How to Make European Tech Companies Thrive
An EU-wide database that pulls together all available information on financing for European tech companies; that is one of the recommendations of a new report prepared by the joint European Commission–European Investment Bank (EIB) InnovFin Advisory. It is also suggested to create a tool that helps investors to better understand the technical and economic viability of highly innovative technology ventures. Both tools can help to support European deep tech start-ups and smaller companies in obtaining financing when they need it most.
The new report, ‘Financing the Deep Tech Revolution: How investors assess risks in Key Enabling Technologies (KETs)’, is supported under the EU’s research and innovation programme Horizon 2020. It aims to ensure that European deep tech start-ups and smaller companies can access the financing they need to grow and compete in the world market, so that citizens can benefit from faster deployment of advanced technologies.
The European Union defines “Deep Tech” as key enabling technologies. They are instrumental in strengthening the pace of innovation and addressing global challenges, such as climate change and demographic changes. The EU definition comprises six technologies: micro- and nanoelectronics, nanotechnology, industrial biotechnology, advanced materials, photonics, and advanced manufacturing systems.
”Today we see a new generation of start-ups that not only develops services and business models, but which pushes the technological frontier,” said Ambroise Fayolle, EIB Vice President responsible for innovation, science and digital. “Key enabling technologies as identified by the EU are at the heart of the next industrial revolution. They will help us to face the social and environmental challenges of our time. We need to bring science closer to finance and finance closer to science, the EIB stands ready to help to bridge this divide.”
Currently, investors often find it difficult to engage in deep-tech projects, which are research-intensive, interdisciplinary, long-term oriented and disruptive. They require high upfront and patient, long-term financing, while not always having clear commercial applications from the start. Due to the increasing complexity of deep technologies, there is a sizeable ‘knowledge gap’ between innovators and investors.
On the other side of the divide, deep tech innovators still struggle to obtain the necessary financial backing, although many public initiatives to support new technologies and innovative companies are available. This is due to lack of information, complicated and lengthy application procedures or confusing eligibility criteria.
Find the full report here: http://www.eib.org/infocentre/publications/all/financing-the-deep-tech-revolution?media=rss&language=EN
