KickOff Ventures · Demo Day 2026

Ten startups built it.
Five took the stage.

Our first cohort spent the season turning ideas into companies. On Demo Day, five took the main stage and pitched live to Brainport's investors, builders and funds. Two walked away with a grant.

10
Startups in cohort 1
5
On the main stage
2
Demo Day grants
€5K
Awarded on stage
The grant winners
€2,500 each

The two that convinced the room.

Also on the main stage

Three more that pitched live.

The rest of the Demo Day main stage. Each spent the cohort going from prototype to pitch.

What is KickOff Ventures

A student pre accelerator, and Brabant's filtering layer for early startups.

We take student founders from idea to investable, then plug the best straight into the region's accelerators, programs and funds. Demo Day is where the cohort meets that network, on stage, in one room.

Build with a cohort
A season of mentorship, workshops and weekly accountability.
Pitch on Demo Day
Take the main stage in front of Brainport's investors and funds.
Get funneled forward
A direct line into programs like HighTechXL, Graduate Ventures and EWOR — plus grants like The Gate and Round One.
The road here · 2026

How the first season played out.

From open call to Demo Day — the road our first cohort travelled this year.

1
Jan – Mar

Applications

An open call across Brabant. Students pitched their ideas — no restrictions on discipline or background.

2
March

Cohort selected

10 startups chosen for the first cohort. 1 mission: KickOff.

3
Apr – Jun

Build season

Mentorship and workshops with OWOW, full access to the EWOR founder platform, and a hackathon with Lovable.

4
June

Demo Day

5 startups took the main stage in front of Brainport. 2 walked away with a €2,500 grant.

Cohort 2 opens soon.

We're opening applications for our second cohort soon — likely September. Join our WhatsApp group to stay in the loop and be first to know when it goes live.