Next Stage - The Ideas Forward accelerator for Greek tech founders.
Next Stage is Ideas Forward's own accelerator brand, designed and run by our team for tech startup and spin-off founders across Greece.
It is the vehicle through which we run programs where we fully control the methodology, the format, and the founder relationship. Since 2021, Next Stage has supported 60+ startup teams and 150+ founders, with more than 500 hours of training and one-on-one coaching delivered. Nine companies founded by Next Stage alumni have gone on to raise capital, totaling more than €5M to date.
Who Next Stage is for
Next Stage is for early-stage Greek tech founders — teams at idea stage, concept stage, or early product stage who are willing to pressure-test their assumptions and do the work required to find out whether the opportunity is real.
The strongest fit is with founders working on deep tech or research-originating ventures, though the program is open to early-stage tech founders broadly.
Program history
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2021 · Next Stage Challenge. A 12-week hybrid accelerator and competition for early-stage startups from Northern Greece, open across idea, prototype, and early-revenue stages, with €20,000+ in prizes distributed across three tracks.
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2022 · Next Stage Sustainability Bootcamp. A 10-day in-person bootcamp at Alexander Innovation Zone for 15 teams building ventures aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with €10,000+ in prizes and follow-on support.
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2023 · Next Stage Sustainability Bootcamp. A second edition of the sustainability bootcamp, this time with a sharper focus on agri-food and energy, running over 10 days in November with €5,000+ in prizes for top teams.
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2024 · Next Stage Lab-to-Market Bootcamp. A 3-week in-person program co-organized with AUTh and Alexander Innovation Zone for 12 research teams and spinoffs, with two tracks — one for AUTh researchers, one open — and €8,000+ in prizes awarded to six teams.
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2026 · Next cohort . An 8-week hybrid lab-to-market acceleration program for spin-offs and tech startups from across Greece.
What to expect
Next Stage is built around the Forward Method. Founders work through structured customer discovery, assumption mapping, business model formation, and financial opportunity assessment — not toward a polished pitch, but toward a defensible understanding of whether the opportunity is worth pursuing.
Expect direct challenge, real workload, and practical outcomes.
