Companies can apply from anywhere in the world to Accelerator, as long as you are able to attend the programmed activities in-person in the UK. If you are applying from outside of the UK you may be required to secure a UK visa. More information on the visa process can be found here.

The majority of the Accelerator program takes place at our space in the Baltic Triangle, Liverpool. Additionally there will be coaching & mentoring online as well as exclusive networking events and dinners in locations such as London and Helsinki. 

There are no cash fees or charges for the Baltic Ventures Accelerator programme.

The Accelerator programme is provided cash free and is worth £40,000. This value is separate from the cash investment offered from our angel syndicate.

This £40,000 counts towards your Minimum Financial Assistance (MFA) threshold of £315,000 over a three-year period. 

MFA replaces the legacy De Minimis state aid thresholds and regulations. Further guidance on MFA subsidy control can be accessed here

Successful applicants will receive a £30k equity investment from our angel syndicate who will invest via a nominee company, keeping cap tables nice and clean.

Investments are made as an Advanced Subscription Agreement (ASA) with a 20% discount for Baltic Ventures Angels on the next raise your company may makes. If your company raises no equity finance within 6 months of the ASA date then the £30k investment will convert to equity shares in your company at a pre-agreed backstop valuation. If your company raises at least £200k of equity funding within 6 months of the ASA date then the ASA will convert to shares at 20% of the pre-money valuation used in this round with your new investors. 

If you have raised equity finance (100k+), or received a bona fide term sheet from a reputable equity investor,  in the past 12 months, this pre-money valuation will be taken as your backstop valuation in our ASA. If you have not raised equity finance then a backstop valuation of £970k pre-money will be used.  

This 6 month time period is set by HMRC. By converting to shares within 6 months, it means that our angel investors can benefit from SEIS or EIS tax credits on their ASA investment.

No, you do not need to have already applied for SEIS and/or EIS Advanced Assurance when you apply to Baltic Ventures. If you are successful in your application to Baltic Ventures we, alongside our partner Seedlegals, will be on hand to support you through the (S)EIS application process.

We run a series of drop in sessions when applications open each year in May. Sign up to our waitlist and newsletter to stay in the loop

Places on our Accelerator programme are highly competitive. We interview an initial list of applicants and will then invite a shortlist to an investor pitch day at the end of June. The successful companies will be notified soon after so we can arrange for you to receive your investment and hand pick your coaching and mentoring teams ready for Accelerator’s kick off in September.

Accelerator is focused on co-founding teams but the programme includes bespoke workstreams to ensure we serve the specific needs of each of our selected early-stage companies. We can include elements to suit founders wishing to involve other members of their team. 

The time commitment required varies from week to week and by team, as we tailor the programme to your needs, but expect to commit around a day a week during the course of the 5-month programme.

Community is central to Baltic Ventures. Once the Accelerator programme completes in January you become part of our Alumni network and you will always find a home, support and a team that has your back. From office hours to mentor and investor connections to invites to exclusive events, the relationship doesn’t end here, it is just beginning……

Yes, the Baltic Ventures Angel Syndicate currently only invests into companies that take part in our Accelerator program.