Aspiring entrepreneurs across Wales are being urged to apply for the Business Wales Start-Up Accelerator by Wednesday, 9 September 2026, for the cohort running from 29 September to 10 December 2026.
The programme is open exclusively to Wales-based founders with high-growth business ideas who can demonstrate potential to reach £1 million in annual turnover, create ten or more full-time jobs and export internationally by 2029.
The Start-Up Accelerator provides intensive support to help founders move quickly from concept to first customers. Participants benefit from one-to-one expert mentoring, weekly webinars and masterclasses and peer networking with like-minded entrepreneurs. The programme also incorporates AI tools to accelerate market research and shorten time-to-market, alongside PR and marketing opportunities to raise the profile of participants’ businesses.
The programme’s impact is illustrated by Graze Guard, which produces a spray that protects athletes from turf burns on artificial pitches. Founder Latham Tawhai, a former professional rugby league player, won the Accelerator Champion Award as part of the Start-Up Accelerator’s latest cohort. Graze Guard has since launched and is being adopted by clubs and sporting organisations across the UK.
Latham Tawhai, founder of Graze Guard, said:
“When I joined the accelerator, I had a product I believed in but no clear path forward. The programme pushed me to test my assumptions, engage with real buyers and build on solid commercial foundations. That’s what gave us the platform to progress. Graze Guard is now available to buy, and we’re in talks with major sporting clubs and organisations. I don’t think we’d have moved this fast without the Start-Up Accelerator.”
Previous participants have gone on to build strong businesses on the national stage. LanoTech, which is pioneering the use of lanolin from sheep’s wool as a sustainable alternative to soy and vegetable oil in animal feed, has secured a £470,000 investment pipeline since graduating and was named Best Rural StartUp at the 2025 UK National StartUp Awards. Emwillcare, which has developed an AI-powered platform that helps carers understand and respond to distressed behaviour in dementia patients, won the StartUp For Good Award at the 2026 Wales StartUp Awards and will go forward to the UK National Final at Ideas Fest in September.
Lucy Jones, Operations Manager of the Accelerated Growth Programme, said:
“The track record of the Start-Up Accelerator speaks for itself and we want to build on that with this new cohort. The accelerator gives founders in Wales a fully funded route from idea to first customer. Over ten weeks, we help participants sharpen their proposition, test it with real buyers and leave with a business plan they can act on straight away.
“We can also offer barrier funding and adjustments where eligible, to remove obstacles related to access needs or caring responsibilities.
“Applications close on 9 September, and I’d encourage anyone with a genuine business idea to apply before the deadline.”
Interested entrepreneurs can apply here.
