Welcome to the

Athens Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ACE)

Whether you're a startup founder, a curious student, a researcher or an established business seeking to spark innovation, ACE is here to empower you.

Open Calls

Are you a student or researcher and wish to turn your innovative entrepreneurial ideas or scientific research into a sustainable business? This is your place.

Startups

Investor Day at Athenian Nexus Summit 2025

Are you an early-stage or pre-seed startup eager to showcase your ideas and connect with investors? This is your chance to boost your startup’s visibility, connect with investors & industry representatives and explore opportunities for growth! Apply now!

Students

IDEA Program: Innovation Design & Entrepreneurial Action

The IDEA Program is an initiative designed to bring together students from different universities and academic backgrounds, empowering them to develop entrepreneurial skills and collaborate on innovative solutions.

Startups

Exclusive 1:1 meetings at the OFF the Record event!

At the Athenian Nexus Summit’s Off The Record event, you’ll have the chance to join exclusive 1:1 meetings with leading companies and industry experts. This is your moment to build connections and unlock future opportunities. Don’t miss it! 🚀Apply now!

Students

Become an InnovACEr!

Do you want to experience the most dynamic student innovation community? Through activities, events, and unique experiences, you will meet new people, develop skills, and become part of ACE! Apply now & join our team!

The Incubator and the Technology Transfer Office of Athens University of Economics & Business

ACE is open and accessible to everyone, extending beyond the boundaries of Athens University of Economics and Business. Regardless of your background or affiliation, our doors are wide open to individuals who aspire to embark on entrepreneurial endeavours or seek to commercialise research outcomes. ACE ranked 69th among the 125 best accelerators andincubators in Europe, according to the "Europe’s Leading StartupHubs 2024" report published by the Financial Times and Statista.

Our services

Explore our dynamic programs designed to empower entrepreneurs, foster innovation, and turn ideas into successful ventures

Startup Acceleration & Incubation

From ambition to acceleration
We support start-ups and founders at all stages.

Entrepreneurial Skills Development

Learning entrepreneurship – through our hand-ons workshops, lectures and executive programs for founders and corporates.

Technology Transfer

Create a university spinoff & get support on patents.

Proof-of-Concept Funding

We help startups and founders secure prototyping funding and pilot implementation.

Innovation for Corporates

Unlocking the potential for innovation through scouting startups & technologies, co-developing products, boosting the entrepreneurial mindset.

Get access to a vibrant international network

Get access to a vibrant local ecosystem, an extended regional and international network

A decade of milestones

Celebrating a decade of impact, ACE has supported countless startups, nurtured innovation, and driven entrepreneurial success through key milestones!

10.5+

More than 15 startups have raised VC funding

235+

To empower employment in more than 10 industries

250+

Supported and endorsed by AUEB to run innovation

8000+

engaged & educated through our programs

With programs tailor made for you

Our teams have gone and created outstanding companies

The ACE team helped us believe in our vision, chase it with all our strength, and after every obstacle, they were there to help us get back on our feet.

When Inagros was just an idea, the ACE team believed in it and helped us take our first steps. They’ve been by our side at every stage of our journey, as we continue to grow. Thank you so much for everything!

ACE played a significant role in helping us evolve from a research team into a team that understands entrepreneurship and the market.

The ACE team helped us turn our idea into action and take our first steps into the world of entrepreneurship. They stood by us throughout the entire program, providing meaningful and practical support that allowed us to launch our commercial activity. Thank you very much!

ACE was a huge help at Uplodio. They gave us the kind of support every early-stage startup needs. Great coaching to solve everyday problems, mentorship from industry experts, and connections that opened doors for us. Thanks to ACE, we joined the startup ecosystem and felt part of a community. Really appreciate everything they did for us.

Thanks to ACE, a game-changing pilot opened the door to our first impact funding, and their support has been a catalyst for our growth and purpose ever since.

ACE played a crucial role in Clio Muse’s early growth, helping us build a scalable business model, understand product-market fit, and learn how to effectively sell to real customers.

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