Startup Initiative

Supporting Europe's ambitious early-stage founders.

Our Startup Initiative connects with founders who have demonstrated a validated problem/solution fit - selected through the MoreThanDigital Innovation pipeline - and provides them with the support network they need to grow responsibly and at scale.

Backed by the MoreThanDigital ecosystem · Growing responsibly, at scale
Our thesis

Insight into validated problems, access to ambitious founders.

Through the MoreThanDigital ecosystem and its Innovation program, we have continual access to thousands of problem insights - a rich intelligence layer about what startups are addressing and what real-world stakeholders need.

This gives us a structural advantage over the wider market: we see validated problems early and the founders working to solve them, before they become obvious to others.

  • Access through MoreThanDigital Innovation
  • Validated problem/solution fit required
  • Focus on ambitious, growth-ready founders
  • Responsible, scalable growth path
  • Ecosystem-wide support network
The pipeline

A structured pathway for founders.

Founders reach us through a deliberate, evidence-driven sequence inside the MoreThanDigital ecosystem - not through cold outreach or generic pitch decks.

Step 1

MoreThanDigital Innovation

Founders enter the MoreThanDigital ecosystem through its Innovation program, where real-world problems are surfaced, validated, and matched with solutions.

Step 2

Validated problem/solution fit

Founders demonstrate a validated problem/solution fit - evidence that a real problem exists, that a meaningful market is engaged, and that their solution addresses it.

Step 3

Founder evaluation

We evaluate ambition, execution capacity, domain expertise, and readiness for the growth phase ahead - selecting only those founders who have demonstrated resilience and capability.

Step 4

Engagement

Qualified founders receive support calibrated to their stage and ambition - through the ecosystem's network of partners, mentors, and resources for responsible, scalable growth.

What we look for

Evidence over narrative.

We don't rely on pitch decks alone. Our selection process is grounded in demonstrated facts - the problem is real, the solution addresses it, and the founder has the ambition and capability to take it further.

Validated fit

Evidence that the problem is real, needs solving, and the solution is being adopted by real users or stakeholders.

Ambitious founders

Founders who have shown execution capacity, domain expertise, and the drive to build something durable - not just a quick exit.

Capitally efficient

Founders who understand that resources are finite and who can demonstrate how they deploy capital thoughtfully and with measurable outcomes.

European resilience

Founders building solutions that strengthen Europe's digital resilience, independence, and competitive position in the global economy.

How we support founders

More than mentorship, less than dependence.

Qualified founders engage with a structured support network inside the MoreThanDigital ecosystem - designed to build lasting capability, not reliance.

01

Strategic Network

Access to industry leaders, institutional partners, and potential collaborators across the MoreThanDigital ecosystem.

02

Domain Mentorship

Guidance from practitioners who have built and scaled in regulated, infrastructure-heavy, and data-intensive industries.

03

Commercial Pathways

Connections to potential enterprise and public-sector customers with validated needs that align to the founder's solution.

04

Operational Guidance

Structuring, governance, compliance, and growth planning - helping founders build foundations that last.

05

Responsible Trajectory

A growth path designed for long-term value creation - not short-term metrics - aligned with European regulatory and operational expectations.

MoreThanDigital Innovation

The intelligence layer behind our Startup Initiative

MoreThanDigital Innovation surfaces thousands of real-world problems. Founders who demonstrate a validated solution to those problems enter a deliberate pathway - from observed need to validated fit to ecosystem-backed growth.

Real-world problem sourcing Validated problem/solution fit Founder readiness evaluation Ecosystem-backed growth
Explore MoreThanDigital Innovation
Why this approach works

A structural advantage over the wider market.

  • Problem-first, not pitch-first

    Founders demonstrate that a real problem exists and is worth solving - validated by stakeholders, not a deck.

  • Continual insight

    Thousands of problem insights flowing through the ecosystem - giving us visibility into what's emerging, not just what's already obvious.

  • Founder readiness

    Only founders who have demonstrated ambition, resilience, and execution capability proceed to engagement.

  • Ecosystem-backed

    Growth supported by the full MoreThanDigital network - not a single source of funding, but a durable support structure.

Contact

Founders, partners & industry enquiries.

Qualified founders in the MoreThanDigital Innovation pipeline, potential partners, or institutional collaborators may reach our team here. Open-house submissions are not accepted.