EIT Digital and EIC join forces to strengthen the European innovation ecosystem

EIT Digital and the European Innovation Council (EIC) have launched a year-long collaboration pilot aimed at creating new synergies between the two organisations, enabling their supported startups, scaleups, and teams to benefit from each other’s programs, services, and support activities.

“We are excited to enter this pilot. EIT Digital and EIC are complementary organisations in the European innovation ecosystem, and their activities will strongly benefit from deeper integration and collaboration. Both parties’ most promising startups, scaleups and entrepreneurial teams will be able to find the best support, fitting their needs and potential,” says Chahab Nastar, Chief Innovation Officer at EIT Digital.

EIT Digital- and EIC-supported startups, scaleups and entrepreneurial teams are invited to apply to the pilot. Application processes will be soon opened on the EIT Digital website.

The EIC-supported startups, scaleups and entrepreneurial teams approved to the pilot will have access to the EIT Digital Accelerator scaleup program as well as the EIT Digital Innovation Factory services and the EIT Digital ecosystem, with an active network of more than 350 partners and offices in 18 countries.

The EIT Digital portfolio and alumni startups and scaleups can apply to the EIC Accelerator services and funding through the ‘Fast-track’ scheme.

EIT Digital invests in strategic areas to accelerate the market uptake and scaling of research-based digital technologies (deep tech) focusing on Europe’s key societal challenges: Digital Tech, Digital Cities, Digital Industry, Digital Wellbeing, and Digital Finance. Since its launch, EIT Digital has supported more than 370 start-ups and scaleups to grow internationally, created more than 200 ventures and launched more than 530 products and services commercially.

The European Innovation Council (EIC) has a budget of €10.1 billion to support game-changing innovations throughout the lifecycle from early-stage research to proof of concept, technology transfer, and the financing and scale-up of start-ups and SMEs.

Both EIT Digital and EIC are committed to building long-term cooperation beyond this pilot, to support entrepreneurship and innovation across Europe. 

Read more on the Pilot’s page.

The EIT Digital-EIC project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101039254.

Watch European Innovation Council Director Jean-David Malo speaking on scaling EU tech companies at our Makers & Shapers Video Series

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Co-Funded by the European Union