UP Validation Program 2026

UPALMERE! opens applications for the UP Validation Program: a new, structured program for early-stage tech founders who want to grow faster from idea to first paying customers. Applications are open until 1 April 2026. The program starts on 6 May and runs through November.

In recent years, UPALMERE! supported startups through the Startup Hero Journey program, with mentorship, workshops and a strong network of peers and experts. Now the next step is coming. In practice, many startups stumble not on commitment, but on validation: getting clear too late on who you are building for, what problem you are solving and who is willing to pay.

Together with Gritd, UPALMERE! therefore developed the UP Validation Program. It builds on the foundation of the Hero Journey and adds a proven approach to turn assumptions into evidence. No vanity metrics and not scaling up too early, but systematically working on the questions that really matter in the early phase: who is your customer, is the problem urgent, does your solution work, will people pay for it and can you replicate it?

Over six months, you will work with the StartupFramework methodology, based on data from more than 3,000 startups. Participants follow weekly steps with templates, experiments and feedback loops, plus 7 master classes, regular check-ins and a personal development plan with measurable goals (OKR). The program concludes with a Demo Day in November, where you present your validated business to investors, partners and the Almere startup community.

Participation is free of charge; what is requested is commitment (about 3 hours per week and attendance at sessions). Conditions include early-stage, tech-driven, (willing to) locate in Almere and beyond the idea stage.

Want to join? Sign up via the landing page and secure your spot before 1 April 2026.