Know Hub Chile has opened applications for Ignition 06, an acceleration program for science- and technology-based ventures that seeks to turn lab results into viable businesses. The call will select 10 teams, provide intensive training and culminate in a Demo Day.
Know Hub Chile has opened applications for Ignition 06, an acceleration program for science- and technology-based ventures seeking to take their developments from the lab to the market.
The call, supported by the National Research and Development Agency (ANID) and sponsored by aerospace company Lockheed Martin, will select 10 teams to take part in an intensive eight-week training program. At the end of the process, the projects will compete for a total fund of USD 10,000.
Applications will be open until July 21.
What Ignition 06 is
Ignition 06 is the new edition of the technology acceleration program run by Know Hub Chile, a corporation dedicated to technology transfer and to helping research results become innovations with economic and social impact.
The program targets early-stage projects that already have a validated scientific or technological foundation. Its goal is to help teams turn research, a prototype or a lab development into a proposal with commercial potential.
Since its creation in 2019, Ignition has supported teams in areas such as biotechnology, clean energy, robotics, nanotechnology and environmental solutions.
Standout cases include startups that have worked on nanotechnology additives to reduce pollution, lab-grown vegan human collagen, systems that turn waste into clean energy, and assistive technologies for people with visual impairments.
Who can apply
The call is aimed at teams with projects focused on research and development, known as R&D. One of the main requirements is that the technology have a minimum maturity level of TRL 3.
This means the innovation must not be at a purely theoretical stage, but must have initial experimental evidence or proofs of concept that demonstrate its potential.
Teams must also include two complementary profiles: a person with technical or scientific command of the technology, and another focused on business development.
The company does not necessarily need to be legally incorporated at the time of application, as the rules allow it to be formalized during the training.
What the program offers
The 10 selected teams will take part in an eight-week training process based on the Customer Discovery methodology. This stage seeks to help entrepreneurs validate whether their technology truly meets a market need.
During the training, participants will work on the technical description of their innovation, identifying the problem they seek to solve, validation with potential customers, competitive analysis, intellectual property strategy and the design of a sustainable revenue model.
The program will culminate in September 2026 with an in-person Demo Day. There, the startups will deliver a final pitch to an evaluation panel, which will decide how the USD 10,000 fund is distributed. The resources will go toward new proofs of concept.
How to apply to Ignition 06
Applications for Ignition 06 will be open until July 21. Interested teams must submit a science and technology project with potential for market transfer and meet the requirements set out in the call.
The program focuses on initiatives that can become concrete solutions to social, economic, environmental or productive problems. That is why, beyond the scientific quality of the development, one of the key points will be demonstrating that there is a real need the technology can solve.
You can apply by following this link.
Read the original article at https://www.theclinic.cl/2026/06/24/becas-ignition-06/
