Market access programs: Key benefits and how they work

Running a market access program can be a good idea if:

• You want to cultivate or strengthen the startup ecosystem within your country, by attracting new players.
• You want to support local startups to grow abroad, to stimulate your economic growth and build an international reputation for innovation. 

But how do market access programs work, what benefits can you expect from them, and how can you run one yourself?

I’m the CCO at the fintech accelerator, Tenity. Based on my experience working with governments and international startups, in this article I share:

• What is a market access program?
• How a market access program works
• Why work with Tenity for your market access program
• Two examples of Tenity’s market access programs

Want to launch a market access program yourself? Reach out to us.

What is a market access program?

A market access program is a structured series of events designed to assist startups to enter markets in different geographies. Typically, they’re backed by states or governments, to showcase to startups the kinds of growth opportunities and types of support available to them abroad.

In our experience, there are two main types of market access program:

• Inbound programs are designed to attract foreign startups to a particular geography. For instance, a national government might be interested in bringing specific types of startups to their country to join the local ecosystem—to grow a particular sector or area of expertise.
  
  
• Outbound programs are designed to send local startups to enter new markets abroad. Often, this takes the form of government support for startups to enter the US market, the UK or European Market, APAC etc., but there are many more valuable use cases for this too. 

For instance, outbound programs are essential for startups aiming to become unicorns, as reaching this scale often requires access to larger markets. For companies outside the U.S., international growth is typically a key factor. Beyond supporting individual success, these programs allow tech companies to represent their home countries, serving as a form of ‘national branding’ that showcases innovation and strengthens the country’s global reputation

In either case, market access programs can be a useful strategy to encourage innovation and economic growth. Whether you want to build a healthy startup scene in your own country, or develop a stream of well-reputed startups that can grow abroad, both are important drivers of growth. 

Alternatively, your country might lack certain tech verticals or early-stage capital. These programs can bridge that gap by helping local startups access the resources and support they need in international markets, enabling them to grow and attract critical early-stage funding.

How a market access program works

Now you know the benefits and forms of market access programs, it’s good to understand what they look like in practice.

To give you an insight into real-life programs, I want to share some details about those we run at Tenity. We’re a global startup accelerator focusing on fintech, with locations in 14 countries across the world. We regularly work with governments and major financial corporates to support local innovation. 

You can see some of the programs we’ve run:

1. Global Market Access Program for Turkish Startups in the UK: An 8-week initiative for Series A startups to scale in the UK. It includes four weeks of local training and four weeks in the UK for insights and connections. The program, involving 150 meetings and 23 PoCs, aims to establish a strong UK market presence
2. Global Startup Program (GSUP): Involved in selection of 8 startups. 6-weeks immersion program for fintech/smart cities startups (1-week virtual, 5-weeks on-site) including a demo day. Organised masterclasses, company visits, met corporates and VCs, participated in events and major exhibitions. 1 startup received an order for product, another pending investment.
3. Canadian Technology Accelerator: Part of a 2-cities (HK-SG) 4-months accelerator program. Involved in screening and selection of 6 startups. Provided masterclasses, mentorship, introductions to partners and VCs, Demo day was held in Singapore. 2 startups eventually received NDAs for potential POCs from a financial institution in Singapore.
4. Global Market Expansion Program: Scouting, screening and selection of up to 10 startups/scale-ups. 11-weeks hybrid program (Korea-Singapore) ending with demo day. A couple of startups have received POC offers from corporate partners, exhibited at corporate partner’s event
5. Seoul Fintech Lab Accelerator: Scouting, screening and selection of 5 fintech startups/scale-ups for a 6-week fintech immersion program which includes a demo-day at the end of the program.

Tenity’s market access programs generally take place over four to eight weeks. Typically, startups apply to a program and they’ll be selected based on their fit, product, and their potential. Each program is unique, based on the startups involved and the needs of the market. However, they’re typically broken down into two parts:

• The first part is remote. It involves workshops about the local ecosystem and its relevant regulation and legal frameworks. For instance, we might cover specific sandboxes or any incentives for startups to relocate. Startups will also receive orientation in the geography’s business etiquette and customs—and meet with similar startups who have found success.
  
  
• The second part is on-location. This part of the program is more focused on building connections and gaining local insights. It often involves attending networking events, taking part in social meetups and fireside chats, and accessing opportunities to pitch. The purpose of this part is to inspire startups as well as to be informative. 

For example, for the Italian Trade Agency, we helped to organise the Global Startup program (GSUP). We selected eight startups to participate in the six-week immersion program, where one week was held virtually and five weeks took place on site. The program involved masterclasses, company visits, and the final demo day. 

Typically, countries will already have some sort of incentive structure to encourage startups to move or grow. This could take the form of entrepreneurship or startup visas, tax breaks for foreign startups, or discounts on renting office space—to make life easier for the startups that are looking to relocate. 

Inbound market access programs make particular sense in these contexts where those incentives exist already. During these programs, startups can learn the details of those schemes, while the programs themselves can be good publicity for these wider incentives overall. 

Why work with Tenity for your market access program

At Tenity, we regularly run market access programs for governments and corporates around the globe. If you’re looking for support running your own program—or you want someone to run the entire program from scratch for you—we’re a good choice. Here are three reasons why:

1. You’ll benefit from our truly global experience

At Tenity, our belief is that innovation is happening everywhere—you just need the local knowledge to understand where it’s taking place. 

That’s why we work from 14 different locations globally, including London, Scandinavia, Singapore, South Korea, the Middle East, and our headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. Since we were founded in 2015, we’ve worked with startups from over 110 countries. 

This means we have a truly global perspective on trends in the startup world. But our knowledge is much deeper than most accelerators, as we’re embedded in local hubs. In every location where we operate—whether Zurich, Seoul, or Istanbul—we build deep connections with the local startup scene. It gives us deeper knowledge and concrete local experience.

As a result, we’re able to select the most promising startups that are most suited to specific markets and ecosystems.

2. You’ll access our specialist finance expertise

Since we launched as part of SIX, the Swiss Stock Exchange, a decade ago, our focus has always been on finance. This allows us to commit our energies to a specific sector and provide specialist services that other accelerators cannot offer. 

As a result, we’ve worked with some of the biggest names in financial services, including UBS, Generali, Franklin Templeton, and Visa. And having worked with startups in web3, AI, sustainable finance, and more, we have our fingers on the pulse of key trends in the finance sector. 

This specialist knowledge in different locations makes us well-placed to connect the right startups with the expertise they need. For instance, during the program, we connect founders with legal experts, mentors, and companies that have successfully moved into new markets. 

3. You’ll have a market access program tailored to your unique needs

All the programs we run—whether market access or accelerators—are customised to your specific requirements. No two countries’ goals are the same, and they inevitably have differences in regulation, experience, and the kinds of startups and industries they want to support. 

You need an accelerator that’s able to build programs around these needs. At Tenity, we’ve worked with countries including the UK, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Japan, and more. 

We’ll build the program from scratch to match your preferences. We’ll listen to your goals and your strategy and build the program around that. Then we’ll handle the whole event from end to end, from the startup scouting to the demo day. 

Two examples of Tenity’s market access programs

To end this article, we want to share the details of two programs that we’ve developed at Tenity.

1. Insurtech Isle of Man Acceleration program

In 2022, we worked with the Isle of Man to run a market access program specifically for insurtechs. This was an inbound program, aiming to attract promising startups to support the development of a welcoming ecosystem for insurtech businesses. 

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Our first task was to select growth-stage insurtechs with a proven, enterprise-ready solution within the customer onboarding, policy management, and wealth management spaces. We selected eight insurtechs from across Europe and Asia—specifically from Zurich, Madrid, and Singapore—that matched the accelerator’s focus. 

We played an active role in the development of the coaching too. The startups benefited from personal coaching as well as workshops and training in the theory of growing an insurtech. Plus, they built connections with world-leading fintechs, investors, and corporates at the same time. 

Find out more about the program: Insurtech Isle of Man Acceleration program

2. Workup Rise & LEAP UK Acceleration program

In 2023, we ran a market access program on behalf of the Turkish government. This was an outbound program, with the goal of sending Turkish startups to grow in the UK. 

The program involved nine Turkish startups that took part in the 8-week program. The first four weeks were held in Turkey and involved training and developing intensive strategies for scaling abroad. In the second half of the program, the founders visited the UK, to build local connections and to gain hands-on insights into the local ecosystem. For instance, the startups met with local entrepreneurs, Turkish expats working for Google, and even the Turkish ambassador—all while working on pitching and understanding British regulation.

As a result of the program, the startups developed POCs, generated leads, pitched their products to investors, and made some new hires. 

Find out more: Workup Rise and LEAP Accelerator program

Want to launch a market access program? Reach out to us

At Tenity, we’re global fintech experts with extensive experience in building market access programs for governments and corporates around the world. 

We offer custom accelerators built around your specific needs and goals. We’ll do all the hard work of designing and organising your program for you—from scouting startups to planning the curriculum and holding demo days. 

Ready to launch your open program? Get in touch with us.