Fit 4 Scale: Official launch workshop of the new scaleup programme with first cohort of companies

On 5 March 2026, a kick-off workshop was held with the first cohort of five companies selected for Fit 4 Scale. The workshop marked the official start of the Fit 4 Scale programme, Luxembourg's new results-driven acceleration programme for companies with strong growth potential, proven product market fit, international ambition and the execution capacity to scale.  

Organised by Luxinnovation and initiated by the Ministry of the Economy, the programme connects ambitious companies with experienced entrepreneurial mentors and experts to accelerate their next stage of growth. Beyond the core sessions, the participants can also access tailored ad hoc 1:1 expert support to address specific challenges as they arise throughout the programme.

As Minister Lex Delles highlighted, the programme is designed to turn guidance into real momentum:

“We are backing founders with a programme built for outcomes, not theory, matching ambitious teams with lead mentors who have scaled before, so every session turns into actionable decisions and traction.” Lex Delles, Minister of the Economy, SME, Energy and Tourism.

Five companies, five expert sessions: the kick-off format

In three hours, each company completed five 30-minute working sessions that converted mentor experience into prioritised actions. 

The lead mentors’ session took centre stage, helping the founders sharpen their strategic clarity, prioritise effectively and refine their go to market approach. The conversations pushed them to reassess client needs, articulate what makes their offer unique and draw on the mentors’ real world scaling experience.

The remaining four sessions addressed AI acceleration, internationalisation, capital access and visibility and delivered practical value. Internationalisation support includes integration into the Entrepreneur in Residence programme, guidance on relevant EU accelerators, connections to corporate partnerships and support to access international trade fairs. 

AI acceleration is a dedicated focus of the programme, including technical assessments and the identification of concrete opportunities where AI can support scalable growth. “We already use a lot of AI, but it was very useful for us to get more information on data model validation and related topics,” said Alex Ootes of Partao, the largest heavy machinery parts marketplace in Europe. 

Work on visibility and positioning also resonated strongly, translating into clearer messaging, sharper customer targeting and immediate opportunities the founder teams will now pursue. The programme will also support them with increased visibility through ecosystem events and targeted media exposure over the coming months.

These kick-off sessions mark the start of a series of expert led deep-dive modules covering topics such as sales, finance, team leadership and other recurring scaling challenges shared across the cohort.

Key takeaways from day one: sales, prioritisation and mentorship

Across the cohort, the companies pointed to similar hurdles linked to scaling sales, prioritising what matters most and pushing through the next stage of their growth. They also shared a clear consensus: the lead mentors’ session, with all five mentors in the same room discussing each company’s key challenges, stood out as the most impactful moment of the afternoon. 

“The session with the lead mentors was definitely the most impactful and challenging. It was very open and definitely created the most bullet points on my to do list,” said Dr Jürgen Wolff of A352, whose Financial Navigator platform enhances financial data for faster, more confident decision‑making, capturing a feeling that many in the room shared. 

For some companies, the timing of the session could not have been more relevant. “Scaling up sales is our biggest challenge at the moment and Fit 4 Scale is helping us think about the process in a much clearer way," said Eduardo Cruz of space and climate tech company AIRMO.

Vitalie Schiopu of ClimateCamp, a platform helping companies measure and reduce their carbon footprint across their supply network, emphasised the value of lived experience in the room: “When we discussed our challenges, the lead mentors were able to pinpoint what had worked in the past and what had not. This made the session particularly valuable, because you could see the people and the experience behind their advice.” 

Revenue, revenue, revenue. There are many different paths to revenue, and I think there were four or five things that came out of today that we had not considered before and that will help us move forward." 
Virginia Strong, Partao 

Reflecting on the day Kidola’s Quentin de Madre, whose platform helps childcare providers streamline daily operations, channelled his focus into clear next steps: “The mentors’ session helped us prioritise our objectives by getting practical advice that will help us scale faster.”

Experienced mentors guide founders through growth challenges

Fit 4 Scale places experienced founders and operators at the centre of the learning journey, matching each company with a dedicated entrepreneurial lead mentor throughout the programme bringing real operational insight. The mentors’ perspectives aligned around a set of recurring fundamentals. Christophe Bianco, lead mentor for AIRMO, pointed to the patterns he sees across companies: “Go to market and raising funds are the two main aspects that come up repeatedly,” a reminder that the second stage of scaling is often the hardest to crack.

Genna Elvin, lead mentor for ClimateCamp, underlined that go to market excellence remains essential, while also pointing to the new opportunities created by rapid technological change. “For me it is very exciting to see companies entering their scaling phase at a time when AI is evolving so quickly, and to see how much faster things can be built compared to five or ten years ago.” Lead mentor for Kidola Tom Michels added a complementary perspective focused on execution: “I help them understand how to take the next step once they have reached product market fit.”

Clarity and cohesion were central to A352’s lead mentor Robert Glaesener’s view of what sets companies up for growth. 

The first thing I will work on is sharpening the value proposition to make sure they have a unique offer for their selected targets.” 
Robert Glaesener, Advisor 

Xavier Buck, lead mentor for Partao, highlighted the practical reality of scaling operations. “It often comes down to going international, raising funds and navigating the legal side,” he observed, noting that even mentors continue to learn from the diversity of business models in each cohort.

What's next for the Fit 4 Scale cohort?

Following the 25 focused meetings, the day concluded with a networking cocktail that also brought together members of the programme’s Investor Sounding Board from Bullhound Capital and Cycle Group, creating space for early exchanges on funding needs and expectations. This in person moment gave the approximately 40 attendees a chance to continue their discussions informally and strengthen the connections made during the afternoon, making future collaboration until October more efficient, both when working in person and online. 

Fit 4 Scale is part of the Luxembourg government’s 10-points action plan to strengthen the startup and scaleup ecosystem. It marks an important step in Luxembourg’s support for companies entering the scaling phase and demonstrates the country’s commitment to helping entrepreneurs grow beyond initial traction. 

With strong lead mentors, experts from the Luxinnovation’s Startup Relations team, the Ministry of the Economy, the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) and the Luxembourg AI Factory leading specialised sessions for a highly engaged cohort, the programme lays the groundwork for ambitious growth stories that will contribute to the continued development of the Luxembourg ecosystem. Find out more about Fit 4 Scale or discover other startup services offered by Luxinnovation.