Benelux Catalyst 2026: Essembl and Uplift360 head to New York

The Benelux Catalyst Programme 2026 brings founders from Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands together in New York. Organised by BelCham and supported by Luxinnovation and the Luxembourg Ministry of the Economy, the accelerator programme for high-growth tech startups and scaleups helps founders prepare for essentials of US expansion: market entry, sales, hiring and fundraising across the Atlantic. 

Arspectra, Gamma AR, Virtual Rangers, WEO, OQ Technology, MoveMe, PsyTech VR, Inkspired, and WEO are among several Luxembourg companies that have benefited from the BeNeLux Catalyst programme in the past to accelerate their expansion into the US market. 

“Participating in the Benelux Catalyst program in New York City was invaluable for my company’s expansion into the US market. The program provided critical insights from expert mentors, refining our market strategies and easing our transition into the American business landscape. One of the standout benefits was the opportunity to meet and collaborate with fellow Founders and CEOs from Luxembourg, Belgium and The Netherlands,” said Omar Qaise, CEO OQ Technology. 

The 2026 Luxembourg participants 

Essembl, founded in Luxembourg, has developed a personal AI stylist. Users photograph their wardrobe once, and the app digitises each item and suggests daily outfits. The company reports more than 2.4 million downloads, and 50 million wardrobe items uploaded. It has reached this while remaining profitable and largely self-funded. The United States is already its largest market, although Essembl has no physical presence there. The company aims to use the programme to shape a structured expansion strategy ahead of the company's first institutional fundraising round. It also sees the programme as a way to test its strategic assumptions and build a roadmap for a sustainable presence in the US, its largest and fastest-growing market.  

“This is an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the US entrepreneurial, commercial and investment landscape at a critical stage in the company's development,” stated the founders, Viktor Dufour and Valentin Dufour. 

Uplift360 regenerates carbon fibre and aramid recovered from manufacturing waste and end-of-life products, so that the materials keep their performance for industrial use. The company closed a seed round of €7.4 million, led by international investors including the NATO Innovation Fund. The company aims to assess how and where to establish a first US presence. Their focus includes the defence, aerospace and advanced manufacturing sectors. It also wants to validate its assumptions, explore options for a US footprint and lay the groundwork for future partnerships in North America. 

“This represents an opportunity to gain first-hand insights into the US business environment and build a deeper understanding of the country's innovation, industrial and investment ecosystems,” pointed out the founders Sam Stancliffe and Jamie Meighan. “Excited for the company to be selected for this amazing programme in the US,” shared Mr Meighan.  

What the programme covers

Week one, "Foundations: Set Up & Sell", runs from 9 to 13 November. Sessions include a US Expansion Blueprint workshop, selling into the US market, storytelling and client discovery. The week also covers tax and incorporation, immigration and visas, legal frameworks, branding and fundraising between the EU and the US. 

Week two, "Network, Pitch & Scale", runs from 16 to 20 November. It includes a mentor round robin, a visit to an innovation hub in Brooklyn, founder talks and a session on hiring a US team. A Pitch Night with investors and ecosystem partners, a Global Entrepreneurship Week session and a VC talk on raising capital and understanding US investors is also planned. 

The programme closes on 20 November. Each team presents its US plan in five minutes and receives feedback from partners.  

The Belgian and Dutch participants

The two Belgian companies are: 

• Fanfinity: organises more than 100 events a year across Europe for publishers including Pokémon, Hasbro and Ravensburger. 
• MindScreenerBCI: has developed a functional EEG (fEEG) diagnostic to prevent cognitive decline in the early, asymptomatic stages. 

The three Dutch companies are: 

• InnoFluidics: based in Eindhoven, develops the Prime platform for measuring living cells in real time.  
• Summie: based in Amsterdam, offers AI contract intelligence for hospitality and real estate companies. 
• MyHives: based in The Hague, is developing BEEKON, an AI-powered safety platform.  
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Next round in 2027 

Benelux Catalyst returns every year, and Luxinnovation is already encouraging Luxembourg startups to prepare. 

"International growth is a realistic goal for Luxembourg startups that prepare carefully. Programmes like this one give founders’ first-hand insight into new markets, and we encourage companies to explore these opportunities," said Barbara Reis, Junior Advisor - Start-Up Relations at Luxinnovation.