The EIC Accelerator is the European Innovation Council's (EIC) flagship program, designed to support high-potential startups and SMEs developing high-risk, high-impact disruptive innovations. A key component of Horizon Europe's "More Innovative Europe" pillar, this program targets innovative companies seeking to bridge the "valley of death"—the critical phase between the advanced development of an innovation and its successful commercialization.
Within the European funding ecosystem, the EIC Accelerator occupies a unique position by offering a combination of grant and equity financing (blended finance), thus meeting the dual needs of innovative startups: non-dilutive support to finalize development and equity investments to accelerate time to market and growth. Unlike other instruments that focus either on R&D (such as Horizon Europe's RIA actions) or on commercial deployment (such as InvestEU), the EIC Accelerator covers the entire innovation value chain, from advanced technology development to initial commercialization.
The strategic objectives of the EIC Accelerator are fully in line with the European vision of an innovative, competitive, and sovereign economy. The program aims to:
For the period 2021-2027, the EIC has a total budget of approximately €10.1 billion, a substantial portion of which is allocated to the EIC Accelerator. This ambitious funding demonstrates Europe's commitment to stimulating disruptive innovation and strengthening the competitiveness of innovative companies in the face of global competition.
Driving European disruptive innovations
The European Innovation Council Accelerator aims to identify and support the most ambitious innovations with high market-transforming potential and solutions to major societal challenges. Its unique approach allows it to finance high-risk projects that traditional investors are reluctant to support on their own.
The EIC Accelerator operates primarily with a bottom-up approach, allowing innovators to propose their ideas without thematic restrictions. However, the program also offers EIC Challenges focused on specific strategic priorities:
Beyond the thematic axes, the EIC Accelerator pays particular attention to projects which:
For startups developing advanced digital solutions, the EIC Accelerator can be complementary to the program Digital Europe, which focuses more on the deployment and adoption of technologies on a larger scale.
The EIC Accelerator directly contributes to several European strategic priorities:
EIC Accelerator projects must demonstrate their potential to generate significant impacts at several levels:
The program particularly values projects with the potential to become European “unicorns” in their field.
The EIC Accelerator specifically targets breakthrough and deep tech innovations that require significant investment but carry too high a level of risk for private investors alone. Unlike Eurostars While the EIC Accelerator requires international partnerships, it allows startups to apply individually, making it particularly suited to innovations driven by a single, high-potential company. The program offers two main funding options:
In addition, the EIC also offers:
Funded projects must generally have reached a minimum TRL (Technology Readiness Level) of 5-6 at start-up, reaching a TRL 8-9 at the end of the project.
Here are some illustrative examples of startups and innovations that have benefited from EIC Accelerator funding:
The EIC Accelerator particularly supports projects that:
Although the EIC Accelerator is open to all areas of innovation, certain sectors have a particularly high success rate:
Innovations that are at the intersection of several fields (interdisciplinary projects) are particularly valued.
Support by MarketKaps
Marketkaps has extensive and recognized expertise in the EIC Accelerator, gained from many years of successful evaluations and support for European startups and scaleups. Our team includes former EIC evaluators and experts who are fully familiar with the program's evaluation criteria and specific expectations.
Our specialized consultants master the entire application process, from the AI self-assessment platform to the final interviews with the panel. This multifaceted expertise allows us to effectively guide you through each critical stage of your application, maximizing your chances of success in this extremely competitive environment.
Our support approach for the EIC Accelerator follows a proven 7-step methodology:
Marketkaps offers complete or modular support according to your needs:
To be eligible for the EIC Accelerator, applicants must meet the following conditions:
In certain exceptional cases, small mid-caps (up to 500 employees) may be eligible for specific developments requiring rapid deployment.
The EIC Accelerator particularly targets certain profiles of innovative companies:
The program is particularly suited to companies developing innovations requiring significant investment and presenting a high level of risk, but with the potential for exponential growth.
The EIC Accelerator is open to companies established in:
Companies must intend to develop their business primarily in Europe, even if they are targeting global markets.
EIC Accelerator projects must meet several technical criteria:
Technologies must also present a degree of risk that justifies public support, while demonstrating credible commercial potential in the medium term.
The EIC Accelerator offers a flexible financing system adapted to the needs of innovative startups:
In addition, beneficiaries also receive:
The EIC Accelerator funding amounts are among the largest available for European startups:
Higher amounts may exceptionally be considered for strategic technologies or accelerated deployments in priority areas.
For the grant portion, eligible cost categories include:
For the capital investment part, the funds can be used more freely to finance:
The EIC Accelerator program operates on the principle of co-financing for the grant part:
Marketkaps can help you identify sources of co-financing and structure your financial plan optimally.
The EIC Accelerator has adopted an innovative application process with a primarily “open-shop” approach:
The EIC Accelerator application follows a three-step process, each requiring specific documents:
Marketkaps supports you in the preparation of each of these documents, with particular attention to strategic alignment between the different stages.
The EIC Accelerator submission process includes the following steps:
Applicants may rework and resubmit their proposal if rejected at Stage 1 or 2 (with limitations), but a rejection at Stage 3 typically involves a 12-month waiting period.
EIC Accelerator projects are evaluated according to three main criteria, with balanced weighting:
Each criterion is rated out of 4 points (excellent, very good, good, insufficient), and all must reach at least the “very good” level to be selected for the interview.
Marketkaps optimizes your file to maximize your score on each of these criteria, with particular attention to demonstrating the disruptive nature and market potential, which are often decisive for success.
The EIC Accelerator program has the following characteristics in terms of success rate:
Our experience has allowed us to identify the main errors that penalize EIC Accelerator applications:
Marketkaps ensures that these weak points are corrected before submission to maximize your chances of success at each stage.
The factors that make the difference in obtaining EIC Accelerator funding are:
Our experience supporting numerous EIC Accelerator projects has enabled us to identify best practices:
EIC Accelerator Program FAQ
The EIC Accelerator primarily targets startups that have already validated their technology at a small scale (TRL 5-6 minimum) but have not yet reached full commercialization. If you are at the concept or idea stage, the EIC Pathfinder is more suitable. If you are already in the advanced commercial growth phase, other instruments such as InvestEU may be more relevant. Marketkaps can help you determine the optimal program for your stage of development.
The optimal amount depends on several factors: the nature of your technology, industrialization needs, marketing strategy, and industry sector. It's crucial to request a realistic and well-justified amount. Too little can limit your ability to achieve significant results, while too much can raise doubts about your understanding of real needs. Marketkaps helps you precisely calibrate your funding request based on your needs and the EIC's expectations.
No, you can opt for a grant only if you can demonstrate that you have already secured the necessary financing for commercial deployment or if you prefer to seek other private investors. However, blended finance is often advantageous because it offers a complete solution covering both development and commercialization, with a patient and impact-oriented institutional investor.
The answer depends on the stage of rejection:
In any case, the evaluation report provides valuable insights for improving your project. Marketkaps analyzes this feedback in detail to optimize your resubmission.
The EIC Fund operates according to the following principles:
The investment process typically takes 3-6 months after application approval, and EIC Fund actively seeks co-investment with other investors to strengthen the ecosystem around the startup.
The EIC Accelerator is distinguished by several unique features:
These specificities make it a program particularly suited to ambitious innovations requiring significant support to cross the “valley of death”.
Maximize your chances of success with our expertise
Marketkaps supports you every step of the way, from the initial assessment to the final interview, to maximize your chances of securing exceptional funding and propelling your startup toward international growth.
Please contact us with any questions or to discuss your innovation project. Together, let's transform your disruptive technology into a European innovation champion.
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