An AMA for EIC Tech to Market: what to expect and why it matters

The European Innovation Council is inviting beneficiaries of EIC Pathfinder and EIC Transition to an Ask Me Anything information session on the Tech to Market Entrepreneurship and Venture Building programmes. The goal is straightforward. Explain services on offer, showcase experiences from past participants, and answer practical questions from teams that want to move research out of the lab and into a commercial context. The session is open to EIC-funded organisations and to external experts who may contribute as mentors or entrepreneurs in residence.

Agenda and structure

The format is compact and divided into three blocks. A short welcome from the EIC is followed by two segments that detail the Entrepreneurship and Venture Building tracks. Each segment covers services, testimonials, and an overview of upcoming activities. A closing Q&A allows participants to raise specific issues ranging from eligibility to timing and service delivery.

Who should attend and what is on offer

The AMA is directed at deep tech teams that already receive EIC support under Pathfinder or Transition and are considering the next steps on market readiness, customer discovery, and venture formation. External experts who can mentor teams, validate business models, or serve as entrepreneurs in residence are also in scope. The Entrepreneurship track is positioned for early entrepreneurial capacity building and value proposition validation. The Venture Building track supports the creation of new companies based on EIC-funded research with structured activities that include team formation and targeted advisory.

Entrepreneurship Programme: components and methods

The Entrepreneurship track targets researchers with entrepreneurial ambitions who want to translate technology into a credible business proposition. The offer combines structured training, expert coaching, and stakeholder interactions to pressure test value propositions and business models.

Venture Building Programme: phases and support

The Venture Building track is designed to form and grow companies around promising EIC results. It is not a funding instrument in itself but a set of services that move teams from opportunity mapping to team assembly and targeted advisory. Success depends on access to experienced operators who can translate research results into credible business plans and early commercial traction.

How to join, how to ask questions, and late access

Registrations for the AMA were open until 10 September 2023. The organisers also shared a Webex access link to accommodate late joiners on the day. For specific queries, participants are asked to use the EIC Community contact page and choose the category EIC T2M Programme - Ask me anything session. The event page also directs users to the EIC Tech to Market programme page for detailed information on services and future calls.

Programme status and continuity

The current EIC Tech to Market page indicates that the programme has been paused and is expected to resume in 2026. Applications to serve as experts or entrepreneurs in residence are also closed and slated to reopen when activities restart. This timing matters for planning. Teams that attended the 2023 AMA or that are entering Pathfinder or Transition now will need clarity on when specific cohorts or services will be available again and how they align with other EIC Business Acceleration Services or national support schemes.

What this means for teams

Deep tech ventures have long timelines, and a pause can create gaps in coaching, market access, and team formation. Beneficiaries should map alternatives in the interim. These include national incubators, EIT KIC programmes, technology transfer offices, and investor led accelerators. The EIC ecosystem also continues to offer other services and events, but the fit and depth vary. The AMA format is still useful to understand how T2M intends to operate when it resumes, though participants should treat timelines and availability as indicative rather than guaranteed.

Open questions to raise in the AMA

Participants may want to ask for concrete details on cohort schedules and selection criteria when the programme restarts. It is reasonable to request clarity on how teams are matched with entrepreneurs in residence, how IP arrangements are handled, and what evidence of market validation is expected at each stage. Teams can also probe how T2M coordinates with the EIC Fund, national co-funding, and the EIC Pre-Accelerator so that coaching and financing do not operate on conflicting timelines. Finally, ask what indicators of success are tracked beyond testimonials, such as follow-on funding, first revenues, or industry pilots.

Context within the EU innovation landscape

Tech to Market sits in a crowded but fragmented support environment. Europe has strong research depth, but moving from lab to market often stalls on customer access, regulatory navigation, and leadership recruitment. By targeting value proposition validation, team building, and advisory services, T2M addresses real gaps. The challenge is consistent delivery and continuity across years and budget cycles. As with many EU initiatives, results are often communicated through select success stories, while systematic data on outcomes is less visible. Teams should look for hard metrics and independent validation where possible.

Engagement and community signals

The original community post registered 15 likes and invited logged-in users to comment. Topic tags included business development, organisation development, partnership development, and skill development. The tone was informational and included a disclaimer that the content does not represent the official view of the European Commission. For operational matters, the EIC Community helpdesk specifies that only questions related to Business Acceleration Services and the Community platform receive responses, and directs programme application queries to the Funding and Tenders Portal support channels.

Disclaimer and practical reminders

The organisers note that all information is shared for knowledge purposes and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission or other organisations. As with any EU programme event, participants should verify the most current timelines, eligibility, and service availability on the official EIC pages and the Funding and Tenders Portal, particularly given the announced pause of T2M and planned resumption in 2026.