1. Register
August 16 to September 19
2. Jury Evaluation
Oktober 3 to 10
3. Due Diligence
Oktober 13 and 14
4. Announcement
Oktober 17
5. Start program
November 7
Aging & Longevity
The best Aging & Longevity accelerator in Europe
Work under intensive guidance to achieve explosive growth and gain access to expertise, capital and the most valuable network.
Are you operational in Aging & Longevity?
For the new vertical accelerator program, we have defined six major societal challenges within the Aging & Longevity domain together with the Aging experts who will also participate in this program. Are you operational in one of these domains? Then this program is for you!
Why choose our Aging & Longevity accelerator program?
In the Aging & Longevity accelerator program, we offer you a range of additional sector-specific benefits on top of our existing offer:
Incredibly valuable network
In addition to access to more than 150 mentors/advisors from the general program, we offer you access to more than 30 people with experience in Aging & Longevity
Access to investors active in Aging & Longevity
Through an ever-growing network of business angels and institutional investors operational in Aging & Longevity, we offer your start-up the connections it needs when seeking funding.
Set up a pilot with one of our go-to-market partners
With partners such as Aldea (21 residential care centers in Belgium & Spain) and the most important mutualities (Helan, CM…), we offer our start-ups the opportunity to set up pilots and immediately test their product or service in the field.
The strong multicultural and European context makes Belgium an ideal base for pilots. Moreover, with Brussels as the capital of Europe, you have direct access to the core of what is living and growing in the international social context.
Access to the best target group knowledge
Our Aging & Longevity experts will immerse you with all the need to know knowledge so that you can outline a go-to-market strategy with your start-up based on the right assumptions.
Experts in various European countries, sharing their knowledge of the different local ‘agetech’ markets (UK, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain. Israel…). In addition, marketing and design experts give you advice on how to approach this specific market. And in separate workshops we approach the methods for internationalization and scaling up.
Test your assumptions with more than 6000 people from your target group
Thanks to our partner The Aging Group (Bureau50) from the Netherlands, we can offer our start-ups access to a panel of more than 6000 people in Flanders and the Netherlands with ages between 48 and 104 with whom you can test your product/service or business model in organized focus groups during the process.
Learn from the best
Case stories from CEO’s of international agetech scale-ups take you through the do’s and dont’s, pitfalls and success factors to succeed in your own mission as a startup. Thanks to their international experience and learnings in terms of go-to-market and entry in different European countries and/or the United States, you as a startup will be able to move faster into the next phase of development.
The most experienced and international network for startups in the aging and longevity market
Discover step by step if the Aging & Longevity program is for you
Are you ambitious and have already taken steps?
Every cohort, between 400 and 500 start-ups enroll in our accelerator. A total of 15 will eventually be admitted. The next cohort starts the 7th of November! To let you get the most out of our accelerator program, be sure to check out the selection process below.
What does our program look like now?
Created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs
We offer an intensive program that is tailored to your start-up. With the following components you will work in a goal-oriented way to achieve your targets such as:
- 1 strong lead mentor who will guide you intensively
- Aging days with international aging & longevity experts in go-to-market in Europe, marketing & design, upscaling & internationalization
- Tailor-made advisory board with 4 experts
- Access to additional 1 on 1’s with 150+ strong mentors/advisors
- Access to our offices in Ghent, Antwerp and Brussels
- Strong networking/working together between aging & longevity startup
Where does the program take place?
Discover our locations
- Since 2020, we organize our program partly in real life, partly virtually. Important moments at the beginning, in the middle and end of the program are organized physically and we also provide sufficient (physical) networking opportunities throughout the program. The physical events take place alternately over our different physical locations.
- We have physical locations in Antwerp, Ghent and Brussels at Meetdistrict.
- Start-ups in our program get access to flex office space, meeting rooms and all other facilities
Birdhouse Antwerp
Located around the corner from Antwerp-Berchem Station, this coworking space is very easily accessible by public transport. Do you prefer to come by car? The exit of the Antwerp Ring is also nearby!
Besides the practical aspect, this coworking space is perfect for working and networking. As icing on the cake, it has a lunch spot and a bar to end the working week on a positive note.
- Posthofbrug 6/8
- 2600 Antwerp
Birdhouse Ghent
Working with a view on the Buffalo soccer field? It’s possible in MeetDistrict Ghent! We settled in the middle of this vibrant and modern co-working area, where you will meet a lot of other entrepreneurial minds.
Underneath the office you’ll find a large supermarket for your lunch and groceries. There are direct buses from Gent Sint-Pieters to Ghelamco Arena. And from the underground parking lot you can drive straight to the highway!
- Ottergemsesteenweg Zuid 808 b300
- 9000 Ghent
Birdhouse Brussels
This coworking space has everything you need to work in a productive and flexible way. You will have access to all the facilities that this progressive complex, located in the heart of a vibrant neighborhood in Brussels, has to offer.
The area around the office offers numerous dining options. Just like our coworking spaces in Antwerp and Ghent, the one in Brussels is very easy to reach by public transport or by car.
- Bischoffsheimlaan 15
- 1000 Brussels
Partnership with Belfius Insurance
Collaboration is the key to success
- Belfius Insurance is our main partner and finances the accelerator program in order to support entrepreneurship and innovation in Aging & Longevity.
- They offer the full program for our selected start-ups in the form of a convertible loan, in addition, if the minimum conditions are met (Belgium based companies only), the start-ups will receive funding of 50,000 euros (Bullet Loan).
- Belfius Insurance has set aside an investment budget of 10 million euros to participate in the subsequent financing of our start-ups after or during the program. This of course only by the start-up’s request.
Program partners
What does the selection process look like?
In 5 steps to explosive growth
To participate in our accelerator, you go through a few steps. Each step is valuable because you will receive useful feedback that will help your start-up further. So signing up is worth it! Do you have any questions about the aging & longevity program? Please contact our program manager at dirk.schyvinck@gobirdhouse.com
Register now for the best Agetech accelerator in Europe
Facts & Figures about Birdhouse accelerator
+150
Experienced mentors and advisors active in our network
+130
Start-ups mentored since 2016
+85M
Follow up funding
87%
Survival rate