Commission partners with private investors to set up multi-billion Scaleup Europe Fund

Today, the Commission brought together top-tier private investors from across Europe to jointly express their intention to establish the Scaleup Europe Fund – a new, multi-billion fund to invest in the most promising European companies in strategic deep tech areas.

By joining forces with these potential founding investors, the Commission moves ahead on the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy aimed at building a dynamic and competitive startup and scaleup ecosystem across Europe.

The Scaleup Europe Fund responds to the urgent need for Europe to boost investments in scaleups and close the gap with global leaders. As highlighted in the Draghi report, the continent's ability to scale innovative companies is crucial to its competitiveness.

So far, despite a strong startup pipeline, limited access to late-stage growth capital and fragmented investment markets have hindered European innovators' ability to grow into global leaders.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: "Europe has the ideas and the talent to build the most innovative companies in the world. But as they scale up we need to ensure they have the means to grow, attract investment and thrive right here at home. High quality jobs and Europe's overall competitiveness depends on it. The Scaleup Europe Fund is an essential part of our work to make sure the best of Europe can choose Europe."

Leading European investors to boost Europe's tech leadership

At the high-level meeting hosted today by Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, a core group of potential investors and the European Investment Bank (EIB), came together with a common goal - to unlock the value of Europe's flourishing scaleup companies, while promoting European tech leadership.

Alongside the Commission and the EIB Group, the group of potential founding investors in the Fund include Novo Holdings, EIFO (Export and Investment Fund of Denmark), CriteriaCaixa, Santander/Mouro Capital, Fondazione Compagnia San Paolo/ Intesa Sanpaolo/Fondazione Cariplo, APG Asset Management, acting on behalf of Dutch pension fund ABP, Wallenberg Investments, and BGK (Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego).

These potential investors will work hand in hand with the Commission to establish and capitalise the fund. They also agreed today that the Scaleup Europe Fund will focus on growth capital and late-stage investments in a broad range of European strategic technology companies, including artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, semiconductor technologies, robotics and autonomous systems, energy technologies, space technologies, biotechnologies, medical technologies, advanced materials and agritech.

Next steps

The Scaleup Europe Fund will operate as a market-based, privately managed and privately co-financed growth fund investing in major European-led investment rounds.

The Commission, together with the other founding investors, will select and appoint a management company to implement the fund. A public call for the management company will be published soon, with the aim that the Scaleup Europe Fund can start first investments in Spring 2026.

Background

President Ursula von der Leyen, announced the Scaleup Europe Fund in her 2025 State of the Union Address as a flagship initiative aimed at making major investments in young, fast-growing companies in critical tech areas, so that “the best of Europe Choose Europe”.

For more information

Questions and answers

EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy - Research and innovation

European Innovation Act - Research and innovation - European Commission

Competitiveness compass - European Commission

Quote(s)

Europe has the ideas and the talent to build the most innovative companies in the world. But as they scale up we need to ensure they have the means to grow, attract investment and thrive right here at home. High quality jobs and Europe’s overall competitiveness depends on it. The Scaleup Europe Fund is an essential part of our work to make sure the best of Europe can choose Europe. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission

We are joining forces with leading private investors to build a multi-billion euro fund that will invest in the best European companies in strategic deep tech. We will ensure that companies can find the capital they need, right here in Europe, to drive European innovation and reinforce our continent's position as a global leader in the industries that will shape our future. Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation

Contacts

Thomas REGNIER
Spokesperson
Phone +32 2 29 91099
Mail thomas.regnier(at)ec.europa.eu

Nika BLAZEVIC
Press Officer
Phone +32 2 29 92717
Mail nika.blazevic(at)ec.europa.eu

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