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Backing ambitious founders building category leaders.

ABOUT

We are a European pre-seed accelerator investing in ambitious tech founders and working hands-on alongside them for six months.

0 months

The program

€0K

In two tranches

€0K

Up to, in follow-on

Why Elevation

The barriers we remove.

Nearly 90% of startups fail. At pre-seed, access to capital, experienced people and the right market can make the difference.

Capital

We invest €50K for 5% at entry, €50K after a three-month review, then up to €400K at six months.

01

Talent

Elevation Partners and Advisors work with you on strategy, sales, hiring, finance and legal.

02

Market

We introduce you to customers, partners and investors in France and across Europe.

03

See how Elevation works.

See the program

Our partners

Entrepreneurs to Entrepreneurs

Elevation Partners have built and scaled companies themselves. They invest alongside us and work directly with the teams throughout the six months.

Meet all partners

Charles Christory

Le Fourgon and Addictiz (Exit Webedia)

Cécile André

La Recrue (CEO & founder)

Sandra Detavernier

Shaker Collective (Cofounder)

Arnaud Monnier

Altima (Exit Accenture)

Bertrand Maux

Mo&Jo (CEO & cofounder)

Julien Codorniou

20VC (Ex Microsoft & Meta)

What we look for

We look for founders who have already built and tested their product, can show that the market is responding, and intend to build beyond their home market from day one.

Proof of execution

You have built something, put it in front of users, customers or partners, and learned from what happened.

Early market signals

Revenue, usage, pilots or strong market feedback show that something is working.

Global ambition

You think beyond your home market from day one and aim to build a category-leading company.

How we select

A high bar from day one.

Applications are open all year. Here is what happens between your application and our decision.

Application

We review every application and select the companies that best match what we are looking for.

Interview

Thirty minutes with the Elevation team. We go through the company, and you ask us everything you want about the program and the terms.

Deep dive

An in-depth review of your project with one or two Advisors who have experience in your field.

Advisor Committee

You present to four or five Advisors who have built and financed companies. This is the final review before the decision.

Investment Committee

Every Partner has a vote. If the answer is yes, we agree the terms and you start.

WHERE WE BUILD

Le Triplex.

Elevation’s home base.

1,000 m² in the heart of Lille, dedicated to startups and bringing together successful entrepreneurs, investors and partners. Ideally located, Le Triplex is 35 minutes from Brussels, 1 hour from Paris and 1 hour 20 from London, with Amsterdam also within easy reach.

Lille1,000 m²

Well connectedBrussels 35 min Paris 1h London 1h20

Under one roofEntrepreneurs Investors Tech partners

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BEYOND CAPITAL

Everything you need to build and grow.

A place to work, experienced people around you, trusted partners, the right connections and access to 550+ startup tools worth up to $3M.

FAQ

Still got questions? Reach out and we will answer.

View full questions

Tech companies at pre-seed, whatever the sector. We look for real technology, or a real edge in how fast you reach your market, and a market large enough to carry the company you are describing.

Yes. Revenue is one signal among others. Usage, pilots or strong feedback from the market can also show that something is working. What we need to see is that you have built something, put it in front of real users, and learned from it.

We can invest up to €500K across three stages:

€50K at entry through a BSA, in exchange for 5% equity
A further €50K after three months through a BSA AIR, subject to the KPIs agreed on day one, with a €1M floor, a €3.5M cap and a 20% discount
Up to €400K in follow-on equity between month six and month eighteen, reserved for the strongest performers in the program

On the follow-on we invest alongside other investors and never put in more than half of the round.

Yes. Tell us in the application where the round stands and who is in it. We invest alongside other investors when it makes sense for the company.

Our Elevation Partners, entrepreneurs who have built and scaled companies. They invest alongside us and work with the teams throughout the six months. Around them, Advisors with specific expertise help you when you need it: strategy, sales and marketing, hiring, finance and legal.

No. You need to be at Le Triplex regularly across the six months. Lille sits at the heart of Europe: Brussels is thirty-five minutes away, Paris an hour, Ghent an hour and ten, London an hour and twenty.

No. Applications are open all year. There is no batch: we review companies as they come, and each one starts when it is ready.

You keep your place in the network: the people, the building, and the founders who came before and after you.

Ready to lead your category?

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