AI Entrepreneurs Lab 

From AI talent to AI founder

A five-day founder bootcamp for Europe’s next applied AI and robotics companies.

Arrive with an idea. Leave with proof, and a shot at €10,000 to build on it.

Europe doesn’t need more AI demos. It needs AI companies that can be trusted, deployed and scaled. The AI Entrepreneurs Lab is where the most promising graduate talent starts building them - hands-on,
tested against real customers, judged on evidence, not slides.

What is it?

An intensive programme for the most promising early-stage talent in AI and robotics.

Up to 15 people join a cohort for a hands-on bootcamp that turns research and raw ideas into the foundations of a company. It runs across three cities in five days, ends with a Demo Day, and awards up to five prizes of €10,000 to the teams that show the strongest evidence of a real venture.

The Lab is part of the EU ApplyAI Strategy and is operated by 28DIGITAL under the EIT Community AI & Robotics. It exists to move Europe’s best technical talent from the lab bench to the founder’s seat.

Who's it for?

Master’s and PhD students and graduates with strong AI or robotics ideas and the drive to build a business around them. You can apply solo or as a team of up to two, in your personal capacity, whether you have an early concept or a recently incorporated startup at pre-launch stage.

You’re a strong fit if you:

• Have an idea where AI or robotics is genuinely central, not a label bolted onto something else;
• Can point to a real problem, a credible technical direction and a plausible path to market;
• Are working in Core AI and Robotics: AI agents and autonomous systems, edge AI and AI infrastructure, robotics intelligence, trustworthy and secure AI, foundation and generative models, or industrial AI deployment;
• Are ready to test your idea in public - with customers, founders and investors - in five fast days.
  

What do you get?

• A cohort, not a classroom. A place in a 15-strong cohort of Europe’s most promising applied-AI founders.
• Hands-on mentoring. Founder readiness, customer discovery, commercial-model testing, pitch development and investor readiness — led by people who’ve founded, scaled and deployed.
• Real market contact. Direct feedback from mentors, startups, corporates and investors, plus  introductions that outlast the week.
• A shot at €10,000. Up to five prizes of €10,000, awarded on merit at Demo Day to fund concrete venture progress.
• Support to be there. Travel and accommodation support for the Top 15 may be provided, subject to programme rules and budget.

The 5 day journey

Day 1- Paris
Challenge everything you know

Founder global mindset. Counterfactual Lab: what if you’re wrong?

Day 2 - Paris
Learning from the masters

Entrepreneurship fundamentals. Founders tell the
truth and work alongside you.

Day 3 - Brussels
From AI project to AI venture

Make it useful or make it die. Trust as the value.

Day 4 - Amsterdam
Validate, endorse, improve

No customer, no company. Earn endorsements in
the Proof Room.

Day 5 - Amsterdam
New pitch,
new life

Final pitches and the €10,000 Test on Demo Day

How to apply?

Submit one application through the official platform before the deadline. You’ll need:

• The completed application form (on the submission platform)
• Your CV — one per team member
• A short, creative presentation of your idea

Key dates

• Call opens: 15 August 2026
• Information session: 25 August 2026
• Application deadline: 15 October 2026, 17:00 CET
• Top 15 announced: 26 October 2026
• Bootcamp (in person): 9–13 November 2026
• Demo Day & winners: 13 November 2026
• Awards ceremony: 17 November 2026, EU AI Summit, Brussels

FAQ

Who can apply?
Master’s and PhD students and graduates with a strong AI or robotics idea, applying as an individual or a team of up to two, in a personal capacity. You must be resident or established in an eligible country (see the Open Call Document for the full list).

Do I need a company already?
No. You can apply with an early idea or a recently incorporated startup at pre-launch stage. What matters is that AI or robotics is central to the concept and that you can show a real problem and a credible path to market.

What does it cost?
Nothing to apply. Travel and accommodation support for the Top 15 may be provided, subject to programme rules and budget availability.

What’s the €10,000 prize for?
It funds concrete next steps for your venture. Up to five teams win at Demo Day, judged on evidence and progress. For winners only, the Award may be linked to a sub-1% future-equity mechanism. Full terms are in the Open Call Document.

What if I can’t attend all five days?
The bootcamp is intensive and in person across three cities. Full participation is expected; the cohort is the core of the experience.

Where do I ask questions?
Email ai@eitcommunity.eu. A running FAQ is published on the official programme page during the submission period.