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Six European technology companies have been selected to receive investment through the European Innovation Council (EIC) STEP Scale Up programme
The companies have been put forward for equity investments of between €10 million and €30 million each, subject to successful due diligence and final approval by the EIC Fund.
Together, they could receive up to €97 million in funding to help bring cutting-edge technologies to market and attract further private investment.
Supporting Europe’s strategic technologies
French company Cailabs is developing advanced ground systems to support laser communications, while Germany’s Cylib is focused on recovering critical raw materials from end-of-life batteries through recycling.
Dutch business Paebbl is creating technologies that transform captured carbon dioxide into sustainable construction materials, supporting efforts to reduce emissions within the building sector.
France’s SiPearl is designing high-performance processors for sovereign European data centres and accelerated computing applications. Estonia-based Skeleton Technologies Group is creating rack-to-grid power systems designed to meet the growing energy demands of next-generation artificial intelligence infrastructure. Also from France, Vsora is developing ultra-high-performance AI inference technology for both data centres and edge computing.
Competition for funding
The interest in the STEP Scale Up programme continues to grow. A total of 24 companies submitted proposals in this funding round, with 17 progressing to interviews before a panel of independent high-level experts. Following the evaluation process, six companies met all eligibility and assessment criteria and have now been recommended for investment.
A further six businesses were also judged to be of excellent quality but were not selected because of budget constraints. These companies will receive the STEP Seal, recognising the strength of their proposals and helping improve access to alternative funding opportunities and the EIC’s Business Acceleration Services.
Europe’s scale-up funding gap
The EIC STEP Scale Up scheme is designed to support one of Europe’s biggest investment challenges by supporting companies that have already proven their technology but require substantial funding to expand commercially.
Individual investments range from €10 million to €30 million and are intended to attract additional private co-investment, enabling funding rounds worth between €50 million and €150 million or more. This level of finance is often difficult for European deep-tech companies to secure, despite being essential for international growth.
For 2026, the programme has a total budget of €300 million. It focuses on businesses developing strategic technologies in digital innovation, clean and resource-efficient industries, net-zero technologies and biotechnology, helping to reduce Europe’s dependence on external suppliers while strengthening its industrial base.
Applications
The STEP Scale Up call remains open throughout the year through the European Commission’s Funding and Tenders Portal, with applications assessed every quarter. The remaining proposal deadlines for 2026 are 9 September and 25 November.