Accelerator for
Early-Stage Female Founded Start-ups
Entry Criteria
1. Own the majority of the business: at least 51% of the company must be women-owned.
2. You are building an early-stage startup: you have an idea, early product, or MVP and are actively working to turn it into a viable business.
3. You have a business with potential to grow and develop
intoa sustainable business.
4. You can participate in English: applications, founder interviews, pitching, and parts of the program are conducted in English.
Timeline 2027
30 Sep - 07 Dec 2026
Application Window
The application window is open from September 15th to December 7th 2026.
8 - 20 December 2026
Evaluation Window
Our team reviews applications, meets shortlisted founders, and selects the startups that will join DEA 2027 cohort.
15 January 2027
Opening Event
A casual kick-off to meet accepted founders, mentors and partners, align on expectations, and set the tone for the next 12 weeks. Venue to be announced.
21 Jan - 15 Apr 2027
Weekly Learning Slots
Weekly in-person meetups, including workshops, founder talks, mentor and admin team check-ins, designed to keep your momentum on track.
11 Feb, 11 Mar, 01 Apr
Mini Pitch Days
Pitch sessions once a month where founders pitch in front of DEA team, mentor and external partners, get focused feedback and prep for the closing event.
17 April 2027
Final Demo Day
A high-energy finale where founders pitch in front of investor jury, DEA's partners and wider ecosystem, the format is competitive and includes diverse prizes.
8th to 12th of December
Demo Day
To be scheduled
What will you get?
1:1
Coaching
Dedicated mentorship for the full 3 months
Weekly
Meetings
Weekly Thursday evening sessions in Sofia
Core
Skills
Deep dive into product development, customer discovery, sales, finance, and fundraising
Investor Access
Access to the Startup Bulgaria mini Pitch Day and opportunity to pitch to investors
Demo
Day
A final Demo Day to present your business in front of an audience and potential investors
Networking
Events
Full community support from mentors, alumni, and partners
Learning Sessions by Topic
Week 1
15 January 2027
Kickoff & Founding Thesis: Program overview, mentor-founder matching, and a structured exercise to articulate the problem you're solving and why now.
Week 8
04 March 2027
Fundraising Mechanics: Cap tables, valuation methods, SAFEs vs. priced rounds, and how investors actually assess a deal.
Week 2
21 January 2027
Problem Validation: Frameworks for testing whether a problem is real, urgent, and worth building a company around before any product exists.
Week 9
11 March 2027
Mini Pitch Day 2: Present your problem and customer evidence to partners, investors and VC representatives.
Week 3
28 January 2027
Market & Positioning: TAM/SAM/SOM sizing, competitive landscape mapping, and defining the specific wedge market you can win first.
Week 10
18 March 2027
Team Structure & Co-Founder Agreements: Equity splits, vesting, decision rights, and structuring a founding team built to last.
Week 4
04 February 2027
MVP, Value Proposition & Business Model: define the solution, articulate why customers will choose it, and map how it becomes a viable, repeatable business.
Week 11
25 March 2027
Legal Foundations: Incorporation, IP assignment, and founder agreements, getting investor-ready before your final pitch.
Week 5
11 February 2027
Mini Pitch Day 1: Present your problem and customer evidence to mentors and internal team.
Week 12
01 April 2027
Brand Narrative & Pitch Story: Refining your brand, story, and positioning to clearly communicate the value of your business and make your pitch more compelling.
Week 6
18 February 2027
GTM & Early Traction: Acquisition channels, early customer journey, messaging, traction metrics and GTM experiments.
Week 13
08 April 2027
Mini Pitch Day 3: Deliver your full investor-grade pitch.
Week 7
25 February 2027
Financial Modeling & Unit Economics: Building your first revenue and cost model, calculating CAC and LTV, and understanding runway.
Week 14
15 April 2027
Dry Run Presentations: Polish delivery and handle tough questions before Demo Day.
Hear from DEA Alumni
Hear what some of the participants are saying
about DEA Accelerate.
Media
Partners
