Project Europe, the bold new initiative designed to shake up the continent’s startup ecosystem and launched in March this year, has just revealed the first six startups selected for its inaugural cohort. With a mission to back the next generation of European tech titans, this programme doesn’t just talk about innovation – it funds it, fosters it and fast-tracks it. But there’s a twist – all the founders must be under 25 years old.
This cohort launch marks a significant moment in Europe’s push to compete with Silicon Valley. It represents a growing recognition that some of the most ambitious and impactful ideas come from younger minds – people who are still shaping their worldviews, but already want to reshape the world. They’re innovative, passionate and intelligent; they may just need a helping hand when it comes to finances and mentorship.
What Is Project Europe?
Project Europe is a pre-seed programme and early-stage venture fund that’s making waves for one key reason – it’s built around young founders. Targeting people aged 16-25 across Europe, the project is a collaboration between some of Europe’s most successful tech founders and investors who want to stop the brain drain to the US.
Each year, Project Europe plans to back a new batch of promising founders with investment, mentorship and access to a powerful support network. The aim is to build Europe’s next generation of tech titans from the ground up and keep them growing right here in Europe.
What Does Each Startup Receive?
Each startup that’s accepted into Project Europe receives a £200,000 investment, equity-free access to a four-month accelerator programme and direct mentorship from a team of serial founders, engineers and operators from companies like Monzo, DeepMind, Stripe and more. It’s an incredible opportunity for young companies to get a headstart in what is otherwise an incredible competitive landscape.
In addition to funding, participants also gain access to Project Europe’s extensive network of European VCs, potential customers, and international media contacts. Office space in London and Lisbon is available to those who want it, along with support for legal, accounting, hiring, and company formation. The idea is to free founders from admin headaches and help them focus entirely on building.
They’re also invited to attend a showcase event at the end of the programme, where they’ll pitch to some of Europe’s leading investors.
So, Who Are the Six Lucky Startups?
With so many startups vying for airtime and recognition on the continent, being selected to take part in the prestigious Project Europe programme is a massive opportunity, both financially and in terms of several other bonuses and services.
Who are the six lucky contestants, you may ask? Here they are:
Cerebionics
Location: Norway
Founder: Agnessa Pedersen, 23 years old.
Cerebionics is developing brain-computer interfaces for robotic platforms.
Hacktron AI
Location: England
Founders: Zayne Zhang, Mohan Sri Rama Krishna Pedhapati and Harsh Jaiswal
Hacktron AI is an English startup that creates autonomous agents that think and act like elite security researchers. Its aim is to make software far more difficult to exploit than it currently is.
Haicker
Location: Switzerland
Founders: Philippe Dourassov and Manaf Mhamdi Alaoui
Haicker uses AI agents to analyse your web applications, find security issues and then validate them.
Philon
Location: Greece
Founder: Alexandros Petkos
Philon is building open-source general-purpose robots capable of performing tasks that may be repetitive, unsafe or boring.
Zero Industries
Location: France and Portugal
Founders: Joao Goncalo Silva, Alvaro Patricio and Frederico Baptista
Zero is a defence tech startup that is building plug-and-play autonomy modules for both drones and unmanned systems.
Zellify
Location: Sweden
Founders: Marcus Persson and Nils Nygren Liljenstrand
Zellify aims to help consumer mobile app developers avoid high in-app purchase fees charged by the likes of Google and Apple by monetising outside the app stores.
For now, there’s a lot of buzz around Project Europe and how the funding, mentorship and more will assist these early-stage startups in their long-term success. Of course, the project is expected to bring on more startups in the near future, so we’ll be looking forward to seeing who they are and how the first six fare in the next few years.
