EIC T2M at MWC & 4YFN 2024: Researchers pitch spinouts and prototypes to investors and partners
- ›The EIC Tech to Market Venture Building Programme showcased a curated group of EIC Pathfinder and Transition projects at MWC Barcelona and 4YFN, with live pitches, a fireside chat and networking sessions on 27 February 2024.
- ›Twelve deep tech projects will exhibit at dedicated 4YFN booths and at the MWCapital stand, covering fields from agricultural breeding and microalgae biofactories to neuromorphic AI, superhydrophobic membranes and antisense therapies.
- ›Separately the EIC International Trade Fairs 3.0 delegation brought 15 EIC-funded companies to the EIC Pavilion in Hall 8.1, creating B2B and investor engagement opportunities.
- ›The event aims to accelerate market exposure for early stage EU-funded research, but each technology faces substantial scaling, regulatory and commercial risks that are not solved by trade fair exposure alone.
EIC at MWC & 4YFN Barcelona 2024
Between 26 and 29 February 2024 the European Innovation Council brought a selection of projects from its EIC Pathfinder and EIC Transition portfolios to MWC Barcelona and the co‑located 4YFN startup event. The EIC Tech to Market Venture Building Programme organised a series of public and closed events to give researchers who are pursuing entrepreneurship a platform to present maturing technologies, test investor and market interest, and build partnerships.
What the EIC T2M Venture Building presence included
The programme provided a small exhibition area at dedicated 4YFN stands and arranged a fireside chat and a roundtable on 27 February. The fireside chat titled Turning Science into Profit: Fostering the European Tech to Market Ecosystem featured a senior EIC representative, and was followed by a roundtable and networking session focused on top European funded projects and companies. Innovators from the T2M venture building pipeline also showcased technologies at the MWCapital booth during the event.
Defining terms and context
Projects from the EIC Venture Building programme exhibited at MWC & 4YFN
Twelve selected projects supported by the EIC T2M Venture Building Programme exhibited technologies spanning agritech, synthetic biology, energy, optics, medical devices and AI. Below is a compact summary of each project and what it seeks to achieve commercially.
| Project | Core technology | Commercial objective / stage |
| 3P-Tec | Three-parent breeding technology based on plant reproductive biology | Develop breeding methods to produce three parent plants to increase yield and climate resilience in crops, and improve efficiency of producing such lines |
| Asteasier | Engineered microalgae platform for astaxanthin and omega-3 production | Scale a sustainable biofactory for high-value nutraceuticals and feed ingredients, focusing on extraction and industrialisation challenges |
| CATCHER | Converting atmospheric humidity into electricity | Optimise and scale humidity-to-electricity converters for increased power conversion and potential grid integration, conceptually novel but at early stage |
| ChipScope | Optical superresolution using nanoLED arrays with individual pixel control | Create a chip-based superresolution illumination system to overcome diffraction limits in microscopy, aiming at compact, manufacturable devices |
| EndoSolve | Digital biomarker and diagnostic for endometriosis | Mature and validate a clinically acceptable diagnostic test to detect root causes of endometriosis rather than symptoms |
| LUMINOUS | Information theoretic measures of consciousness and non-invasive electromagnetic probing and stimulation | Develop tools to quantify and modulate aspects of consciousness for cognitive science and clinical applications while exploring ethics and translation |
| Nanowings | Nanocoating for wind turbine blades with anti-icing and anti-fouling properties | Reduce downtime and maintenance costs for turbines, validate coating durability and enable drone‑based retrofitting for field deployment |
| PRISMA | Closed-loop artificial pancreas for Type 1 diabetes with multi-hormone delivery | Develop and clinically validate a pump plus smart patch system for continuous glucose measurement and automated hormone dosing |
| REDCAP | Hybrid supercapacitor combining high energy density and high power characteristics | Deliver an energy storage solution approaching Li-ion energy density with supercapacitor power and cycle life for high power applications |
| SpiNNode (SpiNNaker on the edge) | Neuromorphic computing for edge AI combining neuromorphic, deep learning and symbolic layers | Miniaturise SpiNNaker capabilities to enable real-time, low-latency, energy-efficient AI across cloud-to-edge deployments |
| SuperClean | Plasma-based surface treatment to create superhydrophobic membranes for membrane distillation | Upscale coatings and implement in full-scale membrane distillation modules to improve flux, anti-fouling and longevity in wastewater treatment |
| TAONas-LUAD | Antisense oligonucleotide therapy targeting lung adenocarcinoma at RNA level | Prepare antisense oligonucleotides for clinical trial validation as a first-in-class targeted therapy for LUAD |
EIC International Trade Fairs 3.0 delegation at the EIC Pavilion
Under the EIC ITF 3.0 programme the EIC supported a delegation of 15 EIC-funded companies to exhibit at the EIC Pavilion in the 4YFN area. Those companies represent a range of sectors including telecoms, robotics, blockchain, security, IoT, and quantum and 3D technologies. The EIC provided onboarding support and a pre-departure briefing to help participants prepare for meetings and logistics.
| Company | Country |
| BILLON DIGITAL SERVICES | Poland |
| Cardlab Innovation ApS | Denmark |
| CINFO CONTENIDOS INFORMATIVOS PERSONALIZADOS SL | Spain |
| Codership | Finland |
| COMPIRA LABS LTD | Israel |
| CyRaCo GmbH | Germany |
| DRONE HOPPER, S.L. | Spain |
| EXCESS ENGINEERING AS | Norway |
| IGNION SL | Spain |
| ManoMotion AB | Sweden |
| MYSPHERA SL | Spain |
| NIL TECHNOLOGY APS | Denmark |
| SELUXIT APS | Denmark |
| SettleMint NV | Belgium |
| VAULTREE LIMITED | Ireland |
Technical and commercial caveats to watch
Showcasing at MWC and 4YFN is a necessary step for visibility and networking but it is not a substitute for the hard work of commercialisation. Several recurring challenges affect the projects on display. Scaling biological processes from lab to industrial volumes requires process control, regulatory pathways and supply chain development. Energy concepts that propose new primary generation methods must prove energy density, efficiency and cost compared to incumbent renewables. Medical and diagnostic projects face clinical validation, regulatory approval and payer acceptance before they can be widely adopted. Novel materials and coatings require long term durability tests and certification in harsh field conditions. Neuromorphic and edge AI systems must contend with software ecosystems and tooling that today favour more conventional accelerators. Intellectual property, freedom to operate and access to follow-on investment determine whether a promising prototype can become a viable company.
Broader implications for the European innovation ecosystem
Events like MWC and 4YFN are important transit points in the EU innovation pipeline. They give European funded research projects the chance to interact with corporates, investors and procurement leads in sectors where Europe wants stronger industrial capabilities. The EIC ecosystems aim to bridge grant funding and commercial traction. Still, converting that visibility into commercial momentum depends on follow‑on capital, cohort building across the supply chain and access to markets outside Europe. Programmatic pauses, changes in EIC delivery models or budget constraints could affect continuity of support that deep tech startups need during the scaling phase.
Practical details and contacts
Event dates were 26 to 29 February 2024. The EIC Pavilion in the 4YFN area was located in Hall 8.1. The EIC T2M Venture Building presence used booths in 4YFN and exhibited also at the MWCapital booth. The EIC ITF delegation exhibited at the EIC Pavilion, Booth 8.1A20 in Hall 8.1. For programme specific enquiries the EIC Community helpdesk advised selecting the relevant category such as EIC T2M Venture Building Programme or EVENT - EIC ITF Programme - MWC 2024.
A measured conclusion
The EIC T2M presence at MWC & 4YFN 2024 highlighted a diverse set of European research projects that aspire to become companies. The presentations and meetings can accelerate learning, lead generation and investor introductions. That said, observers and potential partners should treat trade fair claims as early signals rather than proof of imminent commercial success. Each deep tech pathway will demand further validation, industrial partnerships and sustained capital. For policy makers and funders the event reiterates the need for coherent follow-on support, from translational grants to seed and series funding, to capture the economic value of European scientific excellence.
Disclaimer: This article restructures and analyses information supplied by the European Innovation Council on the EIC T2M venture building activities at MWC & 4YFN 2024 and related EIC programmes. It adds contextual analysis about commercialization challenges but does not represent an official view of the EIC or the European Commission.