Decelera Ventures, the global early-stage venture-capital network that invests in purpose-driven founders, has redesigned its investment model in Europe and will significantly increase the capital allocated to each selected startup. Going forward, every company participating in its program will receive €300,000 in initial investment, with the option to access weeks later a convertible note of up to €700,000 additional, raising the total commitment to €1 million per company.
With this comprehensive redesign of the investment format, Decelera increases the initial check size from €150,000 to €1,000,000, a move that signals its commitment to backing early-stage founders in Southern Europe and the Hispanic ecosystem, aligning its model with the most competitive accelerators in the global market. Decelera positions itself globally as one of the most ambitious active funds today, with commitments similar to San Francisco-based accelerators, doubling the size of Y Combinator’s checks and matching HFO’s bet.
A Structural Shift in Early-Stage Capital
Historically, startups joined the Decelera program without guaranteed funding, and only a small group of the selected startups received investment. From now on, 100% of the startups selected for the Decelera program will receive €300,000 upfront, before the program begins, which this year runs from May 22 to 29 in Menorca.
A month after the program, the best-performing companies can receive up to an additional €700,000, bringing the total initial investment to €1,000,000 within a matter of weeks.
Additionally, up to €1,000,000 in additional follow-on investments per company are reserved for the best-performing startups throughout the lifetime of the business.
“This is not an incremental change,” says Marcos Martín, CEO of Decelera. “We redesigned our model to reflect our level of conviction. If we select you, we back you from day one.”
The Selection Remains Elite
Decelera maintains one of the most demanding founder-filter processes in Southern Europe and the Hispanic ecosystem:
- More than 3,600 startups apply each year
- Only 12 teams per program are selected
What changes is the investment commitment once inside the program: the selection now equates to capital. The firm’s seven-day immersive founder-selection experience, designed to evaluate founders both strategically and personally, remains central to its process. The new capital structure reinforces this philosophy by aligning funding with conviction from the start.
Decelera Ventures’ program is held in unique and inspiring settings designed to remove day-to-day distractions and allow founders to think clearly, connect authentically, and make decisions with perspective. During seven intensive days, the selected teams work alongside the Decelera team and a network of top-tier mentors and operators, combining high-impact strategic sessions with spaces for personal reflection that strengthen both the business and each founder’s leadership.
Driving Southern Europe and the Hispanic Innovation Ecosystem
Since 2022, Decelera has managed a €38 million fund from Spain, focused on technology in Southern Europe. With the new investment model, Decelera becomes one of the most competitive early-stage investors in these regions, combining meaningful initial checks with structured follow-on capacity.
For founders, this means:
- Immediate runway after selection
- Less fundraising pressure
- Stronger signal to later-stage investors
- A long-term capital partner with reserved follow-on
A New Chapter for Decelera
Founded to prove that venture capital could be more human, thoughtful, and long-term, Decelera has built its reputation around deep founder evaluation and high-conviction investing.
With this evolution, the firm adds scale to that philosophy:
- More capital.
- Earlier commitment.
- Deeper alignment.
- Longer-term partnership.
For founders building category-defining, purpose-driven companies, Decelera’s new model represents a substantial shift in opportunity.
