Deep tech, research-to-market, EIC-adjacent, and breakthrough innovation opportunities for startups building defensible technology in Europe.
12 current opportunities
Funding guide
This guide is for founders building high-risk, high-impact technology: AI, advanced computing, health, climate, hardware, industrial tech, robotics, biotech, or research-backed products.
Current opportunities
12 opportunities shown.
Portugal-based, technology-focused early-stage startups with a live product and website that want Web Summit preparation, an exhibition presence, investor and ecosystem connections, and international visibility.
Selected startups receive a 50% discount on a Web Summit 2026 ALPHA or BETA package, including three or four tickets, a one-day exhibition booth, startup activations, app and lounge access, event preparation support, and a dedicated Startup Success team. Eligible participants can also compete for a €15,000 Most Promising Startup prize or a €5,000 bootcamp and conference performance prize. Build Up Labs can support founders with the Startup Portugal Recognition process.
Apply free by 30 Sep 2026, or earlier if all places fill. Applicants must be Portugal-based legal entities with a valid NIPC, a live website, a developed brand and their own technology product or connected hardware. Startup / Scaleup Recognition is required, except for startups incubated in a certified RNI incubator that have already started the recognition process. Companies must have under 10 years of activity, although Web Summit may reject companies older than five years. Consultancies, agencies, subsidiaries of large companies, public companies, and startups that already bought Web Summit 2026 ALPHA/BETA access are not eligible. Selected teams must pay the remaining 50% package fee within 10 working days and showcase physically at Web Summit.
Portugal-based academic founders turning research, theses, R&D projects, or proofs of concept into a startup, especially students, researchers, or faculty connected to a national higher-education institution.
€30,000 non-repayable voucher per project, paid 100% in advance after approval, to fund early business creation and validation steps such as incubation, acceleration, company setup, events, marketing, pitch materials, proof of concept, pilots, IP protection, and regulatory or certification mapping.
For micro, small, and medium-sized companies, including startups. The company must be majority-owned by an individual who is currently, or was in the previous two calendar years, enrolled in a degree programme at a Portuguese higher-education institution or working as a researcher or teacher at one. Applications are submitted through Startup Portugal's official funding platform; ANI and Startup Portugal support the technical review, and FITEC decides within 30 working days after the notice closes.
Startups and SMEs in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries with a game-changing, high-risk innovation that has completed TRL 5 and is ready for TRL 6-8 activities, strong scale-up ambition, and funding needs that private investors alone will not yet cover.
A grant component below €2.5 million for innovation activities, plus €1-€10 million in direct equity or quasi-equity for blended-finance applicants. Selected companies also receive coaching, mentoring, investor and partner access, and other EIC Business Acceleration Services.
Submit a short proposal at any time; these are batched on the first Tuesday of each month at 17:00 Brussels time. A GO is required before submitting a full proposal, with the final 2026 full-proposal batch on 4 Nov. Eligible applicants include single startups and SMEs, people or entities establishing one before the full proposal, and small mid-caps applying for investment only; third-country applicants must relocate to an eligible country before Step 2.
Early-stage digital and deep tech startups in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries with a working prototype or proof of concept at TRL 4-5 or above, strong IP ownership, and a real industry challenge to validate with a corporate partner.
Selected ventures can receive up to €250,000 of 28DIGITAL financial support, co-create directly with industry partners, access fundraising assistance, join 28DIGITAL training and mentoring support, and gain visibility across its European innovation ecosystem.
Apply by the next cut-off on 8 Sep 2026 at 17:00 CEST. Applicants must be micro or small enterprises incorporated within the last five years, have at least two FTEs, own or control the relevant IP, request a maximum of €250,000, and offer 3.5-7% equity to 28DIGITAL. Open Challenge Track applicants need their own challenge partner and proof of commitment.
Early-stage startups and SMEs with health-focused digital solutions that want healthcare stakeholder exposure, pilot or validation opportunities, clinical feedback, and visibility in Portugal's health innovation ecosystem.
Selected teams showcase at the IHT Conference HealthTech Showroom, join guided tours with expert groups, connect with clinicians, healthcare decision-makers and potential partners, get direct feedback, unlock pilot, validation and funding conversations, and receive two free full-access conference tickets.
Applications close 7 Sep 2026. Applicants should be SMEs with health-focused digital solutions and meet the startup criteria stated in the guidelines: established less than five years ago and annual revenue below €1M. Selected teams are expected to confirm participation between 14-21 Sep 2026 and attend the showroom at IHT Conference on 27-28 Oct 2026.
Early-stage startups with outstanding potential that want Web Summit visibility in Lisbon, investor and media exposure, startup activations, and a structured event preparation path with the startup success team.
Selected ALPHA startups receive three Web Summit tickets, a startup profile visible to attendees, investors, media, and partners, a one-day exhibition booth, a printed exhibition board, access to the Web Summit app, Startup Lounge, startup activations, and support from a dedicated startup success manager. Accepted startups can also apply for activations such as PITCH, Startup Showcase, 40 Words, Mentor Hours, masterclasses, roundtables, and investor-to-startup meetings. Startups selected through Build Up Labs' referral route receive 20% off automatically at checkout.
Apply through the Build Up Labs referral link with a business email address. Web Summit assesses applicants for high potential and programme fit; the 20% discount is applied only after selection, at checkout. PITCH is open to ALPHA and BETA startups exhibiting at Web Summit that have received less than €5M in funding to date and have not had a discernible change in business model in the last three years.
Agrifood startups and research teams with TRL 4-7 solutions that can address real company challenges in ingredients, greenhouse optimisation, pet-food drying, circular ecosystems, soil resilience, water treatment, or microalgae ingredients.
The programme connects solution providers with European agrifood SMEs and corporates to co-develop feasibility studies and pilot-ready solutions, giving startups direct customer validation, market credibility, and access to a pan-European agrifood network.
Applications close 30 Sep 2026. Applicants should review the listed company challenges, select the most relevant problem, and show a strong fit with agrifood needs, TRL 4-7 readiness, and ability to co-develop a pilot-ready or feasibility-study solution between Oct and Dec 2026.
Portuguese-registered deep-tech startups and scaleups with differentiated technology or protected IP, market validation, and a clear intent to enter the U.S. market.
UT Austin Portugal’s Startup2ScaleUp gives four selected companies 12 months of execution-focused U.S. market-entry support, including a dedicated U.S.-based Business Development Manager, lead generation for customers, partners, and investors, weekly touchpoints, monthly pipeline reporting, and access to the Texas/U.S. innovation ecosystem. The programme charges no participation fees and takes no equity.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and close once four companies are selected. Applicants should be Portuguese-registered deep-tech companies beyond pure R&D, ready for commercialization, and able to commit founder time, speed, accountability, and active collaboration with UT Austin Portugal and the Global Innovation Lab.
European SMEs, startups, and research organisations building defence or dual-use technologies, especially teams with AI, cyber, quantum, energy, surveillance, digital, hardware, advanced materials, or other deep tech that can be adapted to defence applications.
The EDF 2026 work programme allocates about €1B to collaborative defence R&D, including dedicated EUDIS non-thematic SME calls. SME-led research actions can fund projects up to €4M and SME development actions up to €6M, with business coaching support to help move R&D results toward defence products and market entry.
Applications close 29 Sep 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. EDF projects generally require cross-border consortia from EU Member States or Norway; the SME research call requires an SME coordinator, at least TRL 4, disruptive defence impact, and limits research organisations to 40% of the requested grant budget.
Women-founded or women-co-founded early-stage deep tech startups in EU Member States or eligible Horizon Europe Pillar III Associated Countries, especially teams preparing to move from validated technology toward market readiness.
€75,000 equity-free grant funding plus personalised business development support, mentoring, training, expert guidance, matchmaking, networking, and help bridging toward other EIC funding and support schemes.
At least one woman founder or co-founder must hold a top management role such as CEO or CTO, and women founders must collectively hold at least 25% of company shares at submission. The company must be a commercial SME registered for at least six months and no more than five years, be before high-fidelity MVP stage (TRL4-TRL6), have raised less than €1M in equity, and must not have already benefitted from Women TechEU or EIC Accelerator. The eligibility strand has weekly Tuesday cut-offs at 17:00 Brussels time until 14 Jun 2027; the next near-term cut-off is 8 Sep 2026. Eligible applicants are then invited to a full proposal, with the next submission deadline on 16 Sep 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time.
Portuguese startups, SMEs, and eligible national entities needing advanced compute resources.; best for AI, simulation, scientific-computing, and compute-heavy startups.
CPU / GPU hours and storage on advanced computing infrastructure.
Eligible Portuguese entities with pre-commercial innovation projects.
Startups and SMEs supported by EIC, EIT, KICs, MSCA or related European innovation programmes that can host a 3-6 month innovation internship; also relevant for researchers, graduates and EIT talents looking for startup exposure.
Access to specialised research and innovation talent without financial burden for hosting companies, AI-assisted matchmaking with company needs, and practical knowledge-transfer between research and startup execution.
Hosting company eligibility is programme-specific: EIC Accelerator, Seal of Excellence, EIC Transition, EIT/KIC-supported startups and SMEs, MSCA companies, or startups/scaleups connected to EIT alumni/KIC activities. The official programme says applications are open and InnoNext has been extended until 31 Jul 2027, with new innovation internships activated until May 2027. Talents must also fit the listed EIC/EIT/MSCA/ERC/Horizon/EIT eligibility categories.
Founder guidance
We treat an opportunity as deep tech when it targets research-backed, technically defensible, hardware, health, industrial, climate, AI, or breakthrough innovation teams rather than generic startup growth support.
No. EIC Accelerator is a strong search anchor, but this page also includes EIC-adjacent and deep tech programmes that can help founders prepare for larger European funding routes.
Check technology readiness level, legal entity requirements, previous funding limits, IP ownership, time commitment, and whether the programme expects market-ready innovation or earlier research-to-market work.
