EIC Tech to Market Venture Building launches first cohort with 21 deep-tech teams
- ›The EIC Tech to Market Venture Building Services opened with 21 Pathfinder and Transition teams entering an initial exploration phase.
- ›Teams span AI and ICT, energy, medical technologies and health biotechnology with a structured evaluation before a go or no-go for feasibility assessment.
- ›The broader Tech to Market Programme combines entrepreneurial trainings and modular venture-building support but travel costs are not covered.
- ›Critical questions remain on selection transparency, conversion rates to startups and integration with downstream EIC funding.
A structured start for EIC venture building, with 21 teams under scrutiny
The European Innovation Council has launched the first cohort of its Tech to Market Venture Building Services. Twenty-one project teams drawn from EIC Pathfinder and EIC Transition beneficiaries have entered an initial exploration phase. During this phase, the commercial potential and market readiness of each project are assessed before teams may progress to feasibility assessment and more intensive company-building support. The initiative aims to convert deep-tech research outputs into scalable, investment-ready startups but the ultimate conversion rates and outcomes will need to be demonstrated over time.
Cohort composition across strategic deep-tech domains
The inaugural group reflects a cross-section of EIC research portfolios. The distribution leans toward medically oriented innovations and energy transition technologies, with a sizeable presence of AI, data and ICT projects. Health biotechnology appears as a smaller but distinct slice.
| Sector | Number of teams | Notes |
| AI, data and ICT | 5 | Digital deep-tech spanning software, data and enabling hardware |
| Energy | 6 | Generation, storage, efficiency and grid-related technologies |
| Medical technologies | 7 | Devices, diagnostics and digital medtech |
| Health biotechnology | 3 | Therapeutics, platforms and enabling bio-tools |
What the exploration phase entails
Teams undergo a focused sequence designed to test commercial viability and sharpen their market narratives. The process culminates in a go or no-go decision for entry into the feasibility assessment stage of the Venture Building Services.
| Activity | Purpose | Stakeholders involved |
| Interview with programme team | Map results or offering, current status, team composition and commercial ambition | EIC service providers and the project team |
| Pitch coaching course | Develop a clear, investor-ready pitch that communicates value and differentiation | Coaches and mentors |
| Expert pitch session | Obtain structured feedback and a preliminary view on business potential | Panel including industry experts, investors and entrepreneurs |
| Post-phase outputs | Evaluation report plus recommendations and a go or no-go decision | Programme team delivers written feedback |
What comes next for teams that pass
Projects that receive a go decision proceed to a feasibility assessment. This assessment reviews market potential, execution readiness, key risks, intellectual property position and team commitment. Support then becomes modular and tailored, focusing on assembling the right venture team and addressing legal, financial, regulatory and human capital needs that precede incorporation and early scaling.
Venture-building support modules
| Support area | Examples of services | Intended outcome |
| Venture team formation | Define critical roles and gaps, structured matchmaking with entrepreneurial talent, targeted co-founder networking, embedded entrepreneurs or executives in residence | Secure core founding team with relevant business and domain capabilities |
| Business and market intelligence | Market scoping, competitor mapping, price and cost drivers | Evidence-based go-to-market choices |
| Legal and accounting | Company setup advisory tailored to venture creation | Fit-for-purpose legal and financial structure |
| IPR and tech transfer | IP protection strategy and negotiation support with TTOs | Defensible IP position and clear freedom to operate |
| Financial advisory | Capital planning and investor readiness | Credible financing roadmap toward seed and Series A |
| Regulatory and standards | Certification, conformity and standards roadmapping | De-risked path to approval and market access |
| Human resources | Hiring plans and governance setup | Organisational readiness for early scale |
About the EIC Tech to Market Programme
The Tech to Market Programme is part of the EIC Business Acceleration Services under Horizon Europe. It targets the juncture where scientific breakthroughs must be translated into market-aligned ventures. The programme combines entrepreneurial trainings for capability building with selective venture-building services for teams judged ready to pursue startup creation. Services are provided free of charge to eligible participants. Travel and accommodation for in-person activities remain the responsibility of participants.
Entrepreneurial trainings in 2026
Trainings can be taken independently or as a learning journey from basic entrepreneurship concepts to rigorous market validation. Delivery is remote in most cases, with possible in-person sessions for Business Idea Validation.
| Training | Structure and focus | 2026 schedules |
| Entrepreneurship Foundation | Three half-days on entrepreneurship fundamentals and shaping a market opportunity | 7 cycles: end of March, end of May, beginning of July, beginning of September, mid-October, mid-November, beginning of December |
| Entrepreneurship Immersion | Six online modules of 9 hours over 3 to 4 months covering tech transfer, product market fit, economics, business models, team, funding, legal and IP | Cohort 1: April to July. Cohort 2: September to December |
| Business Idea Validation | Ten sessions with methodology, project work and a final showcase. At least 50 stakeholder interviews to test assumptions | Cohort 1: June to September with a summer break. Cohort 2: October to December |
| Ecosystem Development events | Mentor, investor and partner exposure across Europe | Throughout the year, as announced |
Venture Building Services open call cycles in 2026
Applications to venture-building are processed in several windows per year. The first round has now concluded. Subsequent calls are expected through the EIC Community Platform.
| Cycle | Indicative months | Status |
| Cycle 1 | March to April | Concluded |
| Cycle 2 | May to July | Upcoming |
| Cycle 3 | September to October | Upcoming |
| Cycle 4 | November to January | Upcoming |
How to join and near-term deadlines
For trainings, applications are open on a rolling basis with explicit deadlines. For venture building, the next open call will be announced on the EIC Community Platform.
| Pathway | Call to action | Deadline and timing |
| Entrepreneurship Foundation | Apply to cycle 2 | Apply by 18 May 2026. Runs 27 to 29 May |
| Entrepreneurship Immersion | Apply to cohort 2 | Apply by 24 August 2026 |
| Business Idea Validation | Apply to cohort 1 | Apply by 18 May 2026. Starts 1 June |
| Venture Building Services | Watch for second cohort open call on EIC Community | First cohort concluded. New call forthcoming |
Support model, costs and contact points
All training and venture-building services are covered by the EIC for eligible participants. Travel and accommodation for any in-person meetings or events are not covered. Questions should be raised through the EIC Community contact page and routed to the relevant category such as EIC Tech to Market Venture Building Services or EIC Tech to Market Entrepreneurial Trainings.
The EIC Community helpdesk responds to issues related to Business Acceleration Services and the platform. It does not handle questions on Pathfinder, Transition or Accelerator application processes. For IT issues with the Funding and Tenders Portal, applicants should use the portal's IT helpdesk channels. Stakeholders can subscribe to two communications streams. These are the EIC Business Acceleration Services Newsletter and the Open Calls Digest distribution list.
Context and analysis: what to watch beyond the launch
The launch signals intent to close the persistent lab-to-market gap in Europe. The cohort size is modest compared with the annual throughput of Pathfinder and Transition projects. That may be appropriate for a pilot but will limit short-term ecosystem impact. The programme leans on coaching and expert panels early on, a familiar model across EU initiatives. The meaningful test will be conversion into incorporated startups with credible IP positions, first revenues and follow-on financing.
Three structural challenges merit attention. First, IP and technology transfer in Europe can delay or dilute spinout formation, especially when licensing terms are protracted or founder equity is constrained. The programme includes IPR advisory, which is necessary but not sufficient if institutional incentives are misaligned. Second, fragmentation and duplication risk persists. Several EU and national actors run similar trainings and venture support. Clear positioning relative to EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities, national TTO programmes and the EIC Accelerator is needed to avoid parallel tracks that confuse teams. Third, cost and access barriers remain. Requiring participants to fund travel and accommodation for in-person elements may disadvantage teams from smaller institutions or less resourced regions unless virtual options remain the norm.
Stakeholders should monitor a set of concrete indicators rather than headlines. These include time from exploration phase to incorporation, the percentage of teams receiving a go that complete feasibility assessment, number of co-founders successfully matched and retained, share of ventures reaching product market fit milestones within 12 to 24 months, follow-on funding secured from private investors and strategic partners and the geographic distribution of supported ventures across the EU. Publication of these metrics would strengthen accountability and help calibrate programme scale in future cohorts.
Where this fits in the EU innovation landscape
Tech to Market sits upstream of equity financing instruments such as the EIC Fund and complements but does not replace later-stage EIC Accelerator support. If it works as designed, it can improve the quality of applications downstream by producing better prepared teams with clearer market hypotheses and IP strategies. Coordination with national seed schemes and university spinout policies will be important to prevent gaps or overlaps.