-specific expert sessions.
- Workshops & classes: practical modules (fundraising, marketing, sales) and learning opportunities connected to the University of St. Gallen network.
- Network access: invitations to conferences, trips, and closed-door events with founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders.
- Funding opportunities: pitch to an investment committee and compete for up to 60k equity-free to accelerate growth; public exposure at Demo Day.
How to apply
Submit the online application by 14 September 2025. Shortlisted candidates progress through three interview rounds—Alumni (22 Sept–3 Oct), Team (29 Sept–10 Oct), and VC (6–17 Oct). Final selections are announced 26 October 2025. The Pre-Accelerator starts 5 January 2026, and the Accelerator begins 8 February 2026 in Switzerland. Application and timeline are published on START’s official site; use the Accelerator page and application portal to begin.
Contact information
Email for any inquiries: info@startfellowship.ch
For more information, visit the official website.
