EIC Success Stories - ZeClinics: The EIC allowed us to maximise our visibility on the US market
- ›ZeClinics used EIC Overseas Trade Fairs Programme 2.0 support to exhibit at the European Pavilion at BIO 2022 and 2023, generating substantial leads and visibility in North America.
- ›The company reports many promising conversations but cautions that its sales cycle exceeds six months and conversions are still being evaluated.
- ›ZeClinics says EIC backing increased prospective customers confidence and widened access to European partners, but trade fair exposure is only one step toward market entry.
- ›Practical preparation for large trade fairs includes preparing a detailed partnering profile, identifying and requesting targeted meetings early, bringing clear supporting materials, and defining KPIs for follow up.
- ›Zebrafish-based services offer throughput and cost advantages in early R&D but face regulatory and validation hurdles before replacing mammalian models at scale.
ZeClinics at BIO: trade fair exposure, lead generation and realistic outcomes
ZeClinics, a Spain based contract research organisation that uses zebrafish to deliver preclinical safety and efficacy testing, credits the European Innovation Council's Overseas Trade Fairs Programme 2.0 with helping them increase visibility in North America. The company exhibited at the European Pavilion at BIO International Convention in both 2022 and 2023 under the EIC OTF 2.0 scheme. According to Daniel Caballero Diaz, Sales and Account Manager at ZeClinics, the participation produced numerous leads and important meetings with industry players and collaborators. At the same time ZeClinics is careful not to overstate immediate commercial returns because its sales cycle is longer than six months and conversions remain under evaluation.
ZeClinics reports two categories of commercial outcomes from BIO. First, planned meetings organised through the event’s partnering system led to scheduled discussions with potential customers. Second, the company received walk up interest from spontaneous visitors to its booth who wanted a demonstration or explanation of services. These interactions have translated into follow up business conversations with collaborators and existing clients and have helped position ZeClinics as an alternative to animal testing in early research stages.
What ZeClinics says the EIC provided and why that matters
ZeClinics highlights three concrete benefits from the EIC OTF support. First the programme subsidised a booth at BIO which directly increased ZeClinics’ on site visibility. Second being selected to the programme increased the confidence of prospective customers who associate EIC support with quality and readiness. Third the European Pavilion and related events opened additional visibility to other European companies at the fair who could be interested in partnering. Those are real advantages for a Europe based biotech with ambitions in North America but they are not a substitute for downstream commercial work such as regulatory alignment, local partnerships and sustained sales follow up.
Practical advice ZeClinics offers to other exhibitors
Drawing on their experience, ZeClinics emphasises the partnering tool that BIO provides as a powerful way to schedule meetings. They recommend intensive use of that tool in the weeks before the fair and disciplined planning to maximise the time onsite. They also stress the importance of clear, targeted outreach messages and of bringing high quality supporting materials to each meeting.
| Preparation element | ZeClinics advice | Practical reason |
| Partnering profile | Comprehensive profile with flyers and objectives | Helps partners screen and agree to meetings in advance |
| Meeting requests | Request early with targeted messages | Increases the chance of securing high quality one to one sessions |
| Supporting materials | Bring service brochures, company background, competitive advantages | Shortens explanation time and supports technical follow up |
| Internal KPIs | Define participation objectives and KPIs before the event | Enables measurement and corrective action after the fair |
Technical context: zebrafish platforms and what buyers often ask
Implications for market entry and follow up after the fair
Exhibiting at a major trade fair can open doors but the hard work occurs after the event. For deep tech life sciences companies that means moving from introductory conversations to technical validation, pilot projects, contractual negotiations and regulatory assessments. ZeClinics’ caution about its longer than six month sales cycle is a reminder that trade fair metrics should include the length and quality of follow up, not only the number of leads captured.
ZeClinics future plans and a measured assessment
ZeClinics says it aims to grow sales in North America over the next two years and has identified service areas to expand. Participation in EIC OTF 2.0 accelerated awareness and provided introductions that can help meet that objective. That said the company and any similar provider must convert visibility into validated technical evidence, regulatory readiness and local commercial partnerships to achieve durable market presence.
For SMEs considering EIC trade fair programmes the takeaways are clear. The EIC can help with visibility and credibility. Trade fairs provide efficient access to partners and buyers. However exhibitors should prepare carefully, use partnering systems proactively, bring robust materials and set clear KPIs for post event follow up. Without those steps, even a successful booth can produce ephemeral contacts rather than lasting business.