News

Sifted | 10/07/2024 | Europe - The first half of the year has come to an end, and Europe’s tech ecosystem is arguably in a better place than it was six months ago. €47.3bn, which includes €18.7bn of debt funding, was injected into Europe’s startups in H1. State funds — Bpifrance, the European Innovation Council (EIC), CDP Venture Capital, CDTI and Scottish Enterprise — were key drivers of capital in H1.

Binance Square | 10/07/2024 | Iceland - According to Odaily, Frumtak Ventures, an early-stage investment firm based in Iceland, has successfully oversubscribed its fourth fund, Frumtak IV, raising a total of $84 million. In addition, the company received a €2.5 million (approximately $2.6 million) grant from the European Innovation Council.

LABIOTECH | 09/07/2024 | Portugal - Portugal has a rich biotech ecosystem that is rapidly growing, despite sometimes being overlooked compared with other countries in Europe. Operating in both Portugal and France, biotech Limm Therapeutics aims to decode the cross-talk between neurons and immune cells to treat diseases that are caused or mediated by the immune system, including infections, inflammation, and metabolic diseases.

Medical Device Network | 09/07/2024 | Israel - Endoron Medical has secured $10m in Series A funding to advance its flagship product, the catheter-based EndoStapling solution Aortoseal, through clinical studies. The round was led by Sofinnova Partners, with matching contributions from the European Innovation Council Fund (EIC Fund). This builds on a previously awarded €2.5m ($2.7m) grant by the European Commission under the EIC Accelerator

Vijesti | 09/07/2024 | Montenegro - Since September 2021, when it was registered, the Fund has achieved exceptional results - it has created and implemented ten support programs, and financing of 85 projects worth 2.68 million euros has been approved.. When it comes to international cooperation, one of the most significant results of the Fund is the accreditation of the "Collaborative Grants for Innovation" program by the European Innovation Council (EIC) for the implementation of the Plug-In scheme within the EIC Accelerator program.

Horizon Magazine | 09/07/2024 | Europe - EU-funded researchers are using AI and satellite technologies to make the continent’s renewable energy infrastructure more reliable.

EU Startups | 08/07/2024 | Germany - Foundational infrastructure tech in Europe is growing, as shown by recent funding rounds. An example: Twinsity, a Kassel-based deep tech startup specialising in AI-based infrastructure inspection, which secured €2.5 million from the European Innovation Council Accelerator

EUSEURO | 08/07/2024 | Spain - Inactive satellites, remains of propellants, parts of all kind. ETPACK project has developed between 2019 and 2022 a first prototype of the space attack system which is like a backpack - thanks to the European Innovation Council.

Crowdfunding Buzz | 08/07/2024 | Italy - React4Life, an Italian biotech scaleup that had raised 600 thousand euros on Crowdfundme, doubles its turnover and obtains international recognition from the EU Commission. As explained by the EIC on LinkedIn, the group of chosen companies, “promoted by the EIC ITF 3.0 Programme, is looking forward to expanding globally”. And participation in BIO 2024 was an opportunity to "present their innovations in the European Pavilion".

Romania Insider | 04/07/2024 | Romania - Techsylvania made waves once again in the world of innovation at its 11th edition held in Cluj-Napoca on June 26th and 27th, 2024. Over 50 local and international speakers took the stage at Techsylvania, addressing pressing questions about the future.

EBN | 04/07/2024 | Europe - The European Business and Innovation Centre Network (EBN) released a position paper analysing Europe’s regional innovation capacity and the performance of the related innovation policy frameworks. This document provides crucial recommendations for future European Commission work programmes. A lot of ink has been spilt on ‘’how’’ to drive and implement funds like the European Innovation Council (EIC).

La Sentinella | 04/07/2024 | Italy - Releaf Paper has developed next-generation technology for transforming fallen leaves into sustainable paper products without the use of chemicals and reducing CO2 emissions by 78%. The startup is among the finalists of the Young Inventors Award at the European Inventor Award. The winner on July 9th. In 2022 Releaf Paper won the EIC Accelerator.

Science|Business | 04/07/2024 | Europe - The European Innovation Council (EIC) needs independence from the European Commission if it is to succeed in its mission of boosting Europe’s innovation potential, says former programme Iordanis Arzimanoglou. Arzimanoglou spent the last four years at the EIC, setting the strategic direction for the council’s work in health and biotech. As the first field-specific programme manager at the agency, he also set out the blueprint for the role.

Science|Business | 03/07/2024 | Poland - IZTECH, a Polish non-profit organisation, wants to see more support for SMEs. For example, FP10 could introduce calls where the participation of SMEs is required, and a certain share of the budget is allocated to them. In addition, the process of applying for European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator funding needs to be simplified.

Emprendedores | 03/07/2024 | Spain - The national biotech sector raised 228 million euros in 2023, 37% more. In addition, biotechnology companies invested 180 million more in R&D in 2022, rising to 1,218 million. Arthex Biotech raised 45 million euros in a round led by Columbus Venture Partners and in which investors Invivo Capital, AdBio Partners, Hadean Ventures and Sound Bioventures also participated. In addition, the operation was supported by the CDTI Innvierte instrument and by the EIC Fund.

The European Patent Office (EPO) has developed a test to help individuals discover their visionary type and learn how to leverage the power of invention to create a better world. By answering a series of questions, participants will receive a unique character profile along with descriptions of key inventor traits and their potential to drive change.

Last week, the European Commission published the 2024 edition of the Science, Research, and Innovation (R&I) Performance Report (SRIP). This report analyses the dynamics and drivers of R&I. According to the SRIP, EU investments in R&I have increased significantly over the past two decades. These investments have notably boosted the EU's competitiveness in green technology and have enhanced the overall quality of EU research.

Between 17 and 18 June, the European IP Helpdesk team, in collaboration with the University of Split, organised a two-day training summit for European IP Helpdesk Ambassadors. The event focused on various aspects of knowledge valorisation, ranging from industry-academia collaboration and intellectual asset management in different institutions and ecosystems to the more concrete support and case examples of how the intellectual property (IP) Ambassadors provide start-up and scale-up support or advise beneficiaries of the different European Innovation Council funding programmes.

The European Commission has designated 151 regions as Regional Innovation Valleys (RIVs) under the New European Innovation Agenda (NEIA). These RIVs aim to enhance regional innovation ecosystems, bridge Europe's innovation gap, and boost overall innovation performance by connecting various regions with different innovation levels and their key innovation stakeholders.

We have just released a brand-new case study showcasing the journey of LAM’ON, a Bulgarian start-up company developing bio-based and industrially compostable laminating films and flexible packaging foils. This case study demonstrates how two young women combined their efforts to transform an innovative idea into a progressive and successful start-up. The story also highlights how they effectively managed intellectual property challenges throughout the journey.