INCO

15/10/2026

Building a business on your own can be a lot to carry.

You make every decision. You wear every hat. And most advice assumes you have a structured team to hand things off to.

Applications are now open for INCO Elevate UK 2027, a 12-week programme for solo founders and early-stage micro-business owners in London and Manchester, supported by BNY. 🚀

What makes it different? The people.

We bring together 50 founders, so you're learning alongside people who actually get what you're going through. It's why alumni keep telling us the community is what stays with them. 🤝

"This is the first online cohort I've ever joined, and it turned out to be surprisingly good," said Xian Li, IdeaGrit, Founder.

Between February and April 2027, you'll get:
🔹 Tailored expert coaching on business fundamentals
🔹Peer learning with fellow founders who are building from the ground up, just like you
🔹A hands-on AI session built around real use cases in your business, not hype
🔹A funding-readiness session, so you know your options before you need them
🔹Self-paced learning material to dip into when it suits you
🔹A chance to pitch at the final showcase for a £1,000 microgrant

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis - apply now to secure your spot! https://elevateuk.inco-group.co

Know a founder who'd be a fit? Tag them below. 👇

11/08/2026

Halfway through Shift: Founders’ first AI agents

Just a few weeks ago, we welcomed 60 small business founders from London and Berlin to the first cohort of Shift.

Powered by INCO and made possible by PayPal, Shift helps SMEs build practical AI skills and apply them to real business challenges – and the founders are already putting their ideas into practice alongside our expert partner, Niya AI.

The use cases vary widely, from streamlining partner outreach to reducing repetitive admin work. Although the solutions look different, the objective is the same: creating more capacity to focus on the work that matters most.

Marit, co-founder of re:gen, an AI-powered platform helping to scale regenerative agroforestry by making complex ecosystem design more accessible, is exploring how AI can help build smarter internal systems while she focuses on scaling her mission-driven work.

"I joined Shift to make sure our internal operations at re:gen are as lean and AI-enabled as the solutions we're designing for the planet,” said Marit. “By putting that infrastructure in place now, we can spend less time on manual processes and more time focused on creating measurable ecological impact.”

Want to learn more about how our first cohort of Shift is progressing – and what comes next? Read the full story on our latest blog: https://shift.inco-group.co/post/halfway-through-shift-founders-are-already-building-their-first-ai-agents

06/08/2026

🌍 Applications for CatalyseHer Ireland Cohort 2 are now open! 🚀

Following a brilliant first cohort of women entrepreneurs from across Ireland, CatalyseHer is back for its second year.

Our fully funded programme supports early-stage women founders to strengthen their business foundations through expert-led learning, practical business tools, and a supportive founder community, with the opportunity to enter the Pitch Competition and compete for a €5,000 microgrant.

✅ Early-stage woman founder
✅ Building a business with purpose at its core
✅ Ready to take a bold next step

Applications close 23:59, 21 September 2026.
The cohort starts on 6 October.

Apply now: https://inco-group.typeform.com/to/AIlW6LEO

Powered by INCO | Supported by Visa Foundation

Know a founder who should see this? Tag them in the comments or share. 💡

31/07/2026

🌍 Applications for CatalyseHer UK Cohort 4 are now open! 🚀

We've just celebrated 15 founders from Cohort 3, each awarded a £5,000 microgrant to support the next stage of their business, and now we're ready to welcome the next cohort.

CatalyseHer is a fully funded programme for early-stage women founders building purposeful businesses, with expert-led training, mentoring, a pitch competition and the chance to win a £5,000 microgrant.

If you are:
✅ An early-stage woman founder
✅ Building a venture with purpose at its core
✅ Ready to take a bold next step

Don't miss your chance to level up your business with CatalyseHer.

Applications close Monday, 7th September, 23:59.

Apply here: https://inco-group.typeform.com/to/mZIwlc9R?utm_source=###xx&utm_medium=###xx&utm_campaign=###xx

Powered by INCO | Supported by Visa Foundation

Know a founder who should see this? Tag them in the comments or share. 💡

28/07/2026

🌍 Meet the CatalyseHer Cohort 3 Pitch Competition winners! 🚀

15 women entrepreneurs from our third UK cohort have each been awarded a £5,000 microgrant to support the next stage of their business.

From inclusive housing and women’s mental health to air quality, sustainable materials and community-led businesses, we were blown away by the ambition, creativity and impact across this year’s pitches.

A huge congratulations to our 15 winners. 🎉

A massive thank you to every entrepreneur who took part in Cohort 3, and to Visa Foundation for making CatalyseHer possible. 💪

👉 Want to join our next cohort and pitch for your chance to win a microgrant? Applications for our next UK cohort open soon: https://catalyseher-uk.inco-group.co/

Meet our 15 winners and their businesses in the photos below. 👇

17/07/2026

🚀 Vous cherchez à lever des fonds ? Entrepreneurs en IDF, cette opportunité est pour vous !

Maîtriser l'art du pitch et convaincre des investisseurs internationaux est un véritable levier de croissance. C’est pourquoi INCO et JPMorganChase lancent le programme Founders Forward Perfect Pitch 🙌

Un accompagnement de 3 mois, 100 % gratuit, pour 15 entrepreneurs prêts à changer d'échelle. À la clé pour le projet gagnant ? Une dotation de 10 000 € pour booster son développement !

⭐ Ce qui vous attend :
- Des masterclasses experts (prise de parole, pitch investisseurs)
- Une compétition de pitchs sur scène à Paris en novembre 2026
- Un accès privilégié au réseau et aux professionnels de JPMorganChase
- Une dotation de 10 000 euros pour le projet lauréat !

👀 Êtes-vous éligible ?
- Entreprise ou entrepreneur basé en Ile-de-France (1 à 5 ans d'existence),
- Entreprise démontrant une traction forte, des contrats pilotes, ou un chiffre d’affaires annuel supérieur à 30 000 €
- Levée de fonds en préparation ou envisagée dans l’année
- Capacité à pitcher en anglais
- Profil faisant face à des barrières systémiques d’accès au financement

Ne laissez pas passer cette opportunité unique de changer de dimension, découvrez les détails et candidatez, par ici : www.perfect-pitch.inco-group.co

🗓️ Clôture des candidatures : 31 juillet 2026

Rejoignez-nous lors de notre session d'information le lundi 27 juillet à 18 h pour en savoir plus sur le programme. Inscrivez-vous sur https://inco-group.zoom.us/.../reg.../xGAfK9FmTtK636a7FGv2RA

11/06/2026

🚀 [Focus Entrepreneurs] Accompagner la croissance et l’attractivité des entreprises ultramarines

👏 Nous sommes ravis de mettre en lumière le parcours de Meggan Cavalier, fondatrice de Kopa et membre de la première promotion du programme INCOPLEX Outre-Mer.

Kopa incarne parfaitement la dynamique d’innovation et le potentiel de développement économique que nous avons vocation à soutenir au sein de nos territoires.

S’inscrivant dans le cadre de l’initiative nationale Entrepreneuriat Quartiers 2030, opérée par Bpifrance, le programme INCOPLEX Outre-Mer déploie un accompagnement stratégique de 12 mois structuré autour de trois axes clés :

📈 Compétences techniques : Optimisation de la stratégie de croissance, structuration du développement commercial et du marketing.
Réseau et posture de dirigeant : Renforcement des compétences managériales, travail sur la prise de parole et synergies avec le réseau INCO (dont INCO Ventures).
Financement : Acculturation aux codes des investisseurs et identification des leviers financiers, notamment ceux spécifiques aux marchés insulaires, pour assurer un développement pérenne.

🤝 En collaborant étroitement avec les acteurs locaux, notre ambition est double : renforcer l’écosystème entrepreneurial ultramarin et valoriser ses talents à l’échelle nationale et internationale.

Félicitations à Meggan Cavalier pour cette trajectoire inspirante, qui a ouvert la voie au déploiement de notre deuxième promotion !

Un grand merci à notre partenaire média Outremers 360°, ainsi qu’à l’ensemble des acteurs et soutiens engagés à nos côtés pour ce programme

08/06/2026

Missed the deadline? We’ve got good news: We’re extending applications for until 14 June. 📣

Powered by INCO and made possible by PayPal, Shift is a free 6-week program designed to help small business founders in London and Berlin use AI in practical, accessible ways — no technical background required. You'll learn how AI can take some of the repetition off of your plate, making time for what really matters.

To give you a better idea of what to expect, hear from Hugh — CEO and Founder of Niya AI, our expert trainer for Shift — as he discusses the common challenges founders face and where AI can make the biggest difference.

If you’ve been curious about AI but unsure where to start, this is your chance to learn in a hands-on, supportive environment alongside other founders.

📅 New application deadline: 14 June
🔗 Apply here: https://shift.inco-group.co/

26/05/2026

The modern reimagination of the ancient festival of innovation, Panathēnea returns on 27–29 May 2026, in Zappeio, Athens, Greece, bringing 10,000 founders, investors and creators to the city, where ideas have always mattered, mixing up the worlds of tech, startups and arts.

This year the EU-INC team will participate, sharing what comes next for startups in Europe.

Panathēnea hosts decacron & unicorn founders like Mati from ElevenLabs, Markus from Bolt, Shuo from Deel, and Anastasis from Runway, along top tier voices like Neil Rimer from Index Ventures, Roxanne Varza from Station F, George Robson from Sequoia, Ben Blume from Atomico & partners from Balderton, Accel and Visionaries Club, and industry leaders from NVIDIA, OpenAI, Microsoft, Google as well as content dedicated to artists and creators shaping culture today.

80+ side events across the city in sectors like AI, Defence, ClimateTech, Deeptech, Life Sciences and more. It’s all about meeting the right people and building what’s next.

Use “INCOGROUP10T” in the field “Enter the code” on the top right corner in the festival's ticketing platform: https://www.more.com/gr-el/tickets/conference/festival/panathenea26/ for an extra 20% discount on the current rates!

International Festival for Innovation and Culture, hosted in Athens 27-29 May 2026. Panathēnea brings together forward thinking founders, creators and investors to celebrate and spotlight ideas that will shape the future.