EIC puts European deeptech innovators in the spotlight at MWC Barcelona and 4YFN 2024

From 26 to 29 February 2024 the European Innovation Council presented 15 European small and medium sized deeptech companies at the EIC Pavilion during Mobile World Congress and 4YFN in Barcelona. The pavilion sat within the 4YFN zone and was curated to give visitors hands on exposure to innovations across telecommunications, robotics and automation, blockchain, security, Internet of Things, 3D and quantum technologies. The pavilion launch included a ribbon cutting co hosted by Viorel Peca, Head of Unit EIC Transition at EISMEA, and Pere Duran, Director at 4YFN. Nearly 100 participants attended the opening.

What took place at the EIC Pavilion

The EIC Pavilion combined exhibition space with a program of panels, pitching and sessions intended to connect innovators to industry and investors. Highlights included a high level panel titled "Turning science into profit - fostering the European tech to market ecosystem" presented by Viorel Peca, sessions that explained EIC funding instruments and the EIC Fund, and a pitching session where the 15 EIC beneficiaries presented to an audience of investors, potential partners and customers. Organisers reported attendance of over 100 people for the funding sessions.

Who exhibited

The 15 companies were selected under the EIC International Trade Fairs Programme 3.0. They represented a geographically diverse set of European innovators and worked across the connectivity and deeptech stack. The EIC provided onboarding calls and a pre departure briefing designed to prepare participants for the trade fair environment and to help them coordinate messaging and logistics.

Programming highlights and messaging

Sessions at the pavilion focused on converting research and prototypes into commercial offerings and on financing pathways. The EIC presented its range of instruments from early stage grants and transition support to equity style financing through the EIC Fund. The pavilion program also included success stories across sectors like blockchain, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, IoT and cleantech. One company singled out in EIC material was Cardlab, which was awarded a national industry prize in Denmark in 2024 for credit card security. The EIC framed these sessions as practical steps toward scaleup, and an opportunity for startups to identify co investment and partnership leads.

About the EIC International Trade Fairs Programme 3.0

The ITF 3.0 programme runs from 2024 to 2026 and is intended to support EIC beneficiaries in their commercialisation and internationalisation efforts. It covers trade fairs across Europe, the Middle East and North America and targets four sectors: biotech and pharma, health and medical care, cleantech and environment, and new industrial and information technologies. The service offers a package of pre event coaching, matchmaking, on site services and post event follow up. Selection into the programme requires companies to be EIC beneficiaries and to apply through open calls that are typically launched about six months before each trade fair. External experts evaluate applications.

Context and critical perspective

Trade fair exposure at globally recognised events can be valuable. It puts startups in front of decision makers and investors and gives them a compressed opportunity to test messages and gather market feedback. The EIC emphasises visibility and networking as immediate benefits. That said, trade fairs are only one input in a longer scaleup pathway that requires customer pilots, regulatory compliance, manufacturing or deployment capability, and follow on capital. Publicly funded programmes including the EIC can reduce some barriers to internationalisation but they cannot substitute for clear business models, competitive differentiation and sustained commercial traction.

Follow up, evidence and accountability

The EIC publishes impact stories and reports on its community platform and runs follow up mechanisms after trade fairs. Independent assessments and regular reporting are important to validate claims about conversions from exposure to revenue or investment. For policymakers and taxpayers, useful metrics include the number of tangible commercial agreements signed after events, the volume of follow on private capital, and whether cross border market entry was sustained beyond pilot projects.

For those interested in the EIC presence at MWC Barcelona and 4YFN 2024 the EIC shared a short video recap at bit.ly/49XFUhh. The EIC also notes that 12 additional EIC funded ventures were present under the EIC T2M Venture Building Programme at nearby booths during the show.

Disclaimer: The EIC and related agencies provide this information for knowledge sharing. These communications represent programme descriptions and reported outcomes. They do not replace independent verification of commercial claims or contractual commitments.