Decelera Menorca 2026: First Edition of a New Investment Model in Southern Europe

Decelera Ventures launched last Friday the Menorca edition, which will run until Friday, May 29, marking the first edition held under its new investment model. It represents a structural shift from the previous ten editions: it is no longer a program where startups compete for capital, but rather one in which selection and investment decisions go hand in hand.

Under the new model, Decelera can commit up to €1 million in initial investment per company — €300,000 through a first investment made before the program, and up to an additional €700,000 via a convertible note a few weeks later for the highest-performing teams — while reserving up to another €1 million per company for follow-on rounds. In total, up to €2 million in investment capacity per company throughout its journey.

An Edition That Changes the Contract Between Fund and Founder

For a decade, Decelera operated like the rest of the European early-stage ecosystem: startups applied, attended the Menorca program, and only a portion received investment afterward. The new model changes the sequence. Selection and investment decisions now happen together, and the capital relationship is defined from the beginning of the program, not as a later outcome.

For founders, this changes three things at once:

• It changes the relationship with capital. The program ceases to be a process for securing funding and becomes a week of strategic work within an already established investment relationship.
• Time on the island takes on a different nature. Seven days no longer function as a selection filter, but instead become real time for reflection, mentor sessions, and connection with the investor network.
• The signal to the market is fundamentally different. Being part of the Decelera program now means having a high-conviction investor willing to commit in a structured way, without being conditioned by a demo day.

“This is not an incremental change,” says Marcos Martín, founder and CEO of Decelera Ventures. “We redesigned our model to reflect the level of conviction with which we invest. If we select you, we back you from day one. And the most honest way to demonstrate that is to commit capital before the program, not condition it on what happens afterward.”

Why Fewer Startups

The new format also implies a more concentrated program. Compared with the 25 startups selected in previous editions, Decelera Menorca 2026 has selected fewer than 15 teams from among hundreds of applications received. The reduction is deliberate: with a capital commitment of up to €2 million per company, the selection process must match the scale of the financial commitment.

What remains unchanged is the most demanding founder selection filter in Southern Europe and the Hispanic ecosystem. What changes is what happens after startups pass through it.

Seven Days in Menorca, One Week to Think

The program, running on the island from May 22 to May 29, takes place across the venues Decelera has consolidated as its campus over the past nine years. Seven intensive days during which selected teams work alongside the firm’s network of mentors and operators — including founders from Cabify, Red Points, Mailchimp, Jumia, Playtomic and ForceManager, among others — combining strategic sessions with spaces for personal reflection.

Decelera’s methodology maintains its three phases — Breathe, Focus and Grow — but their meaning changes under the new model. They are no longer preparation to secure funding. They are preparation to make the best possible use of capital that is already in the bank.

A New Chapter for Decelera

Since 2022, Decelera has managed a €38 million fund from Spain focused on technology companies in Southern Europe. In 2025, it launched a second fund in Mexico of approximately $30 million, dedicated to Hispanic founders building from the Americas. With the new investment model, the firm positions itself among the most competitive early-stage investors in both regions: doubling the initial check size of Y Combinator and matching the commitment levels of the most ambitious programs in the global market.

For founders building purpose-driven companies, the Menorca 2026 edition marks the beginning of a new way of engaging with investors:

• More capital, earlier.
• Less fundraising pressure during the program.
• A stronger signal for later-stage investors.
• A long-term capital partner with reserved follow-on funding.

About Decelera

Decelera is a global network of venture capital funds investing in founders with purpose and extraordinary potential. Through a unique immersive selection process and a long-term capital strategy, the firm supports high-conviction teams across Southern Europe and the Hispanic ecosystem. Since 2022, it has managed a €38 million fund from Madrid, and in 2025 launched a second fund in Mexico with an approximate target size of $30 million