European entity created in 2009, EIT-Digital launches its competition every year EIT Digital Challenge (supported by the EU) one of whose objectives is to consolidate the Tech ecosystem on a continental scale. Since its launch in 2014, this call for projects has attracted more than 2,500 applications from more than 33 European countries. The winners, scale-ups that have already proven themselves and confirmed their strong potential, have become success stories of European DeepTech. The examples of Wishibam, Deepomatic and Connecting Foodwinners of previous editions…
Identify DeepTech nuggets
“The EIT Digital Challenge aims to identify fast-growing European DeepTech companies with a turnover of at least 300,000 euros, to help them grow internationally while consolidating the ecosystem of the Deep Tech in Europe. We let’s select the 20 best and invite them to pitch at the end of October in front of a jury made up of companies and investors”according to Diva Tommei, head of the EIT Digital Accelerator. For this 2022 edition, five categories were defined: “Digital tech”, “Digital Cities”, “Digital Industry”, “Digital Wellbeing” and “Digital Finance”. The deadline for applications is set for September 19.
For the five winners: funding and development support
Of the 20 finalist companies, the jury selects 5 winners who will benefit “access to finance and business development through a dedicated team of expert business developers and investors, operating in over 15 major European cities and Silicon Valley” continues Diva Tommei.
With a network of more than 1,000 investors (VCs and corporate VCs), the EIT Digital structure assesses the financing needs of companies and supports them in fundraising (series A and B) by putting them in touch with investors. international.
The five applicants will also receive a full year of international growth support under the EIT Digital Accelerator Program worth €50,000 – which includes, among other things, connection to a network of over 500 companies. partners and coaching on go-to-market strategy to support international development ambitions.
In addition, EIT Digital helps the winners to gain visibility by communicating their success on their online and offline channels and on their main European media.
Access to innovation and a talent pool
In addition to financial support and the activity of the winning scale-ups, EIT Digital places access to innovation at the heart of its priorities. For the winning companies, it is the opportunity to have access to a pan-European innovation network, with more than 350 partners (companies, SMEs, start-ups, universities and research institutes) renowned throughout the world. ‘Europe. Because a company always needs talent, EIT Digital also offers them access to a pool of more than 100 students who deal with business cases coming directly from EIT Digital.
Finally, to understand and establish themselves in a new market, the winners will be able to settle in one of the fifteen workspaces offered by EIT Digital throughout Europe.
Eligibility criteria
To apply for EIT Digital Challengethe company must have been incorporated after 01/01/2012, have an evolving B2B or B2B2C activity, achieve an annual turnover of 300,000 euros or have raised more than 2 million euros, seek funding from worth between 5 and 25 million Euros, and be headquartered in the EU, UK or one of the countries associated with Horizon Europe.
Committed to promoting female entrepreneurship, this EIT Digital call for projects hopes to obtain the same score as last year when nearly 40% of candidates (and 55% of finalists) had at least one woman among their founders or executives managers.