EIC Community Programme: Training, experts and how the network aims to boost fundraising readiness

Brussels, June 14th 2024

Summary

›The EIC Community Programme runs peer learning, targeted trainings and networking to help EIC awardees prepare for market scaling and fundraising.
›A March 20, 2024 in-person workshop focused on valuation, financial modelling and investor-ready presentations for both early stage projects and accelerator companies.
›An online EIC Summer School on Access to Finance ran as two sessions on 5 and 12 July 2024 covering pitch decks and investor terms with limited places.
›Trainers from EIT Digital and independent coaches including José A. Martinez, Daniel Michel, Ben McClure and Jari Mieskonen contributed practical advice and case work.
›The EIC Community Platform links beneficiaries to events, groups, peer networks and the EIC Business Acceleration Services but training does not guarantee fundraising success.

How the EIC Community Programme combines training and networks to push deep tech projects toward investment

The European Innovation Council Community Programme aims to serve EIC-backed innovators by offering structured upskilling, peer learning and networking. The programme is delivered through the EIC Business Acceleration Services and uses a blend of in-person workshops, online Summer and Winter Schools, single-topic Innovation Talks and Coordinators Days. The stated goal is to help beneficiaries refine business fundamentals such as valuation, financial modelling and investor communication while also creating connections across the EIC ecosystem.

What the programme offers and who it targets

Participants include organisations and teams funded by EIC Accelerator second stage, EIC Pathfinder, EIC Transition, Women TechEU awardees and Seal of Excellence holders under Horizon Europe. Activities are presented as complementary to grant support and are intended to increase the market readiness and fundraising preparedness of deep tech ventures. The EIC Community Platform supports these efforts by hosting news, events, groups and searchable profiles of companies and individuals inside the network.

EIC Business Acceleration Services and EISMEA:The EIC Business Acceleration Services provide tailored services and events to awardees. The programme is managed by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency, which is responsible for implementing EIC activities and other EU innovation programmes. These services aim to connect companies with corporate partners, investors and support providers across Europe.

Recent and scheduled training activities

Between early 2024 and mid 2024 the Community Programme ran and promoted a set of events focused on financing and scaling. Organisers emphasised hands-on content and networking opportunities provided by in-person sessions as well as digital classrooms. Two flagship items were a one-day in-person workshop on 20 March 2024 in Brussels and an online two-session EIC Summer School on Access to Finance taking place on 5 and 12 July 2024.

Event	Date	Format	Core focus
Financial modelling for Seed, Series A and B rounds	20 March 2024	In-person, Brussels	Valuation, revenue projections, financial statement interpretation and tailored tracks for early and accelerator stage
EIC Summer School 2024 Session 1 Build a pitch deck	5 July 2024	Online mornings 09:00 to 13:00 CEST	Pitch deck structure and investor presentation skills
EIC Summer School 2024 Session 2 Investors and investment terms	12 July 2024	Online mornings 09:00 to 13:00 CEST	Investor types, valuation criteria and term sheet basics

Inside the March 20 workshop

The March 20 training was promoted as an executive level and practical day for EIC beneficiaries. Organisers split participants into two parallel tracks to match different needs. Track one addressed early stage innovators and projects. Track two focused on accelerator companies moving quickly through growth stages. The day included taught segments, case studies, break-out work and networking breaks. Participation required an expression of interest and attendees were selected based on fit with the workshop objectives.

Time	Activity - Early stage track	Activity - Accelerator track
08:30-09:00	Arrivals and welcome coffee	Arrivals and welcome coffee
09:00-09:20	Session introduction and objectives	Session introduction and objectives
09:25-12:30	Matching project to funding. Enterprise valuation basics. Pitching intangibles. Revenue estimation. Intro to financial statements	Why models matter. Modelling approaches. The three financial statements. Modelling the income statement. Case study and presentation aesthetics
10:30-11:00	Networking coffee	Networking coffee
12:45-14:00	Networking lunch	Networking lunch

Why organisers split tracks:Early stage teams have different modelling needs than fast growing companies. Early tracks emphasised matching project characteristics to appropriate funding mechanisms while the accelerator track concentrated on robust models for investor due diligence and presentation standards expected by venture capital.

Core technical concepts explained

Valuation:Valuation is the quantitative assessment of a company or project's economic worth. For early stage deep tech enterprises valuation often depends on projected revenues, technology milestones, comparable deals and investor risk appetite. Trainers emphasised that intangible assets such as intellectual property, team quality and strategic partnerships should be surfaced in valuation narratives but that these are harder to quantify.

Financial modelling:Financial modelling means building a structured spreadsheet that projects income statements, balance sheets and cash flow statements under assumptions about growth, pricing, margins and capital needs. Models are used to estimate runway, financing needs and investor returns. Quality models are transparent about assumptions, show scenario analysis and are aligned with the pitch narrative.

Pitch deck:A pitch deck is a concise slide set that tells the company story for investors. Typical elements include the problem and solution, market size, business model, traction, team, financials and the ask. Trainers focused on clarity and the ability to answer due diligence questions rather than slide volume.

Term sheet and investor terms:Investor terms determine how much capital is provided, the equity or control exchanged, liquidation preferences and investor rights. Understanding term sheets helps founders negotiate financing that preserves optionality and aligns incentives. The Summer School promised an introduction to common term sheet components and how investors assess deep tech.

Trainers and speakers

The programme brought together a mix of EIT Digital fundraising specialists, independent business coaches and EIC advisors. Trainers combined operational experience with capital raising practice for European technology ventures.

José A. Martinez

José A. Martinez is described as an EIC Business Innovation Coach and an innovation expert. His background combines electrical engineering with an MBA and experience advising more than 300 companies across sectors such as IT, HealthTech, CleanTech and Nanotechnology. In the training he led the early-stage track and noted that in-person sessions allow trainers to adapt conversations and read non-verbal cues.

Daniel Michel

Daniel Michel is Growth Services Manager and Head of Access to Finance at EIT Digital. He has experience in digital technologies and was described as having supported tens of companies in fundraising over the last decade. Daniel led training for accelerator companies and highlighted practical modelling techniques and investor readiness.

Ben McClure

Ben McClure is a venture capital fundraising specialist at EIT Digital with more than two decades advising founders and CEOs. He is credited with helping secure more than USD 300 million in venture funding for clients. Ben co-led sessions on capital raising strategy and investor engagement and contributed practical tips from road shows and due diligence.

Jari Mieskonen

Jari Mieskonen is a Northern Europe venture capital fundraising specialist who joined EIT Digital in 2022. He has over 20 years of experience in venture capital and corporate finance and previously worked with EQVITEC Partners and Conor Venture Partners. Jari was scheduled to be a lead trainer for the EIC Summer School sessions.

EIC moderation and investor panel participation:Diana Rucinschi, Investment Advisor at EIC, was listed as a moderator for Summer School panels that included speakers from the EIC investor community. The organisers said guest investors would join to share perspectives on how they evaluate deep tech investments.

Who could apply and how selections were made

Open calls invited EIC awardees including EIC Accelerator applicants at second stage, EIC Pathfinder, EIC Transition, Women TechEU awardees and Seal of Excellence holders. For the Summer School each session was limited to a maximum of 40 participants to preserve interactivity. Priority was given to beneficiaries registering for both sessions and selection was on a first-come-first-served basis with confirmation emails sent by 21 June. For the March 20 in-person training applicants submitted expressions of interest and organisers evaluated fit and potential contribution to the workshop.

Eligibility	Registration window	Capacity	Selection principle
EIC Accelerator 2nd stage, Pathfinder, Transition, Women TechEU, Seal of Excellence	Summer School registration by June 11 for sessions, confirmation by June 21	40 participants per session	Priority to those registering for both sessions and first-come-first-served
March in-person training	Expression of interest with deadline 1 March for the Brussels workshop	Limited places	Selection based on profile fit and contribution potential

Platform and community features

The EIC Community Platform is presented as a one-stop-shop for Business Acceleration Services. Public content includes news, featured stories and open calls. A members only area supports private group discussions, a searchable database of organisations and people, event registration and the ability for beneficiaries to add success stories. As of the period referenced in the source material the platform metrics claimed nearly 18,000 members and roughly 9,700 companies listed.

Platform components:Key elements include Stories, Topics, Groups, Organisations, Events and People. The portal also links to the EIC Service Catalogue where awardees can apply for tailored business acceleration services provided by partners.

Analysis and caution for beneficiaries

Training and networking are necessary but not sufficient conditions for successful fundraising. The organisers and trainers presented practical guidance intended to improve founders' readiness to talk to investors. That said fundraising outcomes depend on market timing, competitive dynamics, investor risk appetite, traction and execution. A well built model and a tight pitch deck improve the probability of progressing through investor diligence but they are not guarantees of capital inflows. Beneficiaries should view these programmes as tools that reduce information asymmetry and refine presentation, while recognising that long term investor relationships and measurable business milestones remain decisive.

From a policy perspective the EIC Community Programme fills a gap between grant funding and private capital by helping companies professionalise their investor interactions. The programme sits inside a broader European innovation ecosystem that includes the EIC, EISMEA and other support mechanisms. The strength of the network is its ability to bundle mentoring and investor exposure with EU funding visibility. The limits are structural. Deep tech investments carry long timelines and complex validation paths that standard pitch training only partially addresses.

Practical recommendations for prospective attendees

Register early to secure a place for limited capacity sessions. Prepare a concise briefing that explains your project stage, capital sought and the specific challenges you face. Use the training to test assumptions in your financial model and to clarify which milestones will materially de-risk the company. After the sessions follow up with contacts made on the platform and seek investor feedback on any revised materials. Treat these programmes as iterative inputs into an ongoing investor engagement process.

How to stay informed

Beneficiaries are encouraged to sign up to the EIC Business Acceleration Services newsletter and the Open Calls digest to get alerts on upcoming events and application windows. For direct questions organisers provided the Community helpdesk and specific contact forms for event enquiries. The information published about these activities carries a disclaimer that it should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission or other organisations.