IMPACT Growth

What IMPACT Growth does

IMPACT Growth is a publicly funded startup acceleration program operating under the ISDI Accelerator umbrella, headquartered in Madrid, Spain. Founded as a Horizon 2020 initiative in 2017 (building on the ISDI Accelerator platform that dates back to 2014), the program targets growth-stage startups across four verticals — Smart Content (led by DOCOMO Digital), Smart Cities and Infrastructures (Ferrovial Servicios), Smart Agrifood (Danone), and Smart Manufacturing (MADE) — and provides equity-free funding of up to €100,000 per startup, with two top performers per batch receiving an additional €150,000 (up to €250,000 total). The program is enabled by an Open Acceleration delivery model where startups participate remotely while accessing a 140+ mentor network and international event exposure (4YFN, Web Summit, MWC, Slush, South Summit). Underlying technology is centered on AcceleraTHOR, an in-house acceleration management platform that supports a de-localized program, and integration with FIWARE Foundation open-source cloud technology for portfolio projects.

The business model is grant-funded rather than equity-based: the program is operated as a consortium led by FundingBox with ISDI and Accelerace as core partners, and revenue is the European Commission grant funding passed through to the program and managed operationally by the consortium. Top-performing startups can additionally access private investment of up to €1.5 million from Kibo Ventures and crowdfunding through Invesdor, but IMPACT Growth itself does not take equity from participating startups. By the end of its initial phase, the program had received €3.6 million in Horizon 2020 funding and accelerated 28 startups; across the broader ISDI Accelerator portfolio, 154 startups have been accelerated since 2014, originating from 64 countries, with €45 million distributed and €183 million in follow-on funding raised by alumni. The program is part of a wider portfolio that includes IMPACT Connected Car (€2.1M Horizon 2020 grant, up to €60k equity-free), IMPACT RobotUnion (up to €223k equity-free), UNICEF Lab (social impact), and IMPACT EOI AceleraStartups (Spain-focused subsidized programs). Customer segments are vertical-specific (digital content, urban infrastructure, agrifood, manufacturing) and the go-to-market is event-driven, combining open calls, Jury Day selection events, and corporate-partner referrals.

Name

IMPACT Growth

Legal name

INSTITUTO SUPERIOR PARA EL DESARROLLO DE INTERNET (ISDI)

Website

https://impact-accelerator.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Short description

IMPACT Growth is a Madrid-based, Horizon 2020-funded startup accelerator under ISDI Accelerator that provides equity-free funding of up to €250k and remote mentorship to growth-stage startups across Smart Content, Smart Cities, Smart Agrifood, and Smart Manufacturing verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Acceleration Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Private Markets (Impact PE/VC, Private Credit, Infrastructure) (FSAAALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Impact Investing & Social Finance (Funds, CDFIs, Microfinance) (BPAGALAA), Social Entrepreneurship & Impact Business (EDAMAHAK)

Keywords

• Startup acceleration
• Equity-free funding
• Vertical accelerators
• Corporate innovation
• Growth-stage programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Madrid

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Accelerator Program Services: IMPACT Growth operates as a publicly funded acceleration program under Horizon 2020. The program provides equity-free funding to selected startups rather than taking equity stakes. Revenue is derived from European Commission grant funding managed by the consortium.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

IMPACT Growth is an equity-free startup acceleration program that provides growth-stage startups with up to €250,000 in non-dilutive funding (alongside an additional €1.5M private investment opportunity), personalized mentorship from a curated expert network, access to corporate pilots and partners, and integration with the AcceleraThor acceleration platform. The program focuses on four verticals — Smart Content, Smart Cities, Smart Agrifood, and Smart Manufacturing — and is funded by the European Commission's Horizon 2020 initiative, operating under ISDI / Digitalent Group.

Product overview

IMPACT Growth is a startup acceleration platform and one of several programs under the IMPACT Accelerator umbrella (also known as ISDI Accelerator). The portfolio includes IMPACT Growth as the primary growth-stage acceleration program offering equity-free funding up to €250k, alongside specialized vertical programs including IMPACT Connected Car (mobility/automotive), IMPACT RobotUnion (robotics), IMPACT EOI AceleraStartups (Spain-focused subsidized programs), UNICEF Lab (social impact with UNICEF), and Ignite-LDR. All programs provide acceleration services, mentoring, access to corporate partners, and participation in international events, unified under the Open Acceleration model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IMPACT Growth: Growth-stage startup acceleration program focusing on Smart Content, Smart Cities, Smart Agrifood, and Smart Manufacturing verticals, funded by European Commission's Horizon 2020
• IMPACT Connected Car
• IMPACT RobotUnion
• UNICEF Lab
• Ignite-LDR

Products and services

• IMPACT Growth Equity-free growth-stage acceleration program offering up to €250k in non-dilutive funding, an additional €1.5M private investment opportunity, personalized mentorship, corporate partner access, and integration with the AcceleraThor platform. Targets European startups in Smart Content, Smart Cities, Smart Agrifood, and Smart Manufacturing.
• IMPACT Connected Car Vertical-specific acceleration program for connected car and mobility startups, providing non-dilutive funding, mentorship, and partner introductions within the automotive/mobility ecosystem.
• IMPACT RobotUnion Vertical acceleration program for robotics startups, offering equity-free funding, FIWARE-based technology support, and access to corporate and institutional robotics partners.
• IMPACT EOI AceleraStartups Acceleration program co-developed with EOI for entrepreneurship and startup development, providing acceleration services to early/growth-stage Spanish startups.
• UNICEF Lab Social-impact acceleration program run with UNICEF, supporting startups whose products and services address challenges affecting children and young people.
• Ignite-LDR Leadership and development-focused acceleration offering within the IMPACT family of programs, supporting founders in scaling and leadership capability-building.

Quantifiable outcome

• Startups have obtained €183 million in funding after completing IMPACT programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• FundingBoxcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 September 2017FundingBox serves as the coordinator and lead partner of IMPACT Growth. They manage the open call platform and consortium operations under the European Commission's Horizon 2020 funding framework.
• ISDIcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 September 2017ISDI (Instituto Superior para el Desarrollo de Internet) is the first native digital business school and leads the high-quality acceleration program. ISDI provides training, mentorship coordination, and serves as the primary program operator.
• AcceleracecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 September 2017Accelerace is one of the top investors and accelerators from Northern Europe, co-leading the acceleration program alongside ISDI. They contribute expertise in scaling startups internationally.
• FIWARE FoundationcoreTechnology or IntegrationFIWARE Foundation provides open-source Cloud-based technology that startups can integrate into their projects. They offer specialized training and technical support for FIWARE adoption.
• 4YFNcoreGTM or Marketing Partner4YFN (4 Years From Now) is the startup business platform of Mobile World Capital Barcelona. They provide opportunities for selected startups to showcase at top international events.
• DOCOMO DigitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDOCOMO Digital leads the Smart Content vertical of IMPACT Growth. They provide corporate partnership and mentorship for content-focused startups in digital media, telecom, and social networks.
• Ferrovial ServicioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFerrovial Servicios supports the Smart Cities and Infrastructures vertical. They offer corporate coaching, pilot opportunities, and industry expertise for urban mobility and infrastructure startups.
• DanonecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanone leads the Smart Agrifood vertical, providing expertise and potential pilot programs for startups focused on agricultural technology and food production innovation.
• MADEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMADE (Danish accelerator) partners on the Smart Manufacturing vertical, contributing Nordic industrial expertise for Industry 4.0 and manufacturing innovation startups.
• Mobile World Capital BarcelonacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMobile World Capital Barcelona supports IMPACT programs by connecting startups to the best events worldwide and providing the 4YFN platform for international visibility.
• CTAGcoreTechnology or IntegrationCTAG (Automotive Technology Center of Galicia) provides technical coaching for IMPACT Connected Car startups, particularly in automotive technology validation and market introduction.
• PSA GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSA Peugeot Citroën serves as a corporate partner for IMPACT Connected Car, providing automotive industry expertise and potential pilot collaborations for connected vehicle startups.
• FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIA Region I provides consumer protection perspective and mobility policy expertise for connected car initiatives, supporting IMPACT Connected Car's mission for safer mobility.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/IMPACT_acc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCIOQoA-ZfMxthBICI1hlDww
• Facebookfacebook.com/ImpactAcc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/impact-accelerator

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IMPACT Growth