EU-backed ESIL rolls out angel investor training in Czechia, Hungary, Romania and Poland

The European Innovation Council and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Executive Agency is promoting a series of free two-day training sessions for aspiring and existing business angels in four Central and Eastern European countries. The courses are part of ESIL, the Early Stage Investing Launchpad, a project financed by the European Innovation Council to strengthen early-stage financing capacity in widening regions of the European Union. Two earlier sessions in Bulgaria and Croatia attracted over 50 participants. ESIL plans sessions in Czechia, Hungary, Romania and Poland during November 2024.

What ESIL offers and who it targets

The Effective Angel Investing programme is a practical, face-to-face course focused on early-stage, deep-tech and high-growth potential businesses. Organisers describe the programme as free of charge and aimed at increasing competence and knowledge so participants can act as successful angel investors. The training targets people with spare investable funds who can bring their business skills and domain expertise to support startups. ESIL emphasises widening participation and has an explicit goal of recruiting more women investors.

Course structure and curriculum

The in-person element runs for 16 hours across two mandatory days. Participants also gain access to roughly 10 hours of online learning, webinars and downloadable resources. ESIL says the training will combine classroom instruction, case studies and live pitch sessions where attendees can apply their evaluation skills to real startup presentations. Cohorts are intentionally small. For example, Polish and other national courses were limited to about 25 participants and applications were competitive.

Who runs ESIL and how it fits with EU innovation policy

ESIL is delivered by a consortium led by META Group with partners including BAE and Bpifrance. The project is financed by the European Innovation Council and managed through EISMEA, the executive agency that implements the EIC. ESIL aims to build local capacity through trained on-the-ground leaders described as Archangels who act as mentors and connectors. The project also maintains a women task force to address barriers that limit female participation in angel investing, and an advisory council to guide strategy.

Key trainers and local delivery

ESIL brings experienced angels from more developed markets to work with local investors. Trainers featured on national pages include Jenny Tooth OBE and Luigi Amati for Poland, Francesca Natali and Reginald Vossen for Hungary, and Florence Richardson and Philippe Gluntz for Romania. These trainers are presented as experienced figures capable of transferring know-how on sourcing, syndication and investor readiness.

Why this matters and what it does not fix

Europe runs a persistent gap in early-stage risk capital compared with the United States. Angel investors play a critical role in providing the first institutional capital and hands-on support that lets technology projects find product market fit. ESIL’s workshops focus on skills, documentation and network building which are necessary building blocks for healthier seed ecosystems. Training more competent angels can improve deal quality and the capacity to lead syndicates.

However small, well designed training cohorts will not on their own resolve structural barriers. Markets need tax incentives, a pipeline of investable startups, credible exit routes, more experienced follow-on funds and liquidity to attract and retain high-net-worth investors. ESIL addresses some of these levers indirectly by encouraging syndication and exploring co-investment paths. But the program’s limited cohort sizes and one-off workshops mean its impact will rely on follow-up activity from participants and local stakeholders. Measuring outcomes such as number of deals led by alumni, syndication frequency and follow-on funding will be necessary to judge success.

Practical notes for interested investors

The announced November 2024 sessions were advertised as free and in-person with mandatory attendance both days to receive certification. Applications for the listed rounds were reported as closed. Earlier sessions in Bulgaria and Croatia in early October attracted more than 50 participants combined. ESIL also provides an online MOOC and additional webinars for broader reach.

Glossary of terms used in this article

Bottom line

ESIL’s November training series is a targeted, capacity building intervention that addresses a real bottleneck in European early-stage financing. By combining hands-on workshops, online learning and network building, the programme can help produce more informed angel investors in Central and Eastern Europe. Success will depend on follow-up, local ecosystem development and broader policy measures that create investable pipelines and incentives for risk capital. The workshops are useful and practical but they are not a substitute for the deeper structural shifts needed to close the EU funding gap at seed and pre-seed stages.