The European Commissioner for Research and Innovation, Mariya Gabriel, announced on Thursday 17 November that the European Innovation Council Fund (EIC Fund) has taken its first investment decisions to make equity investments in 35 ‘high-risk, high-potential’ innovative companies under the EU’s research and innovation programme, Horizon Europe.
The total EU funds invested in the form of equity in this package amount to €190 million. These funds will enable deep-tech companies to bring their innovations to market or to scale up.
Two of these investment decisions have already been followed by investment agreements with Apix Analytics and Lattice Medical. 24 new projects have been submitted to the EIC Fund for approval.
The first direct equity investment decision was announced on 14 June for SiPearl.
The EIC is a component of the ‘New European Innovation Agenda’ (see EUROPE 12986/15). The EIC Fund became operational following the appointment of an external fund manager, announced on 30 September (see EUROPE 13033/5). (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)