Decelera Ventures Doubles Down and Increases Its Initial Ticket from €150K to €1M per Company

Demo day at Lazareto island during Decelera Menorca 2023

We are announcing a complete redesign of our investment checks in Europe, increasing from 150k€ to 1m€ the check size, marking a significant adaptation to the new AI trends.

Under the new structure, we will invest €300,000 in every startup selected to participate in our european program, and weeks after the program, every company will be also eligible to receive a 700k€ convertible note if the business evolves as expected by the parties.

This shift positions us as one of the most ambitious accelerators active today, doubling YCombinator check sizes and leveraging our beat to HFO.

A Structural Change in Early-Stage Capital

Historically, startups attended our immersive program without guaranteed funding, and approximately less than half ultimately received investment.

Starting now:

→ 100% of startups selected for our program will receive €300K upfront, before the program begins.

→ One month after the program, the strongest performers may receive an additional €700K, bringing total initial investment to €1 million within weeks.

→ Up to €1 million per company more is reserved for follow-on investments in our top-performing companies over the life of the business.

This new model allows us to deploy up to €2 million per company, reinforcing long-term alignment and ownership.

"This is not an incremental change," said Marcos Martín, CEO. "We've redesigned our model to match our level of conviction. If we select you, we back you, from day one."

Selection Remains Elite

We maintain one of the most selective founder filters in Southern Europe and the Hispanic ecosystem:

→ More than 3,600 startups apply annually

→ From now on only 12 teams per program are selected

What changes is the investment commitment once inside the program: selection now equals capital.

Our 7-day immersive selection experience, designed to evaluate founders both strategically and humanly, remains central to our process. The new capital structure strengthens that philosophy by aligning funding with conviction from the outset.

Strengthening Southern Europe and the Hispanic Innovation Ecosystem

Since 2022, we have managed a €38M fund in Madrid, focused on technology in Southern Europe. With the new investment model, we become one of the most competitive early-stage investors in these regions, combining meaningful first checks with structured follow-on capacity.

For founders, this means:

→ Immediate runway upon selection

→ Reduced fundraising pressure

→ Stronger signaling to later-stage investors

→ A long-term capital partner with reserved follow-on

A New Chapter for Decelera

We founded Decelera to demonstrate that venture capital could be more human, reflective, and long-term. We have built our reputation around deep founder evaluation and high-conviction investing.

With this evolution, we add scale to that philosophy:

→ More capital.

→ Earlier commitment.

→ Deeper alignment.

→ Longer-term partnership.

For founders building category-defining companies with purpose, our new model represents a step-change in opportunity.

Startup founders during Decelera Menorca 2024

About Decelera

Decelera is a global network of venture capital funds investing in founders with purpose and extraordinary potential. Through a unique immersive selection process and long-term capital strategy, we back high-conviction teams across Southern Europe and the Hispanic ecosystem. Since 2022, we manage a €38M fund in Madrid and launched a second fund in Mexico in 2025 targeting ~$30M.