Wednesday, January 28, 2026
– Third program will support Ireland’s most promising AI-first start-ups to accelerate traction and complete investment round in 2026
(Opens in new window)NovaUCD and (Opens in new window)CeADAR today announced that it is inviting applications from Ireland-based AI start-ups to join University College Dublin’s (UCD) 2026 AI Ecosystem Accelerator Program. The accelerator is delivered by NovaUCD and CeADAR as part of CeADAR’s European Digital Innovation Hub for AI program, which supports Irish start-ups and SMEs innovating with AI.
Now in its third year, the six-month accelerator aims to help Ireland’s most promising and disruptive AI-first startups accelerate their commercial traction into global markets and become investment-ready, scalable businesses, with a particular focus on startups that are actively raising capital and are aiming to close their funding round in 2026.
Michelle Doyle, senior manager of strategic innovation partnerships at NovaUCD, said: “We are pleased to open applications for the third cohort of the AI ecosystem accelerator, delivered by NovaUCD in partnership with CeADAR and supported through the European Digital Innovation Hub framework.”
This year’s program is designed as a conversion engine, supporting ambitious AI-first startups that have already undergone market validation and live pilots and are now focused on accelerating traction and closing a funding round in 2026.
We encourage founders who are building globally scalable AI products in a wide range of sectors, including healthcare, cybersecurity, education, sustainability, finance, content creation, supply chain, and customer service, to apply and become part of our growing ecosystem of high-potential entrepreneurs. ”
The AI Ecosystem Accelerator program provides a structured pathway for founders ready to move beyond their initial ideas and turn validated momentum into scalable growth and investor readiness.
The program also offers a combination of commercial, financing, and technical support, including guidance from CeADAR’s AI experts to strengthen your readiness for AI adoption and scale. This includes support for data strategy, model evaluation, AI deployment readiness, and whether the underlying AI is robust, reliable, and fit for real-world use.
A total of 20 startups have completed the program over the past two years. (Opens in new window)nestify, (Opens in new window)trojan truck, (Opens in new window)UniDoodle (Opens in new window)unit mode.
Stephen O’Dwyer, founder of TrojanTrack, which received the One to Watch Award at the end of the 2025 program, said: “We highly recommend the AI Ecosystem Accelerator Program for entrepreneurs who want to advance their AI-first startups through the program’s excellent and dedicated technical and commercial support.
Participating in last year’s program was great and I learned a lot from the NovaUCD and CeADAR teams, program facilitators, mentors, and fellow startup participants. Now that we have started closing on our €1.3 million seed round, we are able to exit the program with sharper thinking, genuine connections, and great momentum for TrojanTrack. ”
Support for program participants also includes experienced commercial mentors and practical workshops focused on positioning, value proposition refinement, expansion and investor readiness. Participants will also benefit from access to NovaUCD’s collaborative coworking space, giving them the opportunity to connect with successful entrepreneurs, startups, companies and investors, and access skilled interns.
Starting in April, the 2026 AI Ecosystem Accelerator Program will culminate in an Investor Showcase event, connecting founders with investors and strategic partners when they are ready to accelerate and take the next stage of growth.
Dr. Ricardo Simon Carballo, Director of Innovation Development at CeADAR, said: “The AI Ecosystem Accelerator is a key service within the European Digital Innovation Hub in CeADAR’s AI program. We will help founders accelerate from traction to investment readiness through a combination of technical guidance. We encourage AI entrepreneurs to tap into and benefit from the expertise, network and financial support available through CeADAR’s EDIH program.”
The AI Ecosystem Accelerator Program is funded through the European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) Framework, a pan-European initiative supported by the European Commission and member state governments. In Ireland, the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment leads the EDIH program through Enterprise Ireland.
Applications are accepted from below https://www.ucd.ie/innovation/start-ups/aiecosystemaccelerator/
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January 28, 2026
For more information Contact Micéal Whelan, Communications and Media Relations Manager at UCD Research and Innovation. Email: (Opens in new window)tinyal.whelan@ucd.ie.
Editor’s note
Who should apply to the 2026 AI Ecosystem Accelerator Program?
Irish startups:
- AI and defense as a core part of the product
- Validated MVPs or products already on the market and/or active pilots in progress
- Clear access to technical co-founder, CTO, or AI engineering capabilities to provide roadmap
- Evidence of customer demand and a clear path to scale
- A dedicated team with the ability to execute quickly.
https://www.ucd.ie/innovation/start-ups/aiecosystemaccelerator/
For more information, Nova UCD visit: (Opens in new window)www.novaucd.ie
For more information, CeADAR visit: (Opens in new window)www.ceadar.ie
of Europe’s digital innovation hub (EDIH) is a one-stop shop that helps businesses and public sector organizations meet digital challenges and become more competitive. Four European Digital Innovation Hubs are currently operational in Ireland, including CeADAR. (Opens in new window)https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/activities/edihs
