International Acceleration Programme
A StartUB! programme, open to the whole XEU ecosystem, to help start-ups and spin-offs decide where and how to grow abroad. Over five weeks, you will gain first-hand insight into five major regions (Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, North America and Latin America) from regional experts and entrepreneurs who have opened up markets there.
Each start-up will receive 2 hours of one-to-one mentoring to validate its priority market and finalise its internationalisation plan, which it will then present to a panel.
100% applied methodology: sessions with experts, real-life cases and one-to-one mentoring, mostly online and in the afternoon.
Outcome: an internationalisation plan with a priority market, entry model and 12-month roadmap.
- 3 Nov. 14:00–17:00 · Introduction to internationalisation (on-site)
When and how to go international: readiness self-assessment, entry models and criteria for choosing a market. With Paloma Miravitlles. - 10 Nov. 13:30–16:30 · Asia (online)
Differences between Asian markets, intellectual property protection, local partners and building trust. With Àngels Pelegrí. - 17 Nov. 14:00–17:00 · Middle East and North Africa (online)
Reading the region market by market, sector opportunities, entry models, and public and institutional funding. With Andrea Tinagli. - 19 Nov. 14:00–17:00 · Canada and the United States (online)
How to enter the North American market, with a focus on Canada and how it differs from the US: sales cycles, talent and access to capital. With Stuart Browne. - 24 Nov. 14:00–17:00 · Latin America (online)
Differences between countries, tax and payments, distributors and regional entry hubs. With Gernot Schwendter. - 26 Nov. 14:00–17:00 · Europe (online)
The single market and the real differences between countries, EU regulation, and EU support and funding programmes. With Paul Barreveld. - One-to-one mentoring
2 hours with an entrepreneur mentor who has already opened up the chosen market, to validate the choice and review the plan. - 1 Dec. 14:00–17:00 · Plan presentations (on-site)
Each start-up presents and defends its internationalisation plan to a panel.
- Their own internationalisation plan, reviewed by a mentor with experience in the market.
- A comparative view of five major world regions.
- Contacts with experts, entrepreneurs and other scaling start-ups.
- A final pitch to a panel.
Start-ups and spin-offs from across the XEU ecosystem planning to go international in the next 12–18 months, with:
- A marketable product.
- Recurring revenue.
- An established management team.
- A company in its growth stage.
Each session combines 2 hours with a regional expert and a 1-hour real-life case, in which an entrepreneur explains how they opened up that market. This entrepreneur also mentors the start-ups targeting that region.
- Dates: 3 November – 1 December 2026
- Schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 14:00–17:00 (Asia session: 13:30–16:30)
- Format: hybrid, with 2 on-site and 5 online sessions
- Language: Catalan, Spanish and English, depending on the session
- Location: StartUB! Pascual i Vila, s/n – 08028 Barcelona
- Registration: Sign up here
