In a significant move to boost Greece's startup ecosystem, Greek Alternate Minister for Economy Nikos Papathanasis, EIF’s Director General Marjut Falkstedt, and EIB Group’s Vice-President Yannis Tsakiris have signed an agreement in Athens to extend the successful equity financial instrument (FI), known as EquiFund, for the 2021-27 period, co-financed by Greece's cohesion policy Competitiveness Programme.
- 18 June 2024
EquiFund-2, with a budget of EUR 200 million, is set to focus on sectors such as Life Sciences & Healthcare, as well as Sustainability and Social Impact. The aim is to further develop venture capital and equity investment in Greece, building on foundations laid since 2009 under the JEREMIE initiative.
This initiative seeks to provide continuous support to entrepreneurs with strong growth potential, driving innovation, competitiveness, social sustainability, and job creation. Greek startups and SMEs in life sciences, healthcare and sustainability will benefit from improved access to investment finance under this new agreement. EquiFund-2 is expected to be complementary to the existing national initiatives that target more broader investment strategies.