BSC AI Factory opens accelerator for 100 Spanish AI startups

BSC AI Factory opens accelerator for 100 Spanish AI startups

15 October 2026: BSC AI Factory, the European AI factory coordinated by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, has opened applications for the first national edition of its accelerator, which will take up to 100 advanced-stage Spanish startups building AI products and AI-native technology. Applications close on 9 November 2026.

Not yet independently verified. Details come from the ministry's announcement; we have not read the programme's own terms, and the note does not say whether startups receive cash or give up equity. We will update this when it can be confirmed, and remove this note.

What startups get

The programme lasts 14 weeks and combines business development with technical work. Selected startups get access to the MareNostrum 5 supercomputer, BSC AI Factory's technical tools and AI resources, and individual technical advice from BSC engineers and the programme's technology partners, Nvidia and AWS. On the business side, the ministry lists individual advice on value proposition, go-to-market strategy, pricing and fundraising for the Spanish and European markets, and introductions to large companies and international investors.

The ministry funds the programme with €2.3 million through its Secretariat of State for Digitalisation and AI, and BSC-CNS manages it. Its announcement does not say whether startups receive cash or give up equity, or what the selection criteria are beyond the stage and the use of AI.

Dates and locations

After a pilot limited to Barcelona startups, this call is open to companies across Spain, with four physical sites in Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid and Málaga. Results are notified from 20 November, the programme starts with an in-person launch in Barcelona on 2 December, and two selection rounds during the programme pick the startups that present at a demo day in Madrid in March 2027. Further editions are planned over the next two years, with the aim of supporting 400 Spanish startups in total.

Who it suits

The call is open to startups using AI in any sector, with particular interest in health, finance and legal services, media, and sustainability and climate. Its distinctive offer is compute: training or fine-tuning a model on a national supercomputer with engineers on hand is something few seed-stage companies can buy. Founders weighing it against other accelerators should check what share of the 14 weeks is spent in person at one of the four sites, and what access to MareNostrum 5 continues after the programme ends.

Sources

• Ministry for Digital Transformation (Spain): BSC AI Factory lanza su primer programa de aceleración para 100 startups, 15 October 2026