WILCO2027 deadline, funding, equity and how to apply
Île-de-France accelerator for tech startups under 3 years old. 6-month WILCO One program, no equity, up to €150,000 in 0% founder loans; €15,000 fee.
- Up to $173K
- Funding
- No equity
- Equity
- 6 months
- Program length
- Dates TBA
- Applications
About WILCO
WILCO is a non-profit accelerator based in the Paris region. It was created in 2002 on the Saclay plateau under the name Scientipôle and began accelerating startups in 2012. It now runs WILCO One, a six-month, KPI-driven program for tech and deep tech startups.
The stated goal for tech startups is to reach €1 million in annual revenue within three years. WILCO says it has accelerated more than 1,500 startups. It reports that 50% of its tech startups pass €1 million in annual revenue within three years, that alumni raised €244 million in 2024 with a median deal of €2 million, and that 85% are still operating after seven years.
WILCO takes no equity. The program costs €18,000, of which startups pay €15,000 and WILCO's expert partners cover 20%. Its main financial draw is the Prêt Entrepreneurs, a personal honour loan to the founders at 0% interest with no personal guarantee.
A startup can receive up to €150,000: €50,000 at selection and €25,000 to €100,000 after six months, repaid over 48 months after a 12-month grace period. Since launch, WILCO has lent €130 million to 1,919 startups. To join, a startup must be under three years old, have its head office in Île-de-France and build a technology-based innovation.
WILCO runs ten sector tracks across Industry, Healthcare and Digital.
What WILCO looks for
WILCO's selection jury looks at four points: how complete and complementary the team is, the offer including value proposition and market, the maturity of the project on the commercial and technology side, and whether the development plan is coherent. Startups must be under three years old, based in Île-de-France and built on a technology innovation. Solo founders can apply. Tech startups should be at early commercial traction, and deep tech startups around TRL 3 to 4.
How the WILCO program works
WILCO One lasts six months and works on five growth levers: Sales & Marketing, People & Leadership, Financial strategy, Tech & Product, and CSR. Each startup gets a sector Business Manager who coaches on the market and arranges meetings with qualified prospects. Theme experts coach on the five levers.
Six collective bootcamps cover topics such as IP, legal, management and fundraising, run with WILCO's partner experts. Progress is tracked against a KPI matrix set for each startup based on its technology depth, using a WILCO One dashboard. WILCO does not host startups, so the program runs outside any shared office.
Loans are decided by a volunteer financing committee three to six months after selection, with funds paid out one to two months later. WILCO runs its meeting space O10 in central Paris and a coworking site, Le 30, in Massy.
How to apply to WILCO
- 1Check eligibility: head office in Île-de-France, technology-based innovation, company under three years old.
- 2Pick one of the ten WILCO One sector programs and note its three-week application window on the calls page.
- 3Register for a Q&A webinar with WILCO's Business Managers before the window opens.
- 4Submit the application file during the window; pre-selection takes about two weeks.
- 5Pitch to the selection jury, then hold a one-to-one meeting with the Business Manager before final selection.
Startup perks after acceptance
Accelerator startups qualify for most startup credit programs. These are the ones founders claim first.
WILCO vs similar accelerators
| Program | Funding | Equity | Location | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WILCO | Up to $173K | No equity | Paris | Next deadline not announced yet |
| Paris&Co | No cash investment | No equity | Paris | Rolling admissions |
| Agoranov | No cash investment | No equity | Paris | Rolling admissions |
| Schoolab | No cash investment | No equity | Paris | Next deadline not announced yet |
| Creative Destruction Lab | No cash investment | No equity | 17 sites including Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Seattle, London, Paris, Berlin, Melbourne | Next deadline not announced yet |
| Station F Fighters Program | No cash investment | No equity | Paris | Next deadline not announced yet |
WILCO FAQ
When is the WILCO application deadline?+
WILCO has not announced its next deadline yet (Sector calls run 3 weeks each. The published calendar lists January, February, March and June windows; 2027 dates are partly still to be confirmed.). We check the official site every month and update this page when dates are published.
Does WILCO take equity?+
No. WILCO takes no stake in the startups it accelerates. It says this protects the founders' ownership. Instead, the WILCO One program costs €18,000, of which the startup pays €15,000 at the start, with 20% co-financed by WILCO's expert partners. WILCO is a non-profit organisation.
How do the WILCO loans work?+
Founders of accelerated startups can receive personal honour loans at 0% interest with no personal guarantee. A startup can get up to €150,000: €50,000 at selection and €25,000 to €100,000 at six months. Single-founder projects are capped at €75,000. Each founder repays over 48 months after a 12-month grace period.
Who is eligible for WILCO One?+
The startup must have its head office in Île-de-France, be less than three years old and build a technology-based innovation. Tech startups should be at early commercial traction and deep tech startups around TRL 3 to 4. Solo founders can apply. Rejected startups can reapply once they address the jury's feedback.
When are the WILCO application windows?+
Each sector call lasts three weeks. WILCO's published calendar lists AgriTech and Industry 4.0 from 5 to 25 January, Enterprise Software and FinTech from 1 to 22 February, health tracks from 1 to 22 March, and CleanTech and PropTech from 1 to 22 June. Some 2027 dates are marked as still to be confirmed.
Sources: wilco-ambitions.com, wilco-ambitions.com, wilco-ambitions.com, wilco-ambitions.com, wilco-ambitions.com