Fifteen EIC-backed cleantech innovators to 'soft land' in Silicon Valley with Plug and Play

Brussels, October 19th 2023

Summary

›Fifteen EIC Awardees were selected for a one-week soft landing programme with Plug and Play in Silicon Valley from 4 to 8 December 2023.
›Participants will attend Plug and Play’s Winter Summit, receive mentoring and workshops, and visit corporate HQs including Google, Nvidia and Meta.
›The delegation focuses on cleantech and adjacent sectors, and each participant will begin a tailored preparation process before travelling.
›Selected companies are responsible for travel and accommodation costs, and the programme emphasises introductions not guaranteed commercial deals.
›EIC and Plug and Play offer market access and network exposure, but realistic follow-up, regulatory work and local partnerships remain essential for commercial traction.

EIC delegation of 15 cleantech innovators to 'soft land' in Silicon Valley with Plug and Play

The European Innovation Council has selected 15 EIC Awardees to take part in a transatlantic soft landing programme with Plug and Play in Silicon Valley. The delegation will participate in a one-week acceleration programme from 4 to 8 December 2023 and join Plug and Play’s Winter Summit in the San Francisco Bay Area. The programme pairs tailored mentoring and workshops with networking opportunities at one of the world’s largest innovation platforms.

What the programme offers

The week in Silicon Valley is structured around high-level mentoring sessions, tailored workshops on US market entry, and site visits to corporate headquarters. Participation in the Winter Summit gives the delegation exposure to a wider ecosystem of angels, venture capital firms, corporate partners and sector experts. Organisers highlight that the Summit will feature more than 15 speakers, over 300 startups, and coverage across 19 verticals and 20 focus areas, with cleantech singled out as a priority.

Soft landing:A soft landing programme is designed to accelerate market knowledge and network development for international startups. It typically focuses on introductions, market coaching and visibility rather than guaranteeing investment or commercial contracts. For deep tech and cleantech firms, such programmes also aim to identify regulatory, standards and partner requirements specific to the US market.

Plug and Play Winter Summit:Plug and Play positions the Winter Summit as a dense networking platform linking startups, corporate innovation teams, and investors. Its claim of tens of thousands in its broader network underscores the potential reach, but successful outcomes depend on follow-up, bespoke business development and regulatory readiness for each company.

Selected companies and sector focus

The 15 companies chosen to participate represent a cross section of European cleantech and adjacent sectors. They will enter a preparation phase ahead of the Silicon Valley week to maximise the value of the trip.

Company	Country	Focus / Technology	Short description
Brite Hellas	Greece	Agrivoltaic solar glass	Nanomaterials solar glass for greenhouses and agrivoltaics that combines energy generation with crop production.
DAC	Poland	Refrigeration and cooling	Dynamic Air Cooling technology that claims to avoid HFC refrigerants and recuperate thermal energy for improved efficiency.
BeeOdiversity	Belgium	Biodiversity monitoring	Nature-based monitoring and biodiversity services using bees as bioindicators and offering ecological audits and solutions.
Sakowin	France	Decarbonised hydrogen	Methane plasmalysis for on-site hydrogen production with modular, stackable equipment and a claim of low electricity use versus electrolysis.
inPhocal	Netherlands	Laser inkless printing	Patented laser printing technology that prints on curved and irregular surfaces, positioning as an energy efficient, ink-free alternative.
Blue Planet Ecosystems	Austria	Sustainable aquaculture	AI-driven recirculating aquaculture systems aimed at local, climate-aware protein production with automation and monitoring.
KASI Technologies	Sweden	Vehicle electrification retrofit	NESS plug-and-play electric hybrid retrofit system that claims fast installation and fuel savings for fleets.
Dracula Technologies	France	Not specified in provided material	Listed among the delegation but no detailed public company description was included in the provided material.
Multicharge OÜ / VOOL	Estonia	EV charging hardware and software	Modular smart chargers and load management software for residential, office and fleet charging solutions.
BIOWEG	Germany	Biobased ingredients	Microbe-based biodegradable additives and ingredients for cosmetics, agriculture and food with an emphasis on circular feedstocks.
Elonroad	Sweden	Electric roads and charging	Solutions for dynamic in-motion charging and automatic charging while parked, targeting logistics and public fleets.
Neuron Soundware	Czech Republic	AI for predictive maintenance	Sound analysis, IoT and edge computing for machine monitoring and predictive maintenance in industrial settings.
Circu Li-ion	Luxembourg	Automated battery disassembly	Robotic systems for automated battery disassembly and diagnostics to recover high-value components for recycling.
Envola	Germany	Smart building technology	Building automation and energy management technologies intended to increase efficiency and safety in buildings.
XSun	France	Solar powered UAVs	SolarXOne autonomous solar electric UAVs designed for long endurance missions such as mapping and environmental monitoring.

Short company profiles and context

XSun (France):XSun develops SolarXOne, a solar powered autonomous UAV with multi-hour endurance and low noise. The platform targets environmental monitoring, mapping and other long endurance missions. Company materials highlight Horizon 2020 funding and EIC support for early scale milestones.

BIOWEG / Bioweg (Germany):Bioweg markets bio-based and readily biodegradable microbeads and other ingredients aimed at replacing microplastics and petroleum-derived additives in cosmetics, agriculture and food. The company pitches circular feedstocks and green chemistry as differentiators, but commercial adoption will hinge on cost parity and regulatory acceptance in cosmetics and food sectors.

KASI Technologies (Sweden):KASI promotes NESS, a retrofit e-hybrid system that claims a quick installation and fuel savings for fleet vehicles. The company asserts multiple patents and significant fuel and CO2 reduction potential. Retrofit solutions face fleet procurement cycles and certification hurdles in different markets.

Sakowin (France):Sakowin uses a patented plasmalysis process to decompose methane into hydrogen and solid carbon. The company claims lower electricity consumption than electrolysis and the potential to be CO2 negative when combined with biomethane. Such process claims merit independent verification and pilot data when assessing competitiveness versus electrolysis and steam methane reforming with CCUS.

inPhocal (Netherlands):inPhocal’s laser-based, inkless printing is positioned for packaging and direct marking on foods and curved surfaces. The startup highlights energy efficiency and reduced waste from cartridges. Market uptake will depend on integration costs, throughput for high volume lines and compatibility with food contact and packaging regulations.

MultiCharge OÜ / VOOL (Estonia):MultiCharge develops VOOL smart chargers, load management controllers and a software stack for residential and multi-site charging. The offering is modular and OCPP compliant. Hardware and software vendors in EV charging must navigate interoperability, payment systems and complex procurement processes.

Circu Li-ion (Luxembourg):Circu Li-ion provides automated battery disassembly and diagnostics to recover high value components and improve recycling yields. The firm positions automation as a route to lower labour costs and higher safety in urban mining, while also preparing customers for stricter EU battery rules and recycling targets.

Neuron Soundware (Czech Republic):Neuron Soundware combines AI, sound analysis and edge computing for predictive maintenance. The company has focused on rapid deployments and claims results for reduced downtime and maintenance costs. Industrial deployments require integration with existing OT and maintenance workflows, which can be a barrier to scaling.

Brite Solar / Brite Hellas (Greece):Brite Solar develops transparent or variable-transparency solar glass for agrivoltaic applications and building-integrated photovoltaics. Agrivoltaics involves managing trade-offs between crop yield and energy generation and depends on rigorous agronomic testing to persuade farmers to adopt new glazing technologies.

Blue Planet Ecosystems (Austria):Blue Planet builds recirculating aquaculture systems with automation and AI-driven monitoring to produce local protein with a smaller environmental footprint. Commercial scaling will require supply chain partners, feed optimisation and local regulatory approvals for aquaculture operations.

DAC (Poland):DAC promotes a refrigeration technology that avoids synthetic HFC refrigerants and claims energy gains through thermal energy recuperation. Cooling and refrigeration is a regulated space with safety standards and existing incumbent suppliers, so market credibility depends on independent testing and certifications.

BeeOdiversity (Belgium):BeeOdiversity offers biomonitoring and biodiversity services, using bees as natural sampling agents and providing data-driven ecological audits and nature based solutions. For corporate and municipal customers, the value proposition combines regulatory reporting, stakeholder engagement and ecological outcomes measurement.

Envola (Germany):Envola focuses on smart building technologies and energy management. Building automation markets are crowded and characterised by long sales cycles, so partnerships with installers and property managers are typically critical for scale.

Elonroad (Sweden):Elonroad develops in-motion charging and automatic charging while parked. Electric road infrastructure faces high capital intensity and public procurement processes, so pilots and public private partnerships are common routes to deployment.

Dracula Technologies (France):Dracula Technologies is listed among the delegation in the announcement. The materials provided for this article did not contain additional public company detail. Further information should be sought from company sources or EIC profiles.

Selection, costs and preparation

The EIC and Plug and Play confirm that selected participants will undergo a preparation process before their US week to maximise outcomes. The delegation composition rule allows a maximum of two representatives per company, with an ideal pairing of one C-level executive and one sales or business development lead. Participants are responsible for their travel and accommodation costs while EIC and Plug and Play provide facilitation, mentoring and access to the Summit and corporate visits.

What to expect and what to watch for

Soft landing trips can open critical doors and accelerate learning, but they are not a substitute for sustained market entry efforts. Investor introductions at events do not guarantee funding. For cleantech firms, regulatory clarity, local certification, standards alignment and pilot partners are often the real gating items. European startups should plan for follow-up presence, local business development hires or partnerships, and additional capital to convert contacts into contracts.

Implications for EU innovation policy and ecosystems

The EIC’s collaboration with Plug and Play is consistent with the Commission’s strategy to support scale up and internationalisation of high potential European deep tech companies. Soft landing programmes are low cost relative to direct investment and can amplify network effects. Their impact is highest when combined with downstream support such as revenue-based matchmaking, regulatory advisory, and targeted funding to run US pilots. Observers should track whether programme participants secure measurable outcomes such as pilot agreements, funded pilots, or follow-on investment within 6 to 18 months.

Practical information and contacts

More information and enquiries:The EIC provided a programme page titled 'EIC US Soft Landing with Plug and Play' and encourages interested parties to consult the EIC Community Platform for updates. For questions on the Soft Landing Programme, organisers listed the contact email government@pnptc.com.

Disclaimer:Information on the programme was published for knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission or other organisations. Participants remain responsible for their own costs and for carrying out due diligence before entering US partnerships.

Fifteen EIC-backed cleantech innovators to 'soft land' in Silicon Valley with Plug and Play

EIC delegation of 15 cleantech innovators to 'soft land' in Silicon Valley with Plug and Play

What the programme offers

Selected companies and sector focus

Short company profiles and context

Selection, costs and preparation

What to expect and what to watch for

Implications for EU innovation policy and ecosystems

Practical information and contacts

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