EIC and Bpifrance host Paris scaleup showcase as EIC opens Scale Up 100 call and courts investors
- ›The European Innovation Council and Bpifrance ran a hybrid Scale‑Up event in Paris on 14 June 2022 to spotlight sustainability and deep tech startups from EIC portfolios.
- ›The event showcased 25 firms selected from more than 3,000 applicants under EIC ScalingUp and EIC Ecosystem Partnerships and Co‑investment Support.
- ›Organisers used the event to preview the EIC Scale Up 100 initiative and to recruit qualified investors for co‑investment opportunities.
- ›Over 200 ecosystem actors had registered and organisers invited venture capitalists, angel investors and corporates to book meetings and hear pitches.
- ›The EIC asked implementing entities to propose delivery plans for Scale Up 100 with support actions due to start the following year.
Scaling up with the European Innovation Council: Paris event, Scale Up 100 and the investor call
On 14 June 2022 the European Innovation Council hosted a hybrid conference in Paris with Bpifrance under the French EU Presidency. The day combined policy panels, pitching sessions and networking to promote sustainability and deep tech companies that have passed EIC selection processes. The event doubled as an investor matchmaking forum and as a platform to outline the forthcoming EIC Scale Up 100 initiative.
What the event covered
Organisers presented outcomes from two strands of EIC work: EIC ScalingUp and EIC Ecosystem Partnerships and Co‑investment Support. The programme pulled 25 startups from a pool of more than 3,000 and staged a day of pitches, panel discussions and one‑to‑one meetings. The morning programme was webstreamed for remote participants while the in‑person programme offered networking and investor meetings in Paris.
Agenda highlights
| Time | Session |
| 08:30 | Networking breakfast |
| 09:00 | Introduction |
| 09:15 | Welcome words by Nicolas Dufourcq (CEO, Bpifrance) |
| 09:25 | EIC Announcement |
| 09:40 | Policy panel: what do we know about European scalers and unicorns? |
| 10:30 | Supporting European scale‑ups with EIC: EIC Scale Up 100 (Viorel Peca) |
| 11:00 | Wrap up and conclusions (Jean‑David Malo; Pascal Lagarde) |
| 11:15 | Coffee Break |
| 11:25 | EIC Scaling Up Pitch session |
| 12:40 | Lunch |
| 13:45 | Pitch: EIC Ecosystem Partnerships — Sustainability |
| 14:55 | Short break |
| 15:00 | Pitch: EIC Ecosystem Partnerships — Deep tech |
| 16:10 | Closing remarks (Stéphane Ouaki; Paul‑François Fournier) |
| 16:30 | One‑to‑one meetings with corporates and investors |
EIC Scale Up 100 and calls for implementers
A central aim of the day was to launch and explain the EIC Scale Up 100 concept. The Scale Up 100 is an initiative to identify and support up to 100 scaleup companies across Europe. At the time of the event the call for implementing entities to propose how they would deliver the Scale Up 100 support package was open, with support actions planned to begin the following year. Organisers encouraged organisations with delivery capacity to apply before the autumn deadline.
Investor engagement and the call for qualified investors
The EIC used the Paris event to recruit investors and to demonstrate deal flow. The agency asked venture capitalists, angel investors and corporate VCs with interests in sustainability and tech to apply to attend and to organise meetings with hand‑picked EIC companies. The EIC encouraged investors to contact organisers via euroquity@bpifrance.fr.
Startups on stage and investment appetites
Organisers selected 25 startups from EIC portfolios for pitching at the event. The cohort was drawn from two EIC programmes: EIC ScalingUp and EIC Ecosystem Partnerships and Co‑investment Support. The public materials named a set of companies and, for a subset, included fundraising stage and indicative target amounts. Below are the examples the EIC and associated partners promoted.
| Company | Sector and short description | Fundraising stage or ask (as published) |
| AVILOO | Battery testing platform for second‑hand electric vehicles to increase transparency in used EV markets | Series B, seeking around EUR 5 million |
| KoalaLifter | Craneless systems for wind turbine maintenance and erection to avoid heavy lifts | Series B, seeking around EUR 10 million |
| Sensoneo | Smart waste management for route optimisation and pay‑as‑you‑throw schemes | Series A, seeking EUR 10 million to EUR 15 million |
| Nanogence | Nanomaterials and additives to improve concrete durability and lower cement sector emissions | Growth round USD 60 million, still looking for around USD 50 million |
| Cascade | Light spectrum enhancement for greenhouses to boost yields and reduce inputs | Seeking EUR 2.5 million from EUR 5 million round |
| TreaTech | Catalytic hydrothermal gasification systems to convert liquid waste into biogas, clean water and mineral salts | Series A, seeking EUR 6 million |
| Hysilabs | Liquid hydrogen carrier for safer hydrogen storage and transport | Series A, seeking EUR 10 million |
| DazeTechnology | Autonomous conductive charging hardware and systems for electric vehicles | Series A, seeking EUR 4 million of EUR 8.2 million round |
| Demeta | Speciality catalysts for higher value ingredients and polymers replacing costlier or more polluting processes | Series A, seeking EUR 8 million |
| TiHive | Imaging and sensing platform for inline defect detection in manufacturing | No amount specified in promotion materials |
| ROSI Solar | Recycling and high quality reclaiming of silicon from photovoltaic wafering and PV manufacturing waste | Series A, EUR 8 million round with EUR 4 million secured from the EIC |
| Criaterra | Low emission kiln‑free ceramic and cement alternatives for building materials | Seeking EUR 3 million to complete a EUR 8 million Series A |
| Plant‑e | Plant microbial fuel cells to generate electricity from living plants | Series A, seeking EUR 6 million |
| Blue Heart Energy | Thermoacoustic technology to improve heat pump performance for residential heating | No amount specified in promotion materials |
These summaries reflect promotional material provided ahead of the Paris forum. Fundraising figures appeared as targets and should not be read as guaranteed commitments. Presence at a pitch event is an opportunity to meet investors not a promise of financing.
EIC programmes and implementing bodies involved
Implications and critical considerations for investors and policymakers
The Paris event illustrates the EIC's push to shift from grant‑centric models towards blended support combining technical grants, acceleration services and equity co‑investment. That combination addresses some structural obstacles for European deep tech scaleups but important questions remain.
How to follow up or get involved
Investors and ecosystem organisations interested in the EIC investor stream were asked to contact euroquity@bpifrance.fr to apply for participation and to set up meetings. The EIC promoted the Scale Up 100 call for implementing entities with a submission window running until the autumn and actions expected to start the following year. Morning sessions of the event were webstreamed via the EIC website for those who could not attend in person.
For researchers, entrepreneurs and investors wanting to track EIC policy developments and calls it is worth monitoring EISMEA and EIC channels. The EIC and the Agency publish work programmes, calls for proposals and procurement notices on official Commission portals. Interested parties should also factor in that calls and programme timetables may evolve as budgets and contractual arrangements are finalised.
Bottom line
The Paris showcase was both a marketing exercise and a tactical move to speed up investor introductions for selected sustainability and deep tech firms. The EIC continues to broaden its toolbox, blending grants, coaching and equity. The real test will be whether the Scale Up 100 and co‑investment activity convert EU support into sustained private follow‑on capital and measurable scaling outcomes at European level.