Baltic Ventures are inviting ambitious early-stage tech founders from across the UK to join their annual five-month accelerator programme.

Now in its third year, Baltic Ventures is looking to invest in and support a new cohort of up to 12 digital tech startups who can demonstrate early signs of commercial validation and traction and are ready to commit and scale.

Launched in 2023, Baltic Ventures secured £4.1m backing from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to deliver impactful accelerator programmes over five years with the aim to level the playing field for regional tech startups and drive venture capital and angel investment into the city region.

Each of the successful companies will receive a £30,000 investment via the Baltic Ventures Angel Syndicate alongside a powerful mix of hands-on coaching, fundraising support and access to global tech events including Slush in Helsinki.

“Founders have enough on their plates – they don’t need more noise or vague advice,”

said Programme Director Mo Aldalou.

“What they really need is honest, hands-on support from people who’ve been through it, and a community that genuinely has their back.

“We’ve now refined and iterated a programme that gives founders the space, tools and guidance to grow real businesses, without burning out in the process.”

This year’s programme will run in-person from September 2025 to January 2026; rooted in Liverpool, open to startups based anywhere in the UK. This follows a successful two years, with Baltic Ventures’ portfolio having raised more than £10 million in follow-on funding.

Founders joining the programme will benefit from hands-on coaching support led by exited founders and angel investors Carl Wong and David Woods, who sold video technology company LivingLens in February 2020. Their support will be complemented by a diverse panel of mentors including CFOs, CTOs, CMOs and fundraising experts, among others.

The programme is crafted to support businesses who’ve already generated early traction with their initial product or service offer and are actively planning to raise seed funding within the next 6 to 12 months. The Baltic Ventures team is particularly interested in hearing from strong and diverse founding teams with relevant sector experience who are ready to commit to the programme in Liverpool.

The programme offering also includes a series of interactive masterclass sessions, a subsidised cohort trip to Slush 2025 in Helsinki, sought-after tech perks from the likes of HubSpot, Google, Amazon and Notion and curated networking events and dinners with angel investors and VCs.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:

“The Liverpool City Region is fast becoming a launchpad for some of the UK’s most exciting tech talent — and Baltic Ventures is right at the heart of that growth.

“By backing ambitious founders with real potential, we’re not only helping to grow successful businesses, we’re creating high-quality jobs, attracting new investment and showcasing our region as a serious player on the national tech stage.”

Claire Lewis, CEO of Baltic Ventures, said:

“This isn’t just another accelerator – we’ve spent the last two years building a founder-first ecosystem that helps startups grow in a way that is both commercially successful and personally sustainable.

“The last two cohorts have demonstrated that great businesses can scale from anywhere and we’re proud to be part of that movement.”

Dr Grace Olugbodi, founder and CEO of 2024 alumnus BeGenio, said:

“Baltic Ventures’ accelerator is one of the best I’ve seen around! Their mentorship programme in particular was like a tech swiss-army knife, one that helped us tremendously.”

Sam Royle, co-founder of SoSquared, added:

“The programme is designed for success from the outset; their selective acceptance process means that you’re entering a cohort with startups that are all sharing the same pain points and are all looking to accelerate rapid growth.

“The coaching is strategic and considered ensuring that startups have not only grouped sessions but as many 1-1 touch points as required, across a whole range of different areas of expertise.”

The deadline to apply for Accelerator 2025 will be midnight on Friday 30th May.

For more details, including application criteria and programme insights, visit: www.balticventures.uk