Europe’s deep tech founders meet their match in Amsterdam: inside the EIC VentureMatch Investor Day on Deep Tech

Brussels, June 22nd 2026

Summary

›The EIC VentureMatch Investor Day on Deep Tech in Amsterdam brought 18 EIC-backed deep tech companies together with 40 investors and generated 350+ platform connections and 100+ meetings.
›Three themed pitching tracks covered semiconductors and advanced electronics, advanced manufacturing robotics and materials, and advanced computing and AI, with BLIXT Tech, inPhocal and Iktos winning their categories.
›Investors at the event included US corporate VC and European funds demonstrating cross-border interest in European deep tech, but founders still face high capital and scaling risks beyond initial introductions.
›The event is part of the EIC VentureMatch Programme which claims broad outreach outcomes since 2021, though the usual challenges of follow-on funding, manufacturing scale up and regulation remain.

EIC VentureMatch Investor Day on Deep Tech, Amsterdam — a targeted matchmaker for hard tech

On 9 June 2026 the European Innovation Council's VentureMatch programme convened a focused investor day in Amsterdam to help Europe’s deep tech start ups find capital and strategic partners. The one day activity assembled 80 participants including 18 EIC-backed companies from ten countries and 40 investors. The EIC reports more than 350 connections and over 100 meetings on its matchmaking platform. The format mixed investor reverse pitches, three sectoral pitching sessions, Q and A panels, one-to-one meetings and networking intended to move conversations from discovery to deals.

Who attended and what investors were looking for

Investors present ranged from international corporate venture arms to dedicated deep tech funds. Names cited include US-based DCVC and ADVentures, and European investors such as Lakestar, Invest-NL, Vsquared and MIG Capital. Their interests spanned AI, semiconductors, robotics, quantum and defence as well as health and energy. Event organisers say the EIC acts as a gateway for investors into pre vetted European deal flow. That positioning helps, but an introduction alone does not solve deep tech funding gaps that appear later in manufacturing scale, regulatory clearance and long timetable risk.

Investor reverse pitches explained:In a reverse pitch investors explain their focus, typical cheque size, expected milestones and sector biases. The format helps founders quickly assess fit and saves time compared to generic networking.

Three pitching tracks and the winners

The heart of the day were three curated pitching sessions aligned to strategic verticals. Eighteen companies selected from a larger pool of EIC-backed innovators pitched to panels of investor jurors. Each jury awarded a single winner, chosen for technical promise and perceived commercial traction.

Semiconductors and advanced electronics

Winner: BLIXT Tech AB, Sweden. BLIXT presented a programmable solid-state platform intended to modernise electrical distribution and enable dynamic control across grids and heavy users such as data centres and EV chargers. Investors singled it out as an application driven play addressing grid inflexibility that the energy transition is already exposing.

Programmable solid-state power infrastructure:This refers to power distribution equipment that uses semiconductor switching and embedded control instead of bulky electromechanical switchgear. The approach can reduce physical footprint, enable real time monitoring and automate response to load changes. Commercial deployment faces network integration, grid code compliance and high reliability requirements.

Advanced manufacturing robotics and materials

Winner: inPhocal, Netherlands. The Eindhoven company demonstrated a patented long focus optical laser capable of marking printing and cutting at extreme production speeds without refocusing. Use cases included direct marking of curved bottles at sub 20 millisecond per mark speeds and printing on irregular surfaces without consumables such as ink.

Long focus optical laser printing:Long focus laser systems maintain a usable focus range over varying surface distances, avoiding repeated refocus steps that slow conventional laser marking. Benefits include near zero downtime on production lines and elimination of ink which reduces waste. Challenges include integration with existing lines, optics lifetime, safety and per unit cost at scale.

Advanced computing and AI

Winner: Iktos, France. Iktos combines generative AI and retrosynthesis prediction with robotics to shorten early small molecule drug discovery. Founders showcased an integrated design make test analyse workflow and stressed partnerships with large pharma players.

Integrated AI driven discovery platforms Makya and Spaya:Makya is a generative AI tool optimised for chemists that proposes novel small molecules while controlling for synthetic feasibility. Spaya predicts synthetic routes. When combined with automated synthesis and testing the workflow can iterate faster through design make test analyse cycles. Regulatory validation and predictive biological models remain key obstacles to turning design output into validated clinical candidates.

The three winners underline typical deep tech playbooks: apply core hardware or algorithmic novelty to a specific, high value industrial problem, then couple technology demonstration with customer or partner validation to de risk the proposition for investors.

The cohort: who pitched

Eighteen EIC-backed companies pitched across the three verticals. Organisers invited investors to contact the founders via the Dealroom matchmaking platform. The list below reflects the diversity of sectors within a single deep tech day and illustrates how the EIC pipeline spans hardware and software heavy innovations.

Company	Country	Vertical	One line description
BLIXT Tech AB	Sweden	Semiconductors and advanced electronics	Software defined power infrastructure for distribution and voltage conversion
ExpectedIT GmbH	Germany	Semiconductors and advanced electronics	LPool semiconductor IP and rack scale infrastructure for AI HPC and cloud
Ligna Energy	Sweden	Semiconductors and advanced electronics	Ultra thin power solutions for connected edge devices
Lotus Microsystems	Denmark	Semiconductors and advanced electronics	High performance power modules and silicon power interposer technologies
QuantaMap	The Netherlands	Semiconductors and advanced electronics	SQUID based nanoscale diagnostics to accelerate quantum chip R and D
Spherical	The Netherlands	Semiconductors and advanced electronics	Mission specific chips and electronic systems for space aerospace and defence
AISPECO	Lithuania	Advanced manufacturing robotics and materials	Robotic sensor pods with gimbal tech for faster more efficient digital twin data capture
AEInnova	Spain	Advanced manufacturing robotics and materials	Energy harvesting and industrial IoT systems for harsh environments
Cerabyte GmbH	Germany	Advanced manufacturing robotics and materials	Ceramic nano memory femtosecond laser etched archival storage
inPhocal	The Netherlands	Advanced manufacturing robotics and materials	Long focus multi material laser platform for high speed marking and printing
RiseTech	Italy	Advanced manufacturing robotics and materials	Electrochemical deposition equipment for semiconductor fabrication
Superintelligence Computing Systems SICSAI AB	Sweden	Advanced manufacturing robotics and materials	Physical AGI designed as a universal robot brain for industrial automation
Compular	Sweden	Advanced computing and AI	AI driven materials discovery platform combining simulations and optimisation
Golana Computing	France	Advanced computing and AI	Industrial AI platform with high frequency sensors and analytics for real time equipment monitoring
Iktos	France	Advanced computing and AI	Generative AI retrosynthesis and robotics for accelerated small molecule drug discovery
Mitiga Solutions	Spain	Advanced computing and AI	AI powered climate risk platform combining climate science and HPC
Quantum Dice Limited	UK	Advanced computing and AI	Probabilistic processing unit PPU for optimisation under uncertainty and causal AI workloads
Treble Technologies	Iceland	Advanced computing and AI	Simulation and data infrastructure for physical AI via acoustic modelling

What VentureMatch offers and the programme metrics

The Amsterdam day is part of the EIC VentureMatch Programme within the EIC Business Acceleration Services. VentureMatch aims to boost investor readiness and make sector specific introductions for EIC awardees. Services include pitch coaching benchmarking reports matchmaking and targeted outreach to funds and corporate investors.

VentureMatch claimed results since 2021:EISMEA figures presented at the event say VentureMatch has supported over 600 companies built a network of 7 000 investors made more than 8 000 warm introductions organised over 40 pitching events and helped close more than 90 deals worth close to €1.5 billion. These are programme level outcomes reported by the agency and they indicate reach. They do not replace later stage metrics such as follow on round sizes timelines to market or exits which are more informative about ultimate impact.

Momchil Sabev the director at EISMEA described the rationale as recognising that grants or initial equity alone do not make deep tech founders investor ready. VentureMatch therefore focuses on the softer skills and introductions that help founders find appropriate funds and partners.

What the event indicates for the European deep tech ecosystem

The investor day shows continued international appetite for European deep tech. Corporate VCs and cross border funds attending demonstrates that well selected EIC backed companies can attract sophisticated capital. The pitched companies highlight two persistent patterns: first deep tech solutions almost always combine hardware or physical science with software which lengthens development timelines. Second market entry usually requires partnerships with incumbents to scale manufacturing integration and to navigate certification regimes.

Why introductions are necessary but not sufficient:Investor meetings and awards accelerate visibility and can lead to initial term sheets. But for capital intensive deep tech the larger obstacles include scaling production securing supply chains obtaining regulatory approvals and demonstrating robust unit economics. Founders should view an EIC match as an important step that must be followed by disciplined commercial milestones to convert interest into large follow on rounds.

Speakers and founders at the event underlined the credibility benefit of EIC backing. Several founders said passing EIC evaluation opens doors because investors use the EIC selection as a signal. That signal effect helps in early stages. At the same time investors at the day were explicit that they will still validate technical robustness manufacturing cost curves and customer contracts before committing larger checks.

Risks and realistic timelines

Deep tech capital markets have tightened in recent years and investors have become more selective on capital intensity and path to revenue. Hardware heavy plays such as semiconductor related companies or physical AGI systems face longer capital horizons. Software or AI enabled services can sometimes scale faster but must still solve hard integration or regulatory issues. For European policy makers and programme managers the central challenge remains how to ensure that public grants and matchmaking feed into sustainable private capital and industrial scale up rather than one off pilots.

Practical next steps and how to follow up

Investors interested in the cohort can follow up via the Dealroom matchmaking platform as suggested by organisers. EIC awardees can continue to use VentureMatch support which includes pitch deck reviews benchmarking and targeted investor introductions. Companies should document technical milestones manufacturing readiness and customer pilots to convert meetings into term sheets.

The Amsterdam Investor Day was a concentrated example of how public acceleration services can convene relevant actors. It illustrated the value of curated deal flow and sectoral curation while also reminding participants that introductions are only the start of a longer commercial and fundraising journey.

Selected concepts explained

Rack scale coherent host architecture (ExpectedIT LPool):Rack scale architectures aim to make all compute accelerators memory and storage in a rack appear as a single coherent host. This reduces data movement overhead and can accelerate AI workloads by improving GPU utilisation. Technical challenges include fabric latency noise isolation and compatibility with existing software stacks.

SQUID-on-tip nanoscale diagnostics (QuantaMap):SQUID on tip is a superconducting quantum interference device miniaturised at an AFM tip. It maps currents magnetic fields and dissipation at cryogenic temperatures which is highly relevant to debugging quantum chips. The ability to observe defects where devices actually operate can shorten R and D cycles for quantum hardware.

Probabilistic Processing Unit PPU (Quantum Dice):A PPU is specialised hardware designed to accelerate probabilistic computing tasks such as sampling optimisation under uncertainty and certain explainable AI models. If delivered at scale PPUs promise energy efficient acceleration of workloads that are otherwise expensive on conventional hardware. Commercialisation will require software ecosystem support and clear use cases where PPUs outperform GPUs and CPUs.

Organisers and how the programme positions itself

The activity was run by the EIC VentureMatch Programme which operates within the EIC Business Acceleration Services managed by EISMEA. The programme positions itself as an investor readiness and outreach service for EIC beneficiaries across Pathfinder Transition Accelerator and related strands. It offers coaching matchmaking and outreach campaigns to accelerate fundraising and corporate partnerships.

For founders the pragmatic takeaway is to use these services to present a clear funding roadmap that anticipates the technical milestones investors will require. For policy makers the takeaway is that curated matchmaking adds value but must be paired with downstream mechanisms that de risk scale up stages if Europe wants to convert deep tech science into industrial champions.