Bigger than Softbank

Much of Europe’s innovation in deep tech & manufacturing are driven by research & innovation funding programs.

With a budget of €77 billion allocated between 2014 and 2020, Horizon 2020 is the EU’s biggest research and innovation funding programme ever. And for the period 2021 to 2027, the European Commission has outlined a €100 billion budget for a new research programme. With €10-14 billion per year, that’s more than the entire European venture capital industry invests combined! It’s also more capital than is in Softbank’s $100 billion Vision Fund.

What is less known is that many of Europe’s most successful deep tech & manufacturing startups have benefited from such programs early on. Before Horizon 2020 there have been other EU sponsored funding programmes, such as the Eurostars SME programme, part of the EUREKA network.

The Dealroom platform allows you to explore over 3,600 companies in detail. For instance, the below link provides European robotics companies, including drones, sorted by growth profile:

Another program of EUREKA is called Eureka Network Projects, covering 1,500 companies, including noteworthy companies like OatlyProdriveDrivetrain InnovationsTruliooSacco.

Within the current Horizon 2020 program, there is the SME Instrument. Again, the Dealroom platform allows you to explore about 4,000 companies in detail. For instance, the below link provides European deep tech companies, sorted by growth profile:

Eureka also provides funding for a wider range of tech and market areas, besides deep tech & manufacturing, including consumer/services, energy, environment, ICT, industrial, life sciences and more.