What is ETCI ?

The new ETCI initiative has been launched on 13 February 2023 with EIB Group resources alongside contributions from Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium and hopefully soon, also other EU Member States. It builds on the EIF’s extensive work in the venture capital markets in Europe, which has been made possible using EIB resources.

This is the first of its kind growth stage fund-of-funds in Europe. As the cornerstone of the Pan-European Scale Up Initiative, which was unveiled in February 2022 in Paris during a summit organised under the French Presidency of the Council of the EU, we are confident in the impact it can achieve in development of the European ecosystem.

Alongside supporting tech innovation at company level, ETCI helps develop an asset class that is attractive to (institutional) investors, helping to maintain a continuous flow of funding to European scale-ups. As such, the European Tech Champions Initiative seeks to create a positive self-fulfilling dynamic for Europe.

Hear the insights on how ETCI works from the EIF’s Uli Grabenwarter, Head of VC Investments (EIF):

Information for SMEs and companies interested in ETCI funding

The EIF is currently in the process of evaluating proposals and making the first investment decisions into beneficiary funds under ETCI. We will publish a list of confirmed fund partners on this webpage in the coming weeks. These partners will in turn provide investee companies with funding backed by the ETCI initiative. 

Meanwhile, growth- and later stage companies may also check the list of active fund managers supported by the EIF in your country. Whilst ETCI is expected to invest predominantly in bigger ticket sizes, other EIF funding partners may have equally relevant financing opportunities for beneficiary companies also at smaller scale.