Business Wire

Techstars Doubles Down on European Commitment With the Launch of Two New Accelerator Programs in Paris and Stockholm

14.9.2021 11:00:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release

Share

Techstars, the worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed, announces the launch of two new accelerator programs in Paris and Stockholm. The launch showcases Techstars’ commitment to investing in startup talent in Europe, where it plans to invest in more than 100 startups in 2022 through its various accelerator programs in seven countries. Both programs will be fully funded by Techstars, following the recent July close of a new $150 million fund, intended to support more local entrepreneurs looking for global exposure.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210914005314/en/

To view this piece of content from mms.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.

A Techstars Accelerator Office (Photo: Business Wire)

The Paris Techstars Accelerator and Stockholm Techstars Accelerator will each accept 12 startups per class, who will benefit from up to $120k in funding alongside evergreen access to Techstars’ vast network of mentors, investors, alumni and corporate partners. The Paris accelerator will operate two classes per year, while Stockholm will run once in 2022 and twice per year from 2023 onwards. Applications for these accelerators open today and will close on 1 December 2021, with the first classes of both programs due to commence on 21 March 2022.

Applications will be accepted from startups across all high-growth sectors, both B2B and B2C, and successful applicants will have a strong founding team who are using technology to tackle complex problems, with a clear and scalable product-market fit.

The Paris and Stockholm Techstars Accelerator programs follow the recent appointment of French-born CEO, Maëlle Gavet, in January 2021. An experienced French entrepreneur and former executive at Compass and Booking.com, Gavet’s experience scaling companies across Europe will assist Techstars on its mission to help more entrepreneurs in more places transform the world through access to capital and a global network.

Techstars currently operates 47 accelerators in 33 cities and 12 countries around the world, and while it previously operated a Paris-based accelerator in partnership with corporate partners, the Stockholm Techstars Accelerator marks its first venture into Sweden as it eyes expansion opportunities across Europe. Since 2009 and 2010, the company has been actively supporting thousands of entrepreneurs in Paris and Stockholm, respectively, by hosting more than 90 Techstars Startup Weekend programs in both cities, in close collaboration with local ecosystem leaders. Additionally in Europe, Techstars operates programs in London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Oslo and Turin.

Since its inception in 2006, Techstars has invested in 2,589 companies, which today have a combined market capital valuation of $220.1 billion. It counts 15 unicorns among its accelerator graduates, including DigitalOcean, Chainalysis, PillPack and SendGrid. Techstars invests in approximately 500 startups and deploys approximately $130M per year, making it one of the largest investors in high-growth early-stage companies by volume in the world.

Maëlle Gavet, CEO of Techstars, said: “We believe in the power of local ecosystems and that life-changing ideas can come from anywhere in the world - you don’t need to be in Silicon Valley to be a success. At Techstars, we meet the founders where they are and use our local networks to give them access to world-class capital and investing opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have. Paris and Stockholm are two of Europe’s most rapidly growing yet underserved tech hubs, and we know there is a huge amount of talent there ready to be harnessed.”

Applications to apply to the Paris Techstars Accelerator and Stockholm Techstars Accelerator are open now.

About Techstars

The Techstars worldwide network helps entrepreneurs succeed. Founded in 2006, Techstars began with three simple ideas—entrepreneurs create a better future for everyone, collaboration drives innovation, and great ideas can come from anywhere. Now we are on a mission to enable every person on the planet to contribute to, and benefit from, the success of entrepreneurs. In addition to operating accelerator programs and venture capital funds, we do this by connecting startups, investors, corporations, and cities to help build thriving startup communities. Techstars has invested in more than 2,589 companies with a combined market cap of more than $220.1B. www.techstars.com

To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.

Contact information

Ballou PR
Fiona Houston: +44 7935 105 338
Kelly Horn: +44 7767 649 727

Techstars
Jennifer Pakradooni: +1 305 772 3834

About Business Wire

For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

Verimatrix: Sale of Extended Threat Defense Assets (Mobile Application Protection) to Guardsquare5.2.2026 18:45:00 EET | Press release

Regulatory News: Verimatrix, (Euronext Paris: VMX), a leading provider of security solutions for a safer connected world, today announced that it has completed the sale of 100% of its Extended Threat Defense (XTD) assets to Guardsquare, a Belgian company and leader in mobile application security. This transaction follows the signing of an agreement announced in a press release on December 8, 2025, as well as regulatory approval. It is part of Verimatrix's overall strategy to refocus on its core business, reflecting the group's strategic decision to concentrate on the key growth segments of the video protection market. Commenting on the announcement, Laurent Dechaux, CEO of Verimatrix, said: “Verimatrix has a strong technological foundation that enables our teams to pursue new business opportunities. Our priorities are to identify key growth drivers, address our clients’ needs effectively, and optimize resource allocation. I look forward to presenting these strategic initiatives to the

Andersen Consulting Enters Into Collaboration Agreement With Alfa Group5.2.2026 16:30:00 EET | Press release

Andersen Consulting adds depth to its cybersecurity offering with collaborating firm Alfa Group, a leading technology firm with nearly three decades of experience helping organizations safeguard and optimize their operations. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Rome, Alfa Group delivers advanced solutions in cybersecurity, fraud detection and prevention, incident response, and vulnerability management, as well as select business process management services. Its proprietary technology, N.O.V.A., is an end-to-end managed service that integrates Alfa Group’s innovations with third-party systems to safeguard digital infrastructures, mitigate risk, and enhance operational efficiency. The firm serves clients across industries including finance and insurance, defense and aerospace, telecom, manufacturing, energy, and pharmaceutical. "Our collaboration with Andersen Consulting allows us to extend our reach and deliver greater value to clients navigating the complexities of digital transformat

Duna, Built by Stripe Veterans, Raises €30 Million CapitalG-led Series A to Solve Business Identity For The Internet5.2.2026 16:00:00 EET | Press release

Duna, the identity fintech founded by two Stripe alumni, today announced a €30 million Series A funding round led by CapitalG, Alphabet’s independent growth fund. Existing investors Index Ventures, Puzzle Ventures and Snowflake Chairman Frank Slootman also participated in the round. The company, based in Germany and the Netherlands, was launched in 2023 by Duco van Lanschot, who was head of Benelux and DACH at Stripe for three years, and David Schreiber, who spent six years at Stripe where he ran the company’s largest global business unit, including the core card payment platform. In May 2025, the company announced a €10.7 million seed round led by Index Ventures. The latest fundraise brings Duna’s total funding to more than €40 million. Duna’s mission is to build global trust infrastructure by providing a digital passport for every business. Over time, this will evolve into a network for shareable identity and one-click onboarding. Today Duna’s AI-native business identity platform ser

AI-Powered Experian Assistant for Model Risk Management Wins 2026 BIG Innovation Award5.2.2026 16:00:00 EET | Press release

Experian today announced that its recently launched, AI‑powered Experian Assistant for Model Risk Management has been awarded the 2026 BIG Innovation Award in the Innovative Products category. Recognizing trailblazers across industries since 2014, this global award celebrates exceptional innovation and the value it brings to a recipient’s clients, stakeholders and community. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260205042051/en/ Experian's recently launched, AI-powered Experian Assistant for Model Risk Management has been awarded the 2026 BIG Innovation Award in the Innovative Products category. Fully integrated into the Experian Ascend Platform™ and powered by ValidMind technology, Experian Assistant for Model Risk Management helps accelerate model validation, improve auditability and reduce regulatory risk. By offering standardized templates, centralized documentation and streamlined workflow approvals, the soluti

LTIMindtree Recognized as a Leader in Everest Group Payments IT Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 20255.2.2026 15:30:00 EET | Press release

LTIMindtree [NSE: LTIM, BSE: 540005], a leading global technology consulting and digital solutions provider, has been positioned as a Leader in the Everest Group Payments IT Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2025. This recognition is for being a strategic transformation partner that combines modernization scale, platform alliances, and innovation across real-time, digital assets, and ensure secure, regulator-ready payment environments. Everest Group highlighted LTIMindtree’s strong market impact and vision and capability in delivering largescale payments across issuers, acquirers, payment processors, card networks, and FinTechs. The assessment comes at a time when enterprises are rapidly modernizing legacy payments platforms to support real-time, cross-border, and ISO 20022 compliant payment environments, while enhancing resiliency, interoperability, and regulatory compliance. LTIMindtree stands out for its product engineering expertise across major payment platforms like Finastra GPP/P

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye