EIC Tech to Market: an organised pathway from lab to market for deep tech

The European Innovation Council is operating a Tech to Market programme to help researchers funded under EIC schemes convert research outcomes into commercial ventures. The programme combines an Entrepreneurship track to teach founders the skills to build value propositions and business models with a Venture Building track that offers hands on support to create start ups from promising research. The services are delivered through the EIC Business Acceleration Services and are aimed at EIC Pathfinder and Transition beneficiaries and related communities such as ERC Proof of Concept and former FET projects where specified.

Why the EIC is offering both Entrepreneurship training and Venture Building

Deep tech projects often face a combination of scientific complexity and a long path to commercialization. The EIC split its Tech to Market offering to address two different but complementary problems. The Entrepreneurship programme builds entrepreneurial skills and focuses on value proposition, business modelling and pitch craft. The Venture Building programme is operationally focused on feasibility, team formation and providing targeted advisory services to launch spin outs. The approach reflects an understanding that training alone is not enough when teams lack specific market or managerial skills, but that building ventures without structured training risks reproducibility and weak business logic.

What the Entrepreneurship programme offers

The Entrepreneurship programme is modular so researchers can join at different depths of commitment and maturity. It aims to help deep tech researchers develop market-oriented value propositions and business models, learn to pitch, and validate hypotheses with industry feedback.

Practical notes and deadlines. The EIC Innovation Discovery Training edition referenced in the May 2024 announcement was scheduled for online delivery on 8 and 12 July 2024 and had an application deadline of 17 June 2024. The Pioneer Programme batch announced in May 2024 was planned to run from October 9 2024 to January 16 2025 with applications open until 23 September 2024 for that cohort. Availability is limited and selection may be on a first come first served or committee basis depending on the component.

What the Venture Building programme offers

The Venture Building programme targets EIC Pathfinder and Transition beneficiaries who are candidates to form a start up from research results. It is structured as a four stage pathway that mixes market feedback, feasibility analysis, talent matching and access to targeted advisory services.

Applications to the Venture Building programme typically start with a rolling Expression of Interest. Applicants may be grouped by thematic area and invited to Tech Demo Days when a suitable cohort is formed. The programme lists themes such as advanced materials, AI, energy, food chain technologies, health and biotech, quantum and electronics, mobility and space among others. In some communications the programme noted that applications were closed at times and would reopen in later calls.

Calls for external experts and entrepreneurs in residence

The EIC invites market experts, mentors, and entrepreneurs to register interest to support the T2M activities. Roles include providing market validation, mentoring teams, and supplying specialist advisory services across finance, IP, regulatory, technology transfer and recruiting. Entrepreneurs in Residence are sought to team with research groups and help form founding teams.

At the time of the May 2024 communications, many of these open calls were running on a rolling basis. Other pages maintained by the EIC and EISMEA indicated that some application windows have been closed at points and that certain activities were expected to pause and resume. If you are considering applying, verify the current status on the EIC Community platform and use the specified contact categories in the EIC helpdesk for the relevant programme.

Who is eligible and how selection works

Primary eligibility is limited to beneficiaries of EIC Pathfinder and EIC Transition grants and related programmes such as ERC Proof of Concept and FET Flagship where specified. Team composition expectations vary by component. The Pioneer Programme requests motivated teams of at least two and up to four members with complementary roles such as an entrepreneurial lead and a technology lead. Selection criteria commonly include technological maturity, market potential, team composition and motivation.

What participants should expect and practical caveats

Participants receive training, mentoring and structured feedback. Venture Building participants may access recruitment services and targeted advisory packages. The EIC also solicits satisfaction and impact surveys after activities to measure effects. The EIC publishes headline impact metrics across its Business Acceleration Services such as the number of meetings or funds raised attributed to programmes. These figures can be useful but need cautious interpretation because attribution is complex and outcomes for early stage ventures vary widely.

A non exhaustive list of recent EIC BAS metrics presented by the EIC includes over 20 000 one-on-one meetings facilitated, 595 reported deals, about €350 million raised through investor outreach programmes, €1.2 billion raised by Scaling Club members since joining, and other indicators related to pilots, public procurement and fair turnover. These metrics reflect activity across multiple EIC programmes and partners rather than guaranteed outcomes for every participant.

How to apply and where to get information

Applications, registration pages and expressions of interest are managed through the EIC Community Platform. Specific components have their own application pages and deadlines. For the Discovery Training referenced in May 2024 applicants were instructed to register by 17 June 2024. The Pioneer Programme cohort referenced had a registration window through 23 September 2024 for that edition. Venture Building typically uses rolling expressions of interest with monthly cohort formation.

Context and a cautious reading of the offer

The EIC Tech to Market activities are an attempt to close the persistent gap between excellent research and successful start ups in Europe. The combination of structured education, market validation and hands on venture building is consistent with global best practices. At the same time, programme capacity is limited and outcomes for early stage teams remain uncertain. Interested researchers should consider the EIC activities as one element in a wider set of routes to market that include national technology transfer offices, incubators, corporate partnerships and investor engagement.

One important operational detail is that the EIC Tech to Market programme had intermittent pauses and reopenings in its rollout. Official EIC pages later indicated that some T2M activities were paused and expected to resume in 2026. Prospective participants should check the live status on the EIC Community platform before relying on specific dates or application windows.

Bottom line

For EIC-funded researchers who want to test commercial pathways for their technologies the Tech to Market offer provides both training and venture building support. The modular Entrepreneurship track suits individuals and small teams who need to build business literacy and pitch skills. The Venture Building track benefits teams needing help with feasibility, recruitment and specialist advisory services. However selection is competitive, spots are limited, and the programme should be treated as a tool to complement internal technology transfer efforts rather than a guaranteed route to a successful company.