Europe needs more high-impact AI safety solutions
Talos Incubator Europe is the first incubator focused on AI governance in Europe. Founders find a co-founder, choose a project and build it full-time on a monthly stipend. Along the way, they develop the necessary skills to lead a new organisation, then pitch for seed funding.
Gaps in European AI governance hold people back, and existing organisations can't fill them. We back the founders who build the capacity the field needs.
How it works
Six phases: around three months of building, then a two-month funding runway. You meet your cohort in person twice: for a two-week sprint and for the showcase.
Remote matching
- Get to know your cohort online while you finish your notice period.
- Explore Talos’s project ideas in depth. If you see a clear gap they do not cover, you can bring your own idea.
- Receive a monthly stipend, prorated for this part-time phase (read more).
- Tell us who you would like to work with. We facilitate co-founder matches, iterating with you until we find the right fit, if there is one.
- Already have a co-founder? You can both apply.
In-person sprint
- Spend full days with your top matches on theory of change, the main uncertainties, a project plan and measures of success.
- Join workshops and talks from invited speakers.
- Spend time with your co-founder outside work to test how you work together.
- Leave with a co-founder and a project. Introductions to mentors and advisors begin.
Build phase
- Build your project full-time with your co-founder, on a monthly stipend (read more).
- Work from a European hub to easily connect with the people your project needs.
- Build your skills through workshops on budgeting, setting up an entity, hiring, theory of change, success metrics, fundraising and grant writing.
- Have regular 1-1 meetings with your mentor, the Talos Incubator team, and access to expert advisors as needed. Present your progress and learn from other founders in your cohort.
- Launch your first outputs and show direct engagement, for example by running a first convening or meeting the stakeholders your project depends on.
Showcase phase
- Present what you have built to the cohort and the Talos team. Funder representatives may attend.
Refinement & grant applications
- Talos decides which projects receive seed grants. We also recommend some teams to other funders. Recommendations are based on the strength of each project and made at our discretion; not every project is guaranteed one.
Funding runway
- Your offboarding stipend continues for two months, whether or not your project receives a seed grant.
- Fundraise with feedback from Talos and your mentor on your applications.
- Decide your next step with our support: keep building, start something new or move into a role elsewhere.
Support
- Monthly stipend – Paid for the whole programme and for two months after the refinement phase (read more).
- Weekly 1:1s – 30 minutes a week with the Talos team on your blockers and who could help.
- Mentors – An entrepreneur, founder or AI governance expert, matched to the skills you want to build.
- Advisors – Experts you can call on when a specific question comes up.
- Workshops – Sessions on operations, evaluation and fundraising, led by external experts.
- Introductions – To the people and organisations whose input your project needs, and to funders.
- Peer support – Stand-ups with your co-founder, meetings with other teams and a monthly cohort colloquium to present progress.
- Alumni network – Access to the Talos alumni network, including alumni who are experienced founders.
Focus areas
Build in one of the project ideas below. You can also propose your own idea if it fills a clear gap in European AI governance that our focus areas don’t cover.
Government capacity for AI
Help national governments across Europe build the expertise to govern AI, from new AI safety institutes to training for civil servants.
Evaluation and AI Act implementation
Ensure the AI Act and its Code of Practice are implemented through independent evaluation, audit and standard-setting.
Research for policymakers
Produce short, decision-ready research on questions European decision-makers need answered and no one is writing on.
AI infrastructure and energy
Work on Europe's compute build-out: energy and grid bottlenecks, secure data centres and safety commitments tied to public compute.
Mobilising European capital
Help European capital reach AI safety: investor networks, independent grantmaking, and funds coordination.
Your own idea
Bring your own idea for a new organisation that closes a gap in European AI governance.
- You have built something from scratch (e.g., one-off initiative, a new project, etc.) or led a team.
- You want to found a new AI governance organisation in Europe, and you're excited to focus on Europe specifically.
- Your motivation is reducing large-scale risks from advanced AI, and you have a view of what is worth building.
- You have weighed the uncertainty and workload of founding, and you can work full-time and independently from the sprint onwards.
- You have the right to work in Europe (including UK, Switzerland, etc.), or a clear path to it.
FAQs
About
Do I need a co-founder or an idea to apply?
No. Finding a co-founder is part of the programme. You can choose from our project ideas or, if you see another European AI governance gap that needs to be filled, bring your own.
Can I apply with a co-founder I already have?
Yes. If you have already found a co-founder, you can both apply and join the programme together.
Can I build my project alone?
You can, but we don’t encourage it. Most teams are pairs, and some are three people. You can also start alone and find a co-founder during the programme.
Is there a training phase?
No. There is no reading curriculum. You learn through workshops timed to the stage your project has reached.
What kinds of organisations can I build?
New organisations in Europe, in one of these focus areas: government capacity for AI, evaluation and AI Act implementation, research for policymakers, AI infrastructure and energy, or mobilising European capital. You can also bring your own idea, if it fills a gap our focus area don't.
How is this different from the Talos Fellowship and the Policy Leaders Programme?
Those programmes build your knowledge and career in European AI governance, through training and, for some, a placement. Talos Incubator Europe is for founders building a new organisation. There is no training curriculum and no placement.
How many founders are in a cohort?
Between 10 and 14 founders.
What do you do to support diversity in AI governance?
AI governance will shape everyone’s future, so the organisations working on it should not be founded by a narrow few. People from underrepresented backgrounds face real barriers to starting an organisation, and we are working to lower them. We strongly encourage anyone who is unsure whether they belong to apply. Once you join, you receive a monthly stipend, a mentor and weekly support from the Talos team.
Structure and funding
Is it full-time?
The first four weeks are part-time and remote, so you can finish your notice period. From the in-person sprint until the end of the refinement phase, it is full-time.
Where does it take place?
Mostly remotely, with two in-person periods: a two-week sprint in Brussels and the showcase in London. We encourage you to spend the build phase in a hub with your co-founder.
Will I be paid?
Yes. You receive a monthly stipend of €4,000 for the whole programme and for two months after the refinement phase. During the first four weeks, which are part-time, the stipend will be prorated.
Will costs be covered for the in-person sprint and the showcase?
Yes. We cover travel, accommodation, and breakfast and lunch costs for the in-person sprint and the showcase.
Will I be an employee? How is the stipend paid and taxed?
No. Founders are not employees of Talos Network and do not receive an employment contract. You receive your monthly stipend as an educational stipend directly from Talos Network, as on the Talos Fellowship and Policy Leaders Programme placements. In some European countries this stipend is tax-free. We encourage you to look into your local tax obligations.
How are seed grants decided?
Talos decides after the refinement phase. We look at the team, the project and where our funding would make the most difference, including what other funding a team has secured.
Will I meet other funders?
We recommend promising teams to other funders, and funder representatives may attend the showcase.
Who owns the organisation I build?
You and your co-founders own the organisation you build. As a nonprofit, Talos Network does not take equity or any other ownership stake. Seed grants are grants, not investment.
What happens if my project isn’t funded?
Your stipend continues for two months after the refinement phase either way. During that time, we give feedback on your applications and help you decide what’s next: keep building, start something new or move into a role elsewhere.
Who is funding Talos Incubator Europe?
We have received support from Coefficient Giving, EA Funds and a number of independent donors. We accept general financial contributions of any amount. If you would like to help support our work, please get in touch or donate directly here.
Eligibility
Who can apply?
Founders who want to build a new AI governance organisation in Europe, have built something from scratch before, and have the right to work in Europe, or a clear path to it.
What do you mean by “European”? Does this include my country?
Our definition of Europe includes member countries of the European Union and non-EU countries such as the UK, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Norway.
Why are you focusing on Europe and European citizens?
Europe has the institutions and regulation to shape how frontier AI is governed, including the AI Act, but too few organisations are working on it. That limits what gets done, and it limits where people entering the field can work. The incubator backs founders who build the missing organisations in Europe. That's why we ask every applicant to explain why their organisation should be based here.
You need the right to work in Europe, or a clear path to it, because your organisation will be based in Europe. We do not sponsor work visas.
I’m based outside Europe. Can I apply?
You need the right to work in Europe and to start your organisation there. Your organisation can work internationally, but Europe is its base. We do not sponsor work visas.
Can I apply if I’m currently working?
Yes. The first four weeks are part-time and remote, so you can work out your notice period. From the in-person sprint until the end of the refinement phase, the programme is full-time, so you need to be free to work on your project full-time by then.
What if I’m not sure founding is right for me?
Then this programme is probably not the right fit yet. We look for people who have already decided they want to found an organisation and have thought about what that involves. The programme tests who you should found with and what you should build, not whether to found at all. If you want to explore European AI governance first, look at the Talos Fellowship or the Policy Leaders Programme.
Is there an age limit?
There is no age limit.
Do I need experience in AI governance or AI safety?
Not across all projects. Some do require existing AI governance and policy context, but some strong candidates come from other backgrounds and will be able to gain context quickly through mentorship and access to experts. Mentors are matched to what you need, whether that is founding experience or knowledge of the field.
When will I know if I’ve been accepted?
We will confirm the cohort by early February 2027.
Who will see my application?
Applications are visible to the Talos Network team running the incubator. In some cases, they may be shared with a very limited number of advisors.
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