EIC launches Tech to Market programme to move Pathfinder and Transition research toward start-ups
- ›The European Innovation Council launched the EIC Tech to Market Entrepreneurship and Venture Building Programme to help EIC Pathfinder and Transition projects cross the lab to market divide.
- ›The programme is split into two complementary strands: Entrepreneurship training and Venture Building support for bespoke start-up creation.
- ›Services include modular trainings, multiweek bootcamps, months-long mentoring, market discovery workshops, team recruitment support and tailored advisory.
- ›An information session for organisations was held on 15 March 2023 and participants were directed to the EIC Community contact channels for follow up.
- ›The T2M programme provides services rather than direct equity or grant funding and its effectiveness depends on follow-on investment, sustained support and market validation.
- ›As of the programme pages updated later, the T2M programme was paused and expected to resume in 2026, and calls for experts and entrepreneurs in residence were closed while awaiting reopening.
What the EIC Tech to Market programme is and who it targets
The European Innovation Council launched the Tech to Market Entrepreneurship and Venture Building Programme to help inventors and teams funded under EIC Pathfinder and EIC Transition turn research outputs into marketable ventures. The initiative bundles training, advisory services and hands-on venture building to address common gaps in deep-tech commercialisation, including business model definition, value proposition testing, team formation and early market engagement.
Two complementary strands: Entrepreneurship and Venture Building
To match different needs along the lab to market continuum, the EIC split the Tech to Market offer into two strands. Tech to Market Entrepreneurship focuses on building entrepreneurial skills and validating business models. Tech to Market Venture Building is a more bespoke, agile service geared toward creating and incubating start-ups from research outputs.
What the Entrepreneurship strand provides
The entrepreneurship strand is a modular set of training and coaching activities meant to turn technology-minded researchers into founder-capable teams and to sharpen the initial business proposition. It combines short online sessions with multi-day bootcamps and multi-month immersive programmes.
| Component | Format | Focus |
| EIC Innovation Discovery Training | Two half-day online sessions | Basics of entrepreneurial skills and pitching for deep tech founders |
| EIC Bootcamp for innovative researchers | Four day online collective workshops | Value proposition, team building, roadmaps and pitch development |
| EIC Pioneer Programme for innovative researchers | 4 to 5 month immersive programme with weekly collective sessions and coaching | In-depth topics including IP, industrialisation, regulation, team and finance |
| EIC Business Idea Validation Bootcamp | Four week collective workshops with team coaching and interviews | Pre-validation of a business model and strengthening product-market hypotheses |
| EIC Business Validation Programme | Eight week intensive online courses, masterclasses and coaching | Customer discovery, product-market fit and market-oriented value proposition |
What the Venture Building strand provides
The Venture Building strand is designed to take promising technologies through a more operational pathway to company creation. It emphasises customised support including validation with market players, team assembly, and advisory services that address specific barriers to venture creation.
| Phase | Typical activities | Objective |
| Tech Demo Days | Thematic workshops and market feedback sessions | Rapid external assessment of market potential |
| Opportunities exploration | Feasibility reviews by business experts and recommendations | Clarify paths to a viable business case |
| Team creation | Recruitment services, entrepreneurs in residence and talent events | Form leadership and execution teams to launch the venture |
| Venture support services | Needs analysis and advisory in IP, finance, HR and regulation | Resolve critical operational and legal issues for venture launch |
How to engage and the information session
When the programme launched in early 2023 the EIC promoted an online information session scheduled for 15 March 2023 at 10.30 CET. Interested organisations were directed to the EIC Tech to Market info session event page and encouraged to contact the EIC Community contact page selecting the appropriate inquiry category for the Entrepreneurship or Venture Building strand.
Where the programme sits in the EU innovation landscape
The EIC Tech to Market offer is part of a broader EIC portfolio intended to support breakthrough research and scaling. The EIC is administered operationally through the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency, known as EISMEA. The EIC complements financial instruments such as the EIC Fund which invests in later-stage scaling and co-invests with private investors.
Practical caveats and realistic expectations
The Tech to Market programme provides training, advisory and venture building services rather than direct grant or equity funding. These services can reduce barriers to commercialisation but do not guarantee market success. Success depends on subsequent access to capital, continuity of support, industrial partnerships and the ability of teams to execute under commercial constraints. The quality of mentorship and the match between technology and market will determine outcomes more than the existence of a training programme alone.
Implications for researchers, start-ups and policy makers
For researchers the programme offers structured routes to test business assumptions and assemble complementary teams. For nascent start-ups it can accelerate customer discovery and early operational setup. For policy makers and ecosystem builders the EIC Tech to Market approach is a signal that services and human capital development are priorities alongside financial instruments. However policy makers should monitor whether episodic programmes are sustained over the long term and whether they are integrated with financing instruments and regional innovation ecosystems to avoid creating short lived support that fails to translate into scaled companies.
Recommendations for potential participants
Check the EIC Tech to Market programme page and the EIC Community contact page for current calls and the programme status. If the programme is paused, consider alternative national or regional venture building services while monitoring EIC reopening announcements. When engaging, be clear about whether you need training, bespoke venture building, or immediate access to capital, and select the strand that best addresses that gap. Finally, treat EIC services as part of a broader commercialisation plan that includes investor outreach and industrial partnerships.