From Burden to Boost: Real Support for European Innovators
On April 2–3, 2025, Brussels hosted the European Innovation Council (EIC) Summit, bringing together researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers to explore how deep tech innovation can address global challenges and drive economic growth.
EIC Board Vice Chair Anita Krohn closed the first day of the Summit by quoting former U.S. President Ronald Reagan: “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’” Krohn used the quote to highlight the paradox many innovators encounter—when bureaucracy stifles the very innovation public funding aims to support. The EIC, she emphasized, was created to flip that narrative—to be the kind of help that innovators actually want.
The EIC’s efforts are yielding tangible results. According to the newly published EIC Impact Report 2025, over €6 billion has been allocated to support 706 startups and SMEs, 183 Transition projects, and more than 400 early-stage Pathfinder projects since EIC establishment in 2021. The EIC Fund has catalyzed over €2.6 billion in additional investment, and portfolio companies have seen average employment growth of 52.5% and revenue growth of 56.6%. Notably, 30% of the companies supported by the EIC Accelerator in 2024 were women-led, marking meaningful progress toward greater inclusivity in tech leadership.
Rethinking Empowerment—A Human-Centered Approach to Diversity and Inclusion
Beyond funding and innovation, the EIC Summit 2025 placed a renewed focus on equity, inclusion, and the human side of leadership. One of the most compelling sessions was a workshop that challenged traditional narratives around women’s empowerment in business.
Helene Banner, founder of Let’s Just Be Imperfect, Ladies, initiated the discussion with a provocative insight: “The current road to diversity and inclusivity has kind of two floors,” she said. “First, the burden of change is put entirely on women—go to empowerment training, become stronger, and then you’re allowed to be there. Second, men are left out of the conversation, as if they just need to give up power and make space. That’s not attractive, nor sustainable.”
Banner emphasized that women don’t need fixing—they need recognition. “We teach women to change to become valued. What if we taught them to shine with the strengths they already have? Women are already strong,” she said.
She pointed out that traditional work cultures reward masculine traits, leaving little room for different expressions of leadership. “Female strengths—like empathy, collaboration, intuition—are not seen as powerful. We need to change the informal rules of power. Women should not feel they have to fit in; the system should evolve to include them.”
Veronica Orvalho, CEO of deep tech startup Didimo, brought the discussion down to a personal level. “When I first attended a women CEO event, I felt courage, support—a safety net. For the first time, I didn’t feel alone,” she shared. She recalled sending her male CTO to a meeting because she doubted she was good enough. “That’s what years of internalized bias does,” Orvalho noted. “But safe spaces helped me see that I belonged.”
Both leaders praised the EIC Leadership Programme for its role in providing mentorship, which they described as a two-way street. “Mentor and mentee both learn,” Orvalho said. “That’s the power of a strong network.”
Banner concluded with a challenge to all participants: “We keep talking about breaking the glass ceiling because we haven’t changed the room. We’re now seeing actions explicitly implemented against diversity and inclusion. It’s time to redefine success, leadership, and who gets to shape the future.”
Inclusive Innovation: The EC’s Commitment to Women Entrepreneurs
During the EIC Summit, representatives of the European Commission openly acknowledged the persistent gender imbalance in the European startup landscape. “Only 15% of all startups in Europe are founded or co-founded by women. That means 85% are still founded and managed exclusively by men,” one official noted. This disparity is also reflected in the EIC Accelerator programme, where the underrepresentation of women-led ventures remains a challenge.
The Commission’s response is clear: targeted support for women-led startups is not only a question of fairness—given that women make up half the population—but also a matter of economic sense. “We see that women-led startups often outperform their male-led counterparts in terms of revenue, valuation, and successful exits,” they said. Failing to invest in these ventures, therefore, represents a missed opportunity for Europe’s economic growth and competitiveness.
Beyond metrics, the rationale is also about innovation quality. Diverse teams bring varied perspectives, experiences, and problem-solving approaches. “When you have a founding team of four or five men, all shaped by similar experiences, the ideas tend to converge. Diversity fuels originality—and that’s where real innovation happens.”
Showcasing EU Support—”EU Initiatives for Women” Exhibition
A key highlight of the EIC Summit 2025 was the dedicated exhibition space “EU Initiatives for Women”, which spotlighted several forward-looking programmes designed to empower women in innovation and deep tech. Among the initiatives showcased were WomenTechEU, HERfund, Empowomen, WomenINvestEU, EPIC-X and WE-RISE—each targeting the persistent gender gap in science, technology, and entrepreneurship by offering both financial and non-financial support.
These initiatives are not just about funding—they are ecosystems of support. From tailored business coaching and mentorship to matchmaking events and facilitated access to public and private investors, the EU is clearly investing in building resilient networks for women entrepreneurs.
Among the initiatives showcased was WE-RISE, a newly launched EU project aimed at supporting women-led startups in GreenTech, AgriTech, and ClimateTech across Europe. Recognizing the significant barriers female entrepreneurs face, such as limited funding opportunities and lack of access to resources, WE-RISE aims to create a more inclusive and diverse innovation ecosystem.
The initiative offers a dual-stage support programme for 40 women-led startups, providing tailored mentorship, cross-border collaboration opportunities, and access to €1.2 million in non-equity funding. The current open call for applications runs from March 12th to May 14th, 2025. Interested entrepreneurs can submit their applications via the EuroQuity platform (https://www.euroquity.com) and the next Info Day is on April 8, 2025.
By showcasing initiatives like WE-RISE, the EIC Summit underscored the EU’s commitment to fostering gender diversity and inclusion within the innovation landscape. Women across Europe are encouraged to apply for the upcoming 2025 edition of the European Prize for Women Innovators, set to launch in June 2025.
