With the announcement of the new Scale-up Europe Fund, the European Commission is taking another important step to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and to implement its EU strategy for start-ups and scale-ups. The aim is to close the financing gap for high-growth companies and position Europe as a leading hub for innovation – including in the field of the bioeconomy.
Billions in investments for Europe’s future technologies
Together with private investors from across Europe, the Commission has announced the establishment of the Scale-up Europe Fund. The fund will be equipped with several billion euros and will specifically promote investments in technology-intensive areas, including:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Quantum Technologies
- Semiconductors
- Robotics and Autonomous Systems
- Energy Technologies
- Space
- Biotechnology and Agri-Technologies
- Medical Technology
- New Materials
The fund complements existing EU initiatives such as the European Innovation Council (EIC), the European Technology Champions Initiative (ETCI), and measures under InvestEU. It is designed to close a key gap in Europe’s financial landscape: providing capital for large funding rounds of over 100 million euros – well beyond the current capacity of the EIC Fund.
Strengthening Europe’s scale-up ecosystem
With the new fund, the Commission aims to boost Europe’s competitiveness in the global innovation race. Despite the high number of start-ups in Europe, only a few succeed in becoming global leaders – mainly due to limited growth-stage financing. The Scale-up Europe Fund will operate as a market-based, privately managed and co-financed growth fund, supporting large-scale investment rounds under European leadership. A public call for tenders to select the fund management company will be published soon, with the first investments expected in spring 2026.
Bioeconomy as a key element of the European scale-up strategy
This new measure is closely linked to the EU’s Scale-up Strategy, which explicitly identifies the bioeconomy as a strategic growth area. Biotechnology, sustainable agricultural systems, and the development of new bio-based materials are central drivers for accelerating Europe’s transition towards a resource-efficient and resilient economy.
For the Austrian bioeconomy community, the Scale-up Europe Fund opens up new opportunities: it provides access to growth capital for innovative companies working at the intersection of biotechnology, agriculture, energy, and the circular economy – thereby strengthening the role of the bioeconomy as a driver of sustainable value creation in Europe.