EIC Board renews gender equality push in deep tech while calling for tougher metrics and sector-wide action
- ›The EIC Board reaffirms gender equality as a strategic priority and urges stronger measures across Europe’s innovation chain.
- ›Women-led companies in the EIC Accelerator rose from 8% in 2020 to 30% in 2024, a rate the EIC says exceeds market averages.
- ›Reported funding figures for women-led firms differ across EIC communications, highlighting a need for clearer measurement.
- ›New proposals include scaling Women TechEU, embedding gender metrics and setting a KPI so 50% of funded firms have a woman in top leadership.
- ›The Board wants gender balance embedded in governance, evaluation and investment decisions and calls on ecosystem actors to match the ambition.
A renewed equality push in European deep tech
The European Innovation Council Board has restated its commitment to gender equality in Europe’s innovation system and called for stronger measures across the entire innovation chain. The announcement acknowledges persistent structural gaps despite some progress and frames inclusion as both a fairness imperative and an economic competitiveness issue.
The Board’s position builds on an updated statement on gender and diversity. It points to headline disparities in leadership, funding and decision making while highlighting recent EIC programme outcomes and a set of concrete next steps to hardwire gender balance into strategy, operations and performance tracking.
The gap the EIC says it wants to close
Women make up 42% of STEM graduates in the EU but hold fewer than 25% of leadership roles in the innovation landscape. They receive significantly less investment and are rarely present in venture decision making. The Board underlines that women remain underrepresented, underfunded and undervalued despite evidence that diverse teams can outperform. It also notes that fewer than 20% of investment funds include a woman decision maker, limiting representation where capital allocation choices are made.
Programmes and reported results to date
The EIC points to targeted initiatives that aim to shift outcomes for women founders and researchers in deep tech. These include leadership training, early-stage grants and visibility measures, paired with changes to selection processes and panels.
The EIC highlights a notable shift in its flagship funding instrument. Women-led companies in the EIC Accelerator rose from 8% in 2020 to 30% in 2024, which the EIC positions as above market averages for deep tech. It also reports a multi-year investment effort into women-led firms, though figures vary across EIC channels and appear to reflect different scopes and time frames.
| Indicator | EIC-reported figure | Notes and definitions |
| Women in STEM graduates | 42% in the EU | Pipeline is strong but not translating into leadership or capital allocation roles |
| Leadership roles in innovation | Fewer than 25% held by women | Leadership gap persists across the ecosystem |
| Women in investment decision roles | Fewer than 20% of funds include a woman decision maker | Low representation at capital allocation level |
| EIC Accelerator share of women-led firms | 8% in 2020 to 30% in 2024 | Women-led defined strictly as female CEO, CTO or CSO |
| Market comparator for deep tech | 22% women-led companies | Broader definition that counts any leadership role which is not directly comparable to the EIC’s stricter metric |
| Funding to women-led deep tech (press article) | €363 million over four years | Scope not fully specified in the news note |
| Funding to women-led via Accelerator (Board statement) | €487m grants plus €648m approved equity = €1.1bn recommended | Likely a different period and scope and may reflect recommended or approved rather than disbursed sums |
| EIC Pathfinder women coordinators | More than 25% | Growth reported to have slowed recently |
What the Board is asking for next
The EIC Board wants gender considerations embedded at every stage of the innovation chain and in EIC strategic planning. It outlines three priority tracks and a set of operational measures aimed at access, visibility and accountability.
Measurement and comparability deserve more scrutiny
The EIC presents rising shares of women-led awardees and sizable support volumes. Two issues limit comparability and external verification. First, definitions vary. The EIC’s women-led metric counts only CEO, CTO or CSO, while market comparators may credit any leadership role. This difference is material and can overstate the EIC’s relative outperformance. Second, funding figures reference different scopes and statuses such as recommended, approved or disbursed and different time windows. The press note cites €363 million over four years for women-led deep tech companies, while the Board statement lists about €1.1 billion recommended under the Accelerator through combined grants and equity approvals. These figures can both be true but reflect different accounting approaches. For credibility, clear baselines, consistent definitions and periodic audits would help stakeholders track progress over time.
Where this fits in Europe’s innovation finance context
The EIC positions itself as one of Europe’s largest deep tech investors, combining grants and equity through the EIC Fund and associated co investment. Europe’s wider venture ecosystem is still concentrated geographically and sectorally, with historically low single digit shares of capital flowing to women founded teams and limited representation among investment decision makers. Against that backdrop, targeted public instruments can accelerate inclusion but rely on cooperation with national and private financiers to scale outcomes. Embedding gender balance in EIC panels, data tools and business support is necessary but not sufficient without concurrent shifts in partner funds, corporates and public buyers.
Signals to watch
The Board’s proposals will matter if translated into operational changes with transparent reporting. Key indicators include whether a 50% leadership KPI is formally adopted in the Accelerator work programme, how gender monitoring tools are integrated into selection and portfolio reviews, and whether budget reallocations are specified rather than added on top. It will also be relevant to track parity on evaluation panels and jury rooms, the share of women among investment decision makers in co investing funds and follow through on Pathfinder and Transition coordination rates. Finally, clarity on whether reported funding amounts are recommended, approved or disbursed will help stakeholders judge real world progress rather than intentions.