A sprint, not a syllabus
Unlike accelerators that focus on education alone, this is a focused five-week sprint with one objective: helping you secure your first investor commitments during the programme.
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Applications open · close 17 July 2026
The Summer Fundraising Bootcamp
A five-week sprint for early-stage leisure-marine startups. Turn investor readiness into investment commitments.
- 5 weeks
- Fundraising sprint
- Aug–Sep
- 2026 cohort
- ≤ 10
- Pre-seed & seed startups
- Genoa
- Demo Day · boat show
Programme overview
A focused fundraising sprint — built to get founders to a commitment.
Yachting Ventures and Ocean One Ventures have built the Summer Fundraising Bootcamp to solve the hardest part of raising: turning investor conversations into investment.
Built for marine founders
Designed for early-stage leisure-marine startups — hardware and software alike — who are building exciting businesses but struggling to navigate the fundraising process.
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Direct investor access
One-to-one coaching, group workshops and peer learning, plus direct access to the investors and advisory board behind Yachting Ventures and Ocean One Ventures.
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Momentum into Q4
Build accountability and momentum for rounds closing in Q4 2026 and early 2027 — and pitch live at an in-person Demo Day at the Genoa Boat Show.
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Dates & timeline
Five focused weeks. One Demo Day at the Genoa Boat Show.
Applications open 24 June and close 17 July. Here's the full runway from application to pitch.
17 Jul 2026
Applications close
Final deadline to apply for the inaugural cohort.
24 Jul 2026
Cohort confirmed
Up to 10 startups selected by the founders and advisory board.
3 Aug – 4 Sep 2026
Five-week bootcamp
Five focused weeks — webinars, 1:1 coaching, materials, an AI week and outreach.
1–6 Oct 2026
Demo Day · Genoa Boat Show
Pitch to investors and industry leaders at the Salone Nautico — the Genoa International Boat Show.
Curriculum & syllabus
Five weeks, one commitment at the end.
A structured sprint from strategy to signature, with a dedicated AI week. Tap any week for the full breakdown.
The weekly loop
1h group webinar
The week's core teaching, delivered live by both teams and recorded for the whole cohort.
Homework
Apply the webinar to your own company using that week's template — this is where the work happens.
30-min mentoring
A weekly 30-minute 1:1 with your mentor to pressure-test and finalise the week's document.
Circle community
Async questions, peer feedback and mentor input between sessions — where the cohort lives.
Plan ~6–8 focused hours a week, including homework. From assessment and strategy, through materials, pipeline and a dedicated AI week, to pitch & Demo-Day prep — every week converges on your Demo-Day pitch.
Eligibility
Is this for you?
The bootcamp is open to both hardware and software startups across the leisure-marine sector.
- Early-stage: pre-seed or seed
- Operating in the leisure-marine sector
- Hardware or software startup
- Actively raising (or about to raise) capital
- A founder who can commit to the five-week sprint (~6–8 hours a week)
- Ready to pitch investors at Demo Day
Sectors we back
BoatingMarinasSustainabilityAdvanced manufacturingAISoftwareElectrificationConnected technologies
Up to 10 startups per cohort
Pricing
One fee. Aligned incentives.
A single programme fee plus a success fee — we take no equity, and only win when you do.
Inaugural cohort
Cohort place
€3,000programme fee · per startup
+ a success fee that applies only on a funding round introduced or materially supported through the programme.
What's included
- Group workshops + a weekly 30-min 1:1 mentoring session
- An investor-ready pitch deck, teaser & executive summary
- A defensible financial model & cap table
- A complete, diligence-ready data room
- A live, qualified investor pipeline & CRM
- Full template library — Data Room Index, Teaser, Executive Summary, Cap Table, Financial Model & Investor Pipeline
- Pitch coaching & investor Q&A preparation
- Demo Day slot at the Genoa Boat Show — in front of angels, VCs, family offices & strategic investors (option to get a booth at preferred rates)
- Warm investor introductions where there's a fit
- Profile across both partner networks — cohort announcement, founder spotlights & completion press release
Win at Demo Day
Prizes for the cohort winners
Standout startups at the in-person Demo Day take home a range of prizes:
Pitch wildcard
Pitch your startup at partner events across the maritime ecosystem.
Investor introductions
Warm, curated introductions to investors actively backing maritime and ocean innovation.
Media exposure
Founder spotlights and coverage across both Yachting Ventures and Ocean One Ventures channels.
Sponsored technology credits
Technology and tooling credits to extend your runway as you head into your raise.
Success-fee terms are agreed transparently up front — we only win when you do. Limited to 10 startups; selection is on a rolling basis, so early applications get priority.
Application form
Apply to join the inaugural cohort.
Applications close 17 July 2026. Reviewed by the founders of Yachting Ventures and Ocean One Ventures plus an independent advisory board.
Takes about 5 minutes
Up to 10 startups selected
Cohort confirmed by 24 July 2026
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Everything you need to know about the cohort, the sprint and Demo Day.
Early-stage (pre-seed and seed) startups in the leisure-marine industry — both hardware and software — that are preparing to raise or are actively raising capital. Up to 10 companies are selected per cohort.
The five-week programme runs from 3 August to 4 September 2026 (ending before Cannes), with an in-person Demo Day at the Genoa Boat Show (Salone Nautico, 1–6 October 2026). Applications open on 24 June and close on 17 July, with the cohort confirmed by 24 July.
The programme runs mainly remotely. Where possible, we'll also arrange on-site work in Hamburg or Palma de Mallorca.
A structured fundraising sprint across five weeks: assessment & strategy, investor materials, pipeline building & CRM, a dedicated AI week (building and running an AI-driven startup across operations, fundraising and outreach), and pitch & Demo-Day prep with closing. Each week pairs a group webinar with homework and a 30-minute 1:1 mentoring session, building toward your Demo Day pitch at the Genoa Boat Show.
Most accelerators focus on education. This bootcamp has one clear objective: helping founders secure their first investor commitments during the programme and build momentum for rounds closing in Q4 2026 and early 2027. It's run by investors and yachting experts with a broad network — and we're driven by results.
Companies across the leisure-marine sector including boating, marinas, sustainability, advanced manufacturing, AI, software, electrification and connected technologies.
Applications are reviewed by the founders of Yachting Ventures and Ocean One Ventures, alongside an independent advisory board of experienced investors, founders and industry experts.
Applications are assessed against criteria derived from our investment thesis, weighing both economic potential and potential impact:
- Team
- Market opportunity
- Problem–solution fit
- Technology & product
- Business model
- Traction & validation
- Competition & differentiation
- Go-to-market
- Financial plan & use of funds
- Exit potential
- Storytelling (bonus)
Yes — we are active investors, and we'll also use the programme to discuss investment options with you, or form syndicates.
Demo Day takes place at the Genoa Boat Show, where participating startups pitch to investors, industry leaders and potential partners. Winners are eligible for prizes including a pitch wildcard at partner events, investor introductions, media exposure and sponsored technology credits.
The programme fee is €3,000 per startup, plus a success fee that applies only on a funding round introduced or materially supported through the programme — agreed transparently up front. We take no equity. Places are limited to 10 startups, with rolling selection.