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Top 15 Grants for Deep Tech Startups in Europe in 2025

Top 15 Grants for Deep Tech Startups in Europe in 2025

As the innovation landscape rapidly evolves, deep tech startups in Europe are set to benefit from a plethora of funding opportunities in 2025. These grants cater to various stages of development and promise significant financial support for ventures pushing the boundaries in fields like biotechnology, digital transformation, and clean technologies. Here’s a detailed look at the Top 15 Grants for Deep Tech Startups in Europe in 2025.
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1. European Innovation Council (EIC) Overall Funding

Total Budget: €1.4 billion in 2025
Key Areas: Focus on digital technology, clean technology, and biotechnology.
Scale-up Scheme: Allocates €300 million for investments between €10 and €30 million per company.
Private Co-Investment: Targets total funding of €50-150 million leveraging private investments.
Additional Focus: EIC Challenges for early-stage technology firms in strategic sectors.
Learn more about EIC

2. EIC STEP Scale-up Scheme

Budget: €300 million in 2025, expected to increase to €900 million by 2027.
Investment Size: Provides between €10 million and €30 million per company.
Target Areas: Highlights digital, clean, and biotechnological innovations.
Strategic Importance: Aims to reduce dependencies within the EU.
Co-Investment Strategy: Total funding can reach €50 million to €150 million per company.
Discover more about STEP
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3. EIC Accelerator

Budget: €634 million in 2025.
Funding Types: Offers grants up to €2.5 million and investments from €0.5 million to €10 million.
Focus: Targets disruptive startups with potential for market creation.
Eligibility: Open for startups, SMEs, and small mid-caps.
Innovation Stage Support: Aims to commercialize and scale up innovations effectively.
Explore EIC Accelerator

4. EIC Pathfinder

Budget: €262 million in 2025.
Target Audience: Multidisciplinary research teams aiming for technological breakthroughs.
Grant Size: Grants can go as high as €4 million.
Innovation Objective: Supports early-stage R&D vital for future technologies.
Focus Area: Aims to catalyze groundbreaking technological advancements.
Learn more about Pathfinder

5. EIC Transition

Budget: €98 million in 2025.
Follow-up Program: Builds upon EIC Pathfinder results to innovate further.
Grant Size: Grants can be as large as €2.5 million.
Market Readiness: Designed to transform research findings into marketable innovations.
Integration: Connects with other EU research funds for enhanced support.
Discover EIC Transition

6. Deep Tech Venture Builder Programme (EIT Health)

Description: Designed to accelerate academic and research teams' innovations.
Duration: A 10-month program with targeted support.
Funding Amount: Grants up to €150,000.
Support Structure: Includes mentorship and access to the EIT Health ecosystem.
Focus: Aims to guide teams through hurdles in bringing deep tech products to market.
Learn more about EIT Health

7. EIC Pre-Accelerator (WIDERA Programme)

Description: Pilot program that supports early-stage startups in less research-intensive regions.
Objective: Helps companies enhance technology and business readiness.
Focus Areas: Aims to bridge innovation gaps in "widening countries."
Program Structure: Part of the broader WIDERA initiative.
Target Group: Early-stage deep tech startups from targeted regions.
Explore WIDERA Programme
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8. EIT Digital Champions 2025

Description: A competition aimed at digital tech scale-ups.
Support Services: Offers a 12-month Growth Services Program to prep for fundraising.
Networking Events: Includes networking opportunities with potential investors.
Eligibility: Targets scaleups with innovative digital solutions.
Competition Format: Finalists pitch to a panel of investors for visibility.
Discover EIT Digital Champions

9. National Funding Programs

Description: Various national funding initiatives across Europe.
Examples: Include Poland's NCBR Investment Fund and Portugal’s Stand Up and Start Up.
Funding Variability: Programs vary in scope and target, some focusing on early-stage growth.
Encouragement of Innovation: Aimed at promoting new entrepreneurship and talent.
Geographic Coverage: Tailored support for national startups within local boundaries.
Learn more about national programs

10. EIC Fund

Description: Offers equity investments for startups and SMEs aligned with EIC initiatives.
Funding Variability: Depends on individual project assessments.
Continuous Access: Available for eligible companies under EIC programs.
Investment Strategy: Focused on follow-up funding post-initial grants.
Support Scope: Targets startups demonstrating solid growth potential.
Explore EIC Fund

11. Riceberg Ventures Fund

Description: A venture capital fund dedicated to early-stage deep tech startups.
Fund Size: A robust $20 million fund focused on critical tech sectors.
Investment Focus: Prioritizes space tech, AI, cybersecurity, and robotics.
Average Investment: Typically invests around $0.5 million per startup.
Strategic Aim: Plans to support approximately 25-30 innovative startups.
Discover Riceberg Ventures

12. NextGenerationEU Fund

Description: A recovery fund aimed at boosting innovation in the EU post-pandemic.
Application Potential: Offers resources for sustainable innovations and tech advancements.
Budget Allocation: Significant investment across multiple sectors.
Support Infrastructure: Ensures access to guidance and resources.
Long-term Vision: Aims to establish a resilient and forward-thinking tech environment.
Learn more about NextGenerationEU

13. Horizon Europe

Description: Major EU funding program for research and innovation.
Focus Areas: Encourages collaborations in deep tech across member states.
Budget: Part of a €95.5 billion budget for the 2021-2027 period.
Eligibility: Available to various entities from businesses to research institutions.
Innovation Objectives: Aims to address societal challenges through advanced technology.
Explore Horizon Europe

14. Innovation Fund (IF)

Description: One of the world's largest funding sources for innovative low-carbon technologies.
Focus Areas: Green technologies and solutions aimed at reducing carbon emissions.
Budget: €10 billion allocation for the 2021-2027 period.
Support Mechanism: Grants and financial aids to support innovations with high potential.
Target Audience: Works with startups that demonstrate strong sustainability goals.
Discover the Innovation Fund

15. Startup Europe

Description: Initiative to boost startup growth across Europe with various funding supports.
Funding Diversity: Focused on health, fintech, and advanced manufacturing technologies.
Budget: Varied allocations across different programs under the initiative.
Collaborative Focus: Encourages cross-border collaborations among startups.
Support Ecosystem: Access to networks, resources, and potential investors.
Learn more about Startup Europe
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FAQ

Q: What is the European Innovation Council (EIC) and its funding amount for deep tech startups in 2025?
A: The EIC, part of the EU's Horizon Europe program, allocates €1.4 billion in 2025 for deep tech research and high-potential startups. Learn more about EIC.
Q: What is the EIC STEP Scale-up Scheme and its investment size?
A: The EIC STEP Scale-up Scheme has a budget of €300 million in 2025, providing investments between €10 and €30 million per company. Explore the EIC STEP Scale-up Scheme.
Q: What is the budget and funding types for the EIC Accelerator?
A: The EIC Accelerator's budget is €634 million in 2025, offering grants up to €2.5 million and investments from €0.5 million to €10 million. Find out more about the EIC Accelerator.
Q: What funding does the EIC Pathfinder provide?
A: The EIC Pathfinder supports early-stage technology research and development with a budget of €262 million in 2025, offering grants up to €4 million. Learn about the EIC Pathfinder.
Q: What is the purpose of the EIC Transition program?
A: The EIC Transition aims to turn research results into market-ready innovations, with a budget of €98 million in 2025, offering grants up to €2.5 million. Explore EIC Transition.
Q: What is the EIT Health Deep Tech Venture Builder Programme?
A: This program helps academic and research teams accelerate their intellectual property through a 10-month program and grant funding of up to €150,000. Learn about EIT Health Ventures.
Q: What is the focus of the EIC Pre-Accelerator program?
A: The EIC Pre-Accelerator supports early-stage deep tech startups in "widening countries" to develop technology, business, and investment readiness. Explore the EIC Pre-Accelerator.
Q: What is the eligibility criteria for the EIC Fund?
A: The EIC Fund provides equity investments to startups and SMEs that are funded under EIC programs, allowing continuous access for eligible companies. Learn more about the EIC Fund.
Q: What types of national funding programs are available for deep tech startups?
A: National funding programs vary across Europe, targeting entrepreneurship and new projects, such as NCBR Investment Fund ASI S.A. in Poland and Slovenian Enterprise Fund Start-up Incentive. Explore National Funding Programs.

About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.
2025-05-07 08:17 Top 15