The EIC Impact Report 2025 highlights the European Innovation Council as a leading deep tech investor, with €1 billion invested and €2.6 billon in co-investment since 2020.
As the EU’s flagship programme for deep-tech innovation, the European Innovation Council (EIC) has proven essential in supporting Europe’s most promising start-ups and researchers. The EIC Impact Report 2025, presented at the EIC Summit 2025, highlights the growing impact of the EIC, focusing on the Horizon Europe portfolio between 2021 and 2024. The report highlights why the EIC remains a crucial instrument for scaling breakthrough technologies, mobilising investment and strengthening Europe’s leadership in strategic sectors.
The report highlights that since its launch in 2021, the Horizon Europe EIC portfolio has expanded to 706 start-ups and SMEs supported under the EIC Accelerator, alongside 402 Pathfinder projects and 183 Transition projects. Including the extended EIC portfolio, which incorporates projects and companies supported under the EIC Pilot phase (2018-2020) and the SME Instrument Phase II, the total accounts for approximately 800 start-ups and SMEs and 400 technology projects initiated between 2014 and 2020. the EIC has also developed an ARPA-inspired Programme Management model, enabling early identification of emerging trends and guiding future funding activities.
The EIC Accelerator continues to drive strong results, with over 1’500 companies supported since 2018. These companies have seen an average 52.5% growth in employment and a 56.6% increase in revenue within two years after receiving EIC support. Fundraising activity has remained stable over the past three years, however, there was a significant increase in larger investment rounds, between €40–100 million, in 2024. Moreover, the EIC Fund has emerged as a leading early-stage technology investor in Europe. It has invested over €1 billion into start-ups and SMEs, crowding in over €2.6 billion in additional private and strategic investment, achieving a leverage of over three euros for every euro invested. The EIC Fund’s network comprises nearly 500 venture capitalists, 30 sovereign and government funds, and 120 corporate and strategic investors, including two Switzerland-based firms, B2Venture and Verve Ventures, both of which are ranked among the top 25 VCs in Europe. In terms of company growth, the report indicates that over 70 EIC-backed companies have achieved centaur status, with valuations exceeding €100 million, and six companies are valued above €500 million. The EIC Business Acceleration Services facilitated over 230 business deals with corporates, investors, procurers and other partners.
Alongside direct company support, the EIC Pathfinder and Transition instruments continue to contribute to Europe’s innovation pipeline. Nearly 400 patents have been registered, over 80 start-ups have been established or are in formation and a number of disruptive technologies have moved closer to market readiness. In the artificial intelligence sector alone, more than 70 projects have been funded with a combined investment of €300 million, while significant funding has also been directed towards the Quantum, Advanced computing and Semiconductor sector.
To address structural challenges such as the relocation of start-ups and limited availability of large-scale funding rounds, the report highlights the launch of the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) in 2024. This initiative aims to provide investments of up to €30 million, catalysing investment rounds above €100 million. The EIC also launched the Trusted Investors Network, comprising over 100 investors managing a pool of over €100 billion in assets.
At the same time, promoting diversity remains a priority for the EIC. The report notes that 30% of Accelerator-supported companies are women-led, and eight of the 2021/22 cohort of the Women TechEU beneficiaries have secured EIC Accelerator funding. Partnerships with Member States have also strengthened. Lithuania, for instance, has allocated €12.5 million to the EIC for the 2024/25 period, transferring regional funds to Horizon Europe projects to enhance the global competitiveness of Lithuanian researchers and companies. Collaboration with Member States also extends to partnerships with national innovation agencies and regional authorities in the implementation of the EIC Plug-in scheme, which allows certified national or regional programmes to submit projects for their portfolio directly to the full application state of the EIC Accelerator. Partnerships under the EIC Business Acceleration Services (BAS) also continue to grow, such as the cooperation with Poland’s National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR), which has implemented innovation procurement models focused on zero-emission technologies.
In addition, cooperation with the European Research Council (ERC) remains strong, with ERC Proof of Concept grants accounting for nearly half of all Transition projects. Collaboration with the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) continues through the Fast Track scheme, enabling Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) to submit projects directly to the EIC Accelerator.
Looking ahead, the report highlights the Commission’s intention to expand the EIC, as stated in President von der Leyen’s Political Guidelines and Commissioner Zaharieva’s mission letter. A key component of this effort is the upcoming EU Startup and Scaleup strategy, which aims to accelerate the growth and scaling of European start-ups. Following the publication of this report, the EIC also announced its plans to extend funding to dual-use technologies, supporting innovations that can serve both civilian and defence applications (see SwissCore article). Overall, the report shows that the EIC is consolidating its role at the heart of Europe’s innovation landscape, supporting the growth of future technology champions across critical and emerging sectors.