The European Innovation Council (EIC) has announced its latest selection of 40 startups and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that will receive funding under the EIC Accelerator. Chosen from a pool of 150 candidates that reached the interview phase, these companies stood out for their disruptive technologies and significant commercial potential.

The funding package, proposed at nearly €230 million, will support these businesses through a mix of grant and equity financing. A majority, 87%, of the selected companies will receive blended finance, while others will benefit from either grant-only or equity-only arrangements.

The list of recipients includes companies working on advanced solutions in sectors ranging from healthcare to aerospace. Among the selected, 32% are led by women in leadership positions such as CEO, CTO, or CSO, marking progress in leadership representation within high-tech sectors.

The selected innovators span across 16 EU and associated countries, with Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and Sweden accounting for the highest number of successful applicants.

Several companies illustrate the range and depth of technological innovation being supported:

• OligoFeed (France) develops a non-toxic oligosaccharide supplement that strengthens honey bee immunity and improves hive survival. Their natural formula enhances resistance to parasites and stress without leaving residues in honey.
  
  
• Turbulence Solutions (Austria) creates real-time turbulence-cancellation systems using LiDAR and adaptive control surfaces to enhance flight stability. Their technology can reduce vertical acceleration by over 80%, improving safety and comfort in both commercial and eVTOL aircraft.
  
  
• Copenhagen Atomics (Denmark) builds modular thorium molten salt reactors that can be mass-produced and powered by nuclear waste. Their compact, containerised design offers a scalable and sustainable solution for clean energy generation.
  
  
• Singularly (Spain) provides AI security tools to help organisations detect vulnerabilities and ensure compliance in generative AI systems. Their platform enables secure and trustworthy deployment of large language models at scale.
  
  
• Apisense (Poland) uses AI, IoT sensors, and satellite data to detect bee diseases with up to 95% accuracy. Their platform helps beekeepers take early action, reducing the need for chemical treatments and improving hive health.
  

The grant agreements for most selected companies are expected to be finalised within the next three months. Equity investments will follow, tailored to each company’s development plan and funding strategy. These investments are managed by the EIC Fund, which regularly helps attract significant additional private capital, often multiplying its contribution by a factor of three or more.

In addition to the 40 selected, 109 applicants who received a positive evaluation from the EIC jury will receive a Seal of Excellence due to limited available funding. Moreover, all 20 companies that reached the interview stage under the five EIC Accelerator challenges, regardless of whether they secured funding, will be awarded a STEP Seal. This quality label is designated for projects aligned with the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP), supporting access to other EU funding options.

Background information
The EIC Accelerator supports start-ups and small businesses with grant funding of up to €2.5 million, complemented by equity investments from the EIC Fund ranging between €0.5 million and €10 million. Higher amounts are available under the EIC STEP Scale-up scheme, which allows for equity support of up to €30 million.  

Beyond financial support, all funded projects gain access to Business Acceleration Services, connecting them with top-level experts, investors, corporates, and innovation ecosystem players. 

Applications to the EIC Accelerator can be submitted on a continuous basis and are assessed within 6 to 8 weeks. If a proposal meets the EIC’s standards for excellence, impact, and high risk, companies are invited to submit a full proposal for evaluation, at the regular cut-off dates. The next cut-off for full applications, as outlined in the EIC 2025 Work Programme, is on 1 October 2025.