Top 10 Grants for Deep Tech Startups in Europe in 2025: A Comprehensive Guide
In 2025, deep tech startups in Europe can thrive thanks to a variety of grants innovation-driven financing programs. These grants provide crucial funding for robotics, biotechnology, AI, and other transformative technologies. Here is a curated list of the Top 10 Grants for Deep Tech Startups in Europe for 2025, complete with details on funding amounts, focus areas, eligibility, and links to their official sources.
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1. European Innovation Council (EIC) Work Programme 2025
Total Funding: €1.4 billion
Focus Areas: Digital, clean, and biotechnologies
Key Features:
- €300 million earmarked for the EIC STEP Scale-up Scheme, anticipated to grow to €900 million by 2027.
- EIC Challenges dedicated to emerging technologies with a budget of €120 million.
- Business Acceleration Services provided for companies from 'widening countries.'
- Learn more about EIC Work Programme
2. EIC Investment of €1.4B in Deep Tech Startups
Total Investment: €1.4 billion
Grants Available: Up to €4 million for early-stage research
Key Features:
- EIC Pathfinder and EIC Transition funding aimed at converting research to market opportunities.
- Specific allocation of €634 million for developing innovations.
- Grants are available under the EIC Accelerator program valued between €0.5 million and €10 million.
- Discover EIC Investment in Deep Tech
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3. EIC Deep Tech Investment Breakdown
Total Investment: €1.4 billion
Funding Schemes: EIC Accelerator, EIC STEP Scale-Up
Key Features:
- Detailed allocation for startups and SMEs, including grants up to €2.5 million.
- Planned funding growth in strategic areas including quantum tech and AI.
- Aiming to match U.S. R&D investment levels.
- Explore EIC Deep Tech Investment Breakdown
4. EIC 2025 Funding Schemes
Total Budget: €1.4 billion
Key Features:
- Four main funding schemes: EIC Pathfinder (€262 million), EIC Transition (€98 million), EIC Accelerator (€634 million), and EIC STEP Scale-Up (€300 million).
- Grants focus on transitioning research into innovation with up to €4 million available.
- Included Business Acceleration Services for all participating companies.
- Learn more about EIC Funding Schemes
5. EIC 2025 Funding and Strategic Technologies
Total Investment: €1.4 billion
Focus Areas: Digital, clean, and emerging technologies
Key Features:
- EIC STEP Scale-up to see an increase in funding for strategic sectors.
- Allocation of €250 million to support early-stage companies in AI, space, agritech, and mobility.
- Outreach efforts targeting emerging companies from 'widening countries.'
- Discover more on EIC 2025 Funding
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6. EU Investment in Deep Tech
Total Investment: €1.4 billion
Focus Areas: AI, quantum computing, and biotechnology
Key Features:
- A significant funding increase from the previous year focusing on enhancing technological innovation.
- Support for emerging technologies, specifically through EIC Challenges.
- The objective of improving the EU’s competitive position globally.
- Learn more about EU Investment in Deep Tech
7. EIC 2025 Work Programme Overview
Total Budget: €1.4 billion
Key Features:
- Comprehensive funding across four primary schemes aimed at driving innovative research and product development.
- Focus on supporting startups in the fields of green technology, digital transformation, and strategic autonomy.
- The annual funding plan outlines various challenges and opportunities for applicants.
- Discover EIC 2025 Work Programme
8. EIC 2025 Budget Increase
Budget Increase: €1.4 billion (an increase of €200 million compared to 2024)
Key Features:
- Significant allocations across key innovative sectors stirring interests in quantum tech and semiconductors.
- The Accelerator scheme provides essential capital to transform innovations into viable products.
- A focus on companies engaged in sustainable innovation.
- Explore EIC 2025 Budget Increase
9. EU Funding Portal for Startups
Variety of Grants Available: Nutrition-based solutions, and various other innovation grants
Key Features:
- The portal includes multiple funding opportunities for startups, including the 'Empowomen Call' for female entrepreneurs and a Young Entrepreneurs Challenge with a grant of £10,000.
- A searchable database to help entrepreneurs find the right funding opportunities.
- Explore EU Funding Portal
10. Equity-Free Grants for Startups
Key Features:
- Focuses on grants that do not require equity dilution, allowing startups to maintain ownership.
- The program provides powerful networking opportunities and financial support tailored to deep tech sectors.
- Specifically geared towards amplifying the presence and growth of deep tech in the European landscape.
- Learn more about Equity-Free Grants
These grants indicate a significant commitment from European bodies to support and nurture deep tech innovations that promise to shape the future of technology in the region.
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FAQ
Q: What is the total investment planned by the European Innovation Council for deep tech startups in 2025?
A: The European Innovation Council is set to invest €1.4 billion in deep tech startups in 2025. Learn more about it here.
Q: How much funding is allocated to the EIC STEP Scale-Up Scheme for 2025?
A: The EIC STEP Scale-Up Scheme has a budget of €300 million for 2025, with plans to grow this to €900 million by 2027. Discover the details.
Q: What support is provided for early-stage research in deep tech?
A: The EIC Pathfinder allocates €262 million for early-stage research with grants available up to €4 million. Learn more about the Pathfinder.
Q: Which areas does the EIC focus on with its funding initiatives?
A: The EIC focuses on funding areas such as digital technologies, clean technologies, and biotechnology. Explore focus areas here.
Q: Are there specific grants for women-led deep tech startups?
A: Yes, the Women TechEU initiative offers €12 million in equity-free grants specifically for women-led deep tech companies. Find out more about Women TechEU.
Q: What additional services does the EIC offer to funded startups?
A: The EIC provides Business Acceleration Services to help startups navigate challenges and scale their businesses. More details can be found here.
Q: Is there an equity-free funding option for deep tech startups?
A: Yes, various grants, including those under the EIC Scaling Club, provide equity-free funding opportunities for startups. Learn more about equity-free options.
Q: How can startups find a comprehensive list of EU grants?
A: Startups can access the EU Funding Portal, which provides a searchable database of various grants and funding opportunities tailored for startups. Visit the EU Funding Portal.
Q: What is the purpose of the EIC Transition funding?
A: The EIC Transition aims to convert research outcomes into market opportunities, with €98 million allocated for this purpose, including grants up to €2.5 million. Discover the EIC Transition details.
Q: Which grants support young entrepreneurs in deep tech?
A: The Young Entrepreneurs Challenge 2025 offers grants up to £10,000 to support young innovators in launching their solutions. Learn more about the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge.
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.
