NextWave: National Women Founders Accelerator
An accelerator designed to empower women founders to validate, build, and scale with confidence.
Who is it for?
- The NextWave Programme is a 10-week national accelerator designed exclusively for women founders.
- Through an energised mix of structured learning, mentorship, and peer connection, participants will validate their ideas, refine compelling narratives, and build momentum toward investor readiness.
- At the heart of the programme is a high-trust, founder-first community that provides lasting support, shared ambition, and an environment where women founders can thrive.
- The programme is open to high-potential women founders ready to commit to an intensive and challenging experience.
- Investment Stage: You’re aiming to secure pre-seed or seed investment for your company which has ideally been incorporated for less than three years.
- Market Insight: You have a clear value proposition that demonstrates a real, significant problem.
- Product Stage: You’ve developed an MVP and have started validating that in the market.
- Export Potential: You have an international focus and are looking to scale the company and create jobs in Ireland.
What is provided?
Immersive Surge Sessions: High-intensity, in-person cohort gatherings designed to fast-track clarity and alignment. These sessions create concentrated bursts of focus and momentum, equipping founders with the energy and insights to advance their ventures.
Ebb & Flow Tracks: Flexible and accessible pathways tailored to each founder’s stage and schedule. Combining on-demand content, self-directed learning, and live webinars, the tracks provide structure without pressure and accountability without rigidity.
Integration Spaces: Strategically placed intervals throughout the programme to allow participants to consolidate insights and apply learning between high-impact days. This proven approach maximises knowledge transfer and ensures practical implementation.
Mentorship pathways
Wave Maker Mentorship: Sector-specific founder-mentors provide insight, wisdom, and navigation through entrepreneurial challenges.
Anchor Mentorship: High-trust, hyper-local guidance from BIC consultants who balance challenge with support, helping founders stay grounded while pursuing bold growth.
What can it be used for?
- Achieve clarity of vision and narrative for your start-up
- Develop your product or service to achieve validation and traction
- Strengthen investor readiness with structured momentum
- Access tailored, sector-specific mentorship and investor networks
- Build enduring connections through a trusted founder community
Dates
Online Information Session – with Irish BIC’s
Applications close: 7th October at 23:59
Application review: 8th October – 10th October
Shortlist interviews (online): 13th October – 16th October
Cohort onboarding & pre-work: 20th October – 4th November
Programme starts: 12th November
Programme duration: 10 weeks (Programme will be on hiatus during the Christmas Period)
NextWave is an accelerator programme delivered nationally by the Irish BICs, in collaboration with Enterprise Ireland.
