Startup Boost #2: Wallonie Entreprendre launches a call for projects dedicated to artificial intelligence and cybersecurity

The Walloons startups working with AI and cybersecurity have an appointment with Startup Boost

After the success of Startup Boost’s first edition, WE keeps supporting innovation by launching a new call for projects centred on two strategical technologies: artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity.

Open from June 15th to the 1st of September 2026, this call aims to identify and guide Walloons startups developing innovating and specialised technological solutions able to be rolled out on a large scale. The goal is clear: favouring the emergence of future technological champions in Wallonia while strengthening business’ competitiveness and the European digital sovereignty. 

Relive the Startup Boost’s first edition in video:

Why bank on AI and cybersecurity?

Nowadays, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity are amongst the most booming technologies for European economy.

On one side, AI deeply transforms industrial fields as well as services and decision-making processes. On the other, the increase of cyberthreats reinforce the need for efficient solutions to protect infrastructures, data and organisations.

With this new edition of Startup Boost, WE wishes to support projects with a strong growth potential able to bring innovative answers to these major stakes.

Thematic dedicated to startups developing their own artificial intelligence technology 

The call is addressed to startups for which artificial intelligence is a central element of value and a competitive advantage. 

The projects should prove the development of a proprietary technology, an innovative product or an intellectual property making it possible to answer a clearly identified market need.

Examples of wanted projects 

As part of this thematical call, a particular attention will be paid to startups developing

• sovereign solutions in artificial intelligence of cybersecurity, characterised by the mastery of key technologies, strategical data and, if required, critical infrastructures necessary to their implementation 
• implementation of specialised solutions per sector, answering to clearly identified business needs and demonstrating a concrete operational added value 
• innovative cybersecurity solutions based on automatisation, artificial intelligence or advanced technological approaches making it possible to improve prevention, detection, analysis or the answer to threats 
• deeptech products integrating advanced artificial intelligence or cybersecurity technologies and based on an intellectual property, an expertise or their own technological developments (going beyond simple integration of existing tools) 
• development of solutions presenting a strong scalability potential, based on a replicable product model and a positioning on national or international markets 

Non-eligible projects 

The call isn’t aimed at: 

• services, consultancy or technological integration companies; 
• projects mainly based on integration or usage of technologies developed by a third party, without significative technological innovation nor intellectual property; 
• generic chatbots, conversational assistants or knowledge management tools whose value proposition is mainly based on utilisation of existing models; 
• resellers or solution integrators commercialised by a third party. 

Promising opportunities for the Walloon ecosystem 

Several technological trends seem particularly high growth for Wallonia, such as: 

• infrastructures dedicated to artificial intelligence; 
• « Physical AI »;
• Edge AI;
• solutions allowing a local and sovereign treatment of data. 

These technologies directly answer to the needs of the Walloon industrial network and open new development prospects. 

A cybersecurity section to reinforce the digital resilience 

Startup Boost #2 also targets startups developing innovative products aiming to strengthen the security of systems, networks, critical infrastructures and data.

The projects should present a real technological distinction as well as a high commercialisation potential.

Examples of wanted solutions 

The projects could focus on things such as: 

• detection, prevention or answer to cyberthreat;
• data protection and privacy; 
• identity and access management; 
• securing of critical infrastructures, connected objects or industrial environments; 
• cybersecurity tools using automatisation or artificial intelligence; 
• solutions making regulatory compliance and audits easier. 

Excluded projects

Wont’ be picked:

• Consultancy or audit activities mainly realised in project mode;
• Resellers or third-party solutions integrators not developing their own solutions. 

Although the number of Walloon cyber startups is still small, Wallonie Entreprendre wish to encourage the emergence of new actors able to take on the growing challenges of digital security.  

How will the selection take place? 

The call for applications will be open from June 15th to the 1st of September 2026. 

The received applications will be the subject of a first analysis by the team of Wallonie Entreprendre to confirm their adequation with Startup Boost’s goals and criteria.

The preselectionned startups will then be invited to take part in in-depth interviews. 

Assessment criteria 

The projects will be assessed on things such as: 

• quality and complementarity of the founding team; 
• innovative nature of the technology;  
• relevance of the proposition’s value; 
• market potential; 
• competitive environment; 
• capacity to attract additional fundings in the foreseeable future. 

The Selection Committee will gather on the 22nd of September 2026 to announce the selected projects. 

An opportunity to accelerate the future Walloons technological gems 

With Startup Boost #2, WE confirms its desire to support entrepreneurs who develop tomorrow’s technologies.

Startups working with artificial intelligence or cybersecurity thus have a unique opportunity to fast-track their development, increase their visibility and contribute to the building of an innovative Walloon digital ecosystem that is competitive and sovereign.