How EIC trade-fair support amplified Elliptic Labs’ market reach and what founders should learn
- ›Elliptic Labs credits the EIC Overseas Trade Fairs (OTF) Programme 2.0 with improving brand visibility and opening international leads at major shows including Hannover Messe 2023.
- ›Participation helped the company identify new distributors and generate meetings that would have been hard to secure without EU endorsement and the EIC pavilion exposure.
- ›The company reports commercial interest but cannot publicly confirm milestone deals because it is a listed company and partner announcements are still pending.
- ›Elliptic Labs advises exhibitors to prebook meetings, clarify the objective of participation, bring working demonstrations, and staff booths adequately.
- ›Independent context: trade fair visibility often aids lead generation but does not guarantee rapid revenue. Supply chain and partner readiness remain decisive for conversion.
EIC trade-fair support and Elliptic Labs - what happened at Hannover Messe and beyond
Elliptic Labs, a Norway-headquartered AI company that develops virtual sensors for devices, reports measurable business benefits after participating in multiple trade fairs supported by the European Innovation Council s Overseas Trade Fairs Programme 2.0. The company singled out Hannover Messe 2023 as especially productive for creating customer and partner meetings and for identifying potential distributors. Because the company is publicly listed it says it cannot yet announce concrete commercial milestones until partners and customers are ready to go public.
Reported business impact from trade-fair participation
According to Patrick Tsui, Vice President Product Marketing and Sales at Elliptic Labs, the EIC-supported presence at Hannover Messe 2023 generated significant onsite interest that translated into follow-up meetings and sales leads across multiple countries. The company says the exposure also helped it find potential distributors to expand into new markets. Elliptic Labs attributes some of these outcomes specifically to the credibility and visibility conferred by exhibiting in the EIC Pavilion.
| Trade fair | When | Elliptic Labs reported outcomes |
| CES 2023 | January 2023 | Part of the OTF 2.0 roster. Exposure and lead generation in consumer electronics markets. |
| Hannover Messe 2023 | April 2023 | High visitor interest, many business meetings, new leads and identified distributors. Company notes these leads would have been difficult to obtain without EIC support. |
| GITEX 2023 | October 2023 | Participation expanded global exposure and contributed to opportunities to enter new markets. |
How the EIC programme supported Elliptic Labs
What Elliptic Labs recommends to prospective exhibitors
Patrick Tsui offered practical, operational advice for companies preparing for trade fairs. The guidance emphasizes clarity of purpose, demonstration readiness and team planning. Many of the suggestions are familiar best practices in trade show strategy but become more important when operating internationally.
Program evolution - from OTF 2.0 to ITF 3.0
The EIC s International Trade Fairs Programme has evolved from the Overseas Trade Fairs 2.0 format into ITF 3.0. The current scheme runs across several regional hubs and sectors and intends to provide end-to-end internationalisation support to EIC awardees. Services include expert coaching, market briefings, B2B matchmaking and customised onsite support. The programme is selective and open to EIC beneficiaries that apply to specific calls ahead of each trade fair.
Context and caveats - read the claims carefully
Trade-fair participation is a recognised channel for lead generation and visibility. Yet there are limits to what a short report of trade-fair outcomes can prove. Elliptic Labs reports many leads and distributor contacts but does not disclose contract values or signed deals. The company explicitly notes that as a public company it must wait for counterparties to confirm before announcing deals. That constraint is legitimate but it also means claims about long term commercial impact remain partially unverified in public sources.
About Elliptic Labs and Hannover Messe - what the organisations say
Practical next steps for founders considering EIC trade-fair support
If you are an EIC beneficiary considering an application to the ITF programme, start planning early. Prepare a clear commercial objective, align your demo to that objective, and use the EIC s predeparture coaching and matchmaking services. Track leads carefully and build a conversion timeline that accounts for partner negotiations and supply chain scaling.
Disclaimer This article restructures and clarifies material published by the EIC Community and Elliptic Labs. It adds context about programmatic features and common trade fair dynamics. The information should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission or any agency. Company claims are reported as presented and where appropriate noted as corporate claims that require independent verification.