How the EIC Corporate Partnership Programme Connects Europe’s Largest Corporates with Deep Tech Startups

The European Innovation Council’s Corporate Partnership Programme is presented as a bridge between EIC-funded startups and the continent’s largest corporations. Through curated matchmaking events, open challenge calls and business acceleration services the programme aims to accelerate pilot projects, commercial proofs of concept and investment conversations. The initiative is part of the EIC Business Acceleration Services and has been running since 2017.

What the programme offers and how it works

The programme issues recurring calls for EIC-backed startups and scaleups to respond to corporate challenges. Successful applicants receive coaching, pitch preparation and curated meeting agendas. Sessions are mostly online but some programmes include in-person final sessions. The stated objectives are to create fast deals, facilitate pilots and accelerate scaling of smaller companies to international markets.

Reported scale and activity

These numbers are the programme figures quoted by EIC channels. They indicate reach but do not provide a standardised third party evaluation of commercial closure rates, revenue generated or long term contractual outcomes.

Selected beneficiary case studies and quoted experiences

InSphero and Merck

InSphero is a Swiss company that develops 3D in vitro cell culture models for drug discovery and toxicology. After participating in an EIC Corporate Day with Merck in 2021 the company reports that its interactions with several Merck groups, particularly in safety, intensified. Jan Lichtenberg, Co-founder and CEO of InSphero said that negotiations were quick, scientifically driven and successful and that the EIC event accelerated those connections.

Circularise and Neste

Circularise, a traceability software company, participated in an EIC Corporate Day with Neste in November 2021. Circularise pitched its traceability solution in response to an open challenge from Neste on digital approaches for circular supply chains. Phil Brown, Vice-President of Business Development and Strategy at Circularise, says the event enabled a shared vision and made explicit how the solution fit Neste’s needs, creating momentum for subsequent collaboration.

Nanolike and Holcim

Nanolike, which provides end-to-end IoT monitoring for logistics, was matched with Holcim at the EIC Corporate Day in January 2021. The companies signed a non-disclosure agreement, developed a proof of concept in Greece and evaluated key performance indicators by October 2021. Nanolike reports progressing to rollout stages and signing contracts with Holcim Greece and other branches. Nanolike executives described the Corporate Day as positive and said the matchmaking delivered the right partners for the business.

Criaterra and EH Group at multi-corporate events

Criaterra, a company making circular construction materials, and EH Group, an engineering firm focused on hydrogen fuel cells, both took part in an EIC Multicorporate Day involving EDF, Saint-Gobain and Solvay in 2022. Criaterra highlighted the value of direct communication with corporate venture fund decision makers. EH Group described the event as well organised and meeting expectations with senior representation present.

Mindpeak and Merck follow-ups

From a separate EIC Corporate Day with Merck in 2021 Mindpeak, an AI pathology company, reported follow-up meetings and ongoing contact. The EIC communications on these experiences emphasise that in some cases initial matchmaking led to pilots and development conversations that would otherwise have been harder to initiate.

How beneficiaries describe the benefits

Across the testimonials the common themes are rapid access to decision makers, a structured environment to surface technical fit, and accelerated negotiation timelines. Beneficiaries report outcomes such as NDAs, proofs of concept, pilots, first contracts and expanded relationships within large corporates. Several interviewees framed the events as validation that helped open doors to new market segments.

Analysis and important caveats

The EIC Corporate Partnership Programme is a deliberate attempt to reduce the classic market access friction that young technology companies face when engaging large, often risk-averse buyers. Curated matchmaking can shorten discovery cycles and surface commercial pilots faster than cold approaches. The programme also ties into wider EIC supports such as coaching and investment outreach.

That said, the publicly reported impacts are mainly qualitative and self-reported by participating companies. Reported statistics on activities and participation illustrate scale but do not substitute for independent verification of economic outcomes. Typical limitations to keep in mind are selection bias towards stronger applicants, survivorship bias in the stories that are promoted and a lack of standardised follow-up metrics such as contract value, pilot-to-scale conversion rates and jobs created attributable to the intervention.

How to engage and next steps

The EIC runs recurrent calls for startups and scaleups to respond to corporate challenges. Interested EIC beneficiaries are encouraged to follow announcements on the EIC Community platform and official EIC social channels for upcoming Corporate Days, Multi-Corporate Days and other Business Acceleration Services opportunities. The programme also offers coaching and pitch preparation to successful applicants.

For corporate partners the programme positions the EIC as a source of vetted startups in thematic areas. Nesta-style corporate venturing units and corporate venture funds have been active participants in the programme according to EIC communications.

Concluding note

The EIC Corporate Partnership Programme compiles a portfolio of curated encounters that, according to participant accounts, sometimes convert quickly into pilots and commercial relationships. The examples from InSphero, Circularise, Nanolike, Criaterra, EH Group and Mindpeak show that the format can work for a range of technologies and industries. At the same time independent, standardised evaluation would strengthen confidence in headline impact claims and help policymakers and corporates understand which event formats and follow-up services produce the best return on public investment.

This article is based on EIC Community reporting and public EIC communications. The EIC note included with the programme materials reminds readers that the information is provided for knowledge sharing and should not be taken as the official view of the European Commission or any other organisation. If you have questions about specific programme outcomes or want to propose an evaluation, contact the EIC Community team through the official channels.