Akces Ncbr

What Akces Ncbr does

Akces NCBR Sp. z o.o. is a Polish government-backed technology accelerator incorporated in Warsaw, established to perform statutory tasks defined under the Act on Narodowe Centrum Badań i Rozwoju (NCBR), including financing preparation of R&D results for implementation, supporting commercialization of research outcomes, scientific staff development, and participation in international research programs. It serves scientists, students, PhD candidates, and research teams developing early-stage innovations at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 3-8, with eligibility capped at companies within five years of registration.

The offering is structured around six acceleration programs: three horizontal programs (HPN Impakt, HPN Deep-Tech with EIC Launchpad path, and Horyzontalny Program Naukowy) plus three vertical programs (MilTech for defense/dual-use, SpaceTech for space-enabled technologies, plus the completed 2023-2024 Program Pilotażowy). Each program pairs business mentoring with experienced practitioners, a non-repayable grant of up to 300,000 PLN, and optional capital investment of up to 600,000 PLN — a combination described in source material as unique in the Polish accelerator market. Substantive partners per program include the Polish Patent Office, NCBR and EU Research Programmes Contact Point (KPK), UNEP/GRID Warszawa, the Ministry of National Defence, the Polish Space Agency (POLSA), and ARP S.A. as operator of ESA BIC Poland. Pre-acceleration education is delivered via Akces Lab (workshops, webinars on international expansion, IP, and acceleration mechanics).

Akces NCBR operates without traditional paying customers; it does not disclose revenue, has no public ticker, and is funded within the NCBR ecosystem. Its registered capital is 10,974,000 PLN. GTM combines top-of-funnel activity (LinkedIn presence, industry conferences such as Deep Tech CEE Summit and Kongres Nauka dla Biznesu) with bottom-of-funnel open calls, formal evaluation, and Pitch Day selection. Post-acceleration support routes beneficiaries into a network of VC funds, business angels, and corporate partners — and, uniquely for HPN Deep-Tech, into an EIC Accelerator preparation pathway. The leadership team was refreshed in early 2025 under President Arleta Malasińska with Vice Presidents Tomasz Pilewicz (Commercialization) and Marek Składowski (Operations).

Name

Akces Ncbr

Legal name

Akces NCBR Sp. z o.o.

Website

https://akces-ncbr.pl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Akces NCBR is a Polish government-backed technology accelerator that combines business mentoring (100k PLN), non-repayable grants (300k PLN), and optional capital investment (600k PLN) to support R&D-based startups at TRL 3-8 through horizontal and vertical acceleration programs across multiple industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Accelerator and R&D Commercialization Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate Deep Tech / R&D Commercialization CVC (FSANAHAL)

Keywords

• Startup acceleration services
• Deep-tech commercialization
• R&D grant funding
• Innovation mentoring programs
• Science-to-market support

Headquarters

HQ city

Warszawa

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Accelerator Program Services: Akces NCBR operates as a government-backed accelerator (spółka Skarbu Państwa related to NCBR) providing non-repayable grants, mentoring, and optional investment to startups. The organization receives funding from Narodowe Centrum Badań i Rozwoju (NCBR) and related government programs to support innovation ecosystem development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Akces NCBR runs acceleration programs combining mentoring (up to 100,000 PLN), non-repayable grants (up to 300,000 PLN), and optional capital investment (up to 600,000 PLN) for R&D-based startups at TRL 3-8. The company operates horizontal programs open to all innovation sectors and vertical/sector-specific programs (defense, space, deep-tech) to support the commercialization of scientific research results from Polish scientists, students, PhD candidates, and research teams.

Product overview

Akces NCBR is a technology accelerator operating as a limited liability company (Sp. z o.o.) in Poland, implementing unique acceleration programs at TRL levels 3-8. The offering consists of horizontal programs (HPN Impakt, HPN Deep-Tech, Horyzontalny Program Naukowy) open to all innovation sectors, and vertical/industry-specific programs (MilTech for defense, SpaceTech for space technologies). Each program combines three key support elements: business mentoring (up to 100,000 PLN), non-refundable grants (up to 300,000 PLN), and optional capital investment (up to 600,000 PLN). The company also provides Akces Lab educational initiatives, webinars, and post-acceleration support for fundraising and internationalization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HPN Impakt Horizontal acceleration program for innovative technological solutions with high social and environmental impact potential, targeting TRL 3-8 and combining mentoring, grant up to 300,000 PLN, and collaboration with UNEP/GRID Warszawa as thematic partner.
• HPN Deep-Tech Deep-tech focused acceleration program in collaboration with NCBR and EU Research Programmes Contact Point (KPK), including a dedicated EIC Launchpad path preparing projects for European Innovation Council funding, targeting TRL 4-6 projects with global commercialization potential.
• MilTech Defense and dual-use technologies vertical acceleration program in partnership with the Ministry of National Defense (MON), focused on space/satellite technologies, maritime infrastructure security, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), counter-drone solutions, and AI for drone swarms.
• SpaceTech Vertical acceleration program for space technologies and their applications, partnered with the Polish Space Agency (POLSA) and Industrial Development Agency (ARP S.A.) as the ESA Business Incubation Centre Poland operator; targets TRL 5-8 space-enabled technologies.
• Horyzontalny Program Naukowy (Horizontal Scientific Program) Horizontal acceleration program emphasizing support for Polish scientists commercializing R&D results across all scientific fields at TRL 3-8 with defined commercial implementation perspectives.
• Program Pilotażowy (Pilot Program) Pilot acceleration program conducted in 2023-2024 that selected 17 startups from various industries, providing 300,000 PLN non-repayable financial support and 100,000 PLN mentoring per beneficiary.
• Akces Lab Educational initiative including workshops, webinars, and events supporting startup development topics such as international expansion, IP protection, acceleration programs, and networking.

Quantifiable outcome

• 17 startups accelerated in pilot program 2023-2024 with 300,000 PLN grant each plus mentoring

Named customers12 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Urząd Patentowy RPmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 July 2025Polish Patent Office and Akces NCBR signed cooperation agreement for IP protection in the startup environment, supporting intellectual property management for accelerator beneficiaries.
• Narodowe Centrum Badań i Rozwoju (NCBR) / Krajowy Punkt Kontaktowy Programów Badawczych UE (KPK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCBR KPK is the key institutional partner for HPN Deep-Tech program, providing expertise in EU research programs and EIC Accelerator applications. KPK advisors provide consultations for program participants preparing for EIC Accelerator funding.
• UNEP/GRID WarszawacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNEP/GRID Warszawa is the substantive partner for HPN Impakt program, contributing expertise in sustainable development and environmental impact assessment of projects.
• Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej (MON)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinistry of National Defence provides substantive support to MilTech program, indicating priority areas and real needs for increasing security and defense with potential for defense industry and civilian market adaptation (dual-use technologies).
• Polska Agencja Kosmiczna (POLSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolish Space Agency supports SpaceTech program substantively and strategically, actively seeking new breakthrough solutions for Poland's space sector development.
• Agencja Rozwoju Przemysłu S.A.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARP S.A. operates ESA Business Incubation Centre Poland and supports startups using space technologies or developing solutions for the space sector, helping participants think globally from the first steps.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• MassChallenge: Global non-equity accelerator with public and corporate partners, offering mentorship and grant-like support to early-stage startups. Comparable to Akces NCBR's non-repayable grant + mentoring structure and government-affiliated funding model.
• Startupbootcamp: European accelerator network with industry-vertical programs (including FinTech, Health, Energy). Comparable to Akces NCBR's vertical program approach and European regional focus.
• Techstars: Global accelerator network running mentorship-driven programs with optional equity investment. Comparable to Akces NCBR on the program structure (mentoring + grant/investment + cohort-based support) though at much larger scale.
• Plug and Play Tech Center: Global corporate-backed accelerator and VC running vertical programs across multiple industries. Comparable to Akces NCBR's vertical-based approach (defense, space, deep-tech) and corporate partnership model.
• EIT InnoEnergy: European deep-tech accelerator/VC focused on sustainable energy and mobility, with significant government/European backing. Comparable to Akces NCBR as a European institutional accelerator combining grants, mentoring, and equity investment for science-based startups.

Direct peers

• Fundingbox: European (including Poland-based) deep-tech accelerator that runs EU-funded cohort programs offering grants and equity-free support to startups. Closely comparable to Akces NCBR as a European-style accelerator combining grants, mentoring, and EU program access.
• Y Combinator: Leading global accelerator providing small investment plus intensive mentorship to early-stage startups in cohort format. Comparable to Akces NCBR in core accelerator mechanic (mentoring + investment + cohort), though primarily software/tech focused.
• ESA BIC (European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre) Network: European network of space-focused business incubators including ESA BIC Poland operated by ARP. Directly comparable to Akces NCBR's SpaceTech program since Akces partners with ARP/ESA BIC Poland for space sector acceleration.

Regional players

• Huge Thing: Polish VC and accelerator supporting early-stage startups with mentorship and pre-seed/seed funding. Comparable to Akces NCBR as a Polish-based startup supporter, though more equity-focused and less government-backed.
• Invento VC: Polish early-stage VC fund with broad sector focus, supporting Polish startups from seed to Series A. Comparable to Akces NCBR as a Polish startup ecosystem participant, though more capital-focused than program-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/akces-ncbr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Akces Ncbr