The European Innovation Council (EIC) is proud to announce that 14 of its EIC Partners were named among Europe’s Leading Startup Hubs in the Financial Times’ latest ranking. These organisations provide their services to EIC beneficiaries and Seal of Excellence holders through the EIC Service Catalogue and collaborate in the EIC’s effort to boost European Innovation.
Europe's Leading Startup Hubs 2024 lists the top 125 European centres offering incubation/and acceleration programmes for founders. Published by the Financial Times, the ranking was elaborated in cooperation with Statista R and Sifted.
Out of the listed organisations, 14 are currently providing their services to EIC beneficiaries and Seal of Excellence holders through the EIC Service Catalogue. This platform offers EIC innovators the chance to access a variety of support categories, including tailored incubation and acceleration programmes offered by the leading organisations featured in the ranking.
The services are provided under the EIC Ecosystem Partnerships and Co-Investment Support Programme, part of the EIC’s Business Acceleration Services (BAS). The EIC Partners also engage in further collaborations and discussions with the EIC, such as the recent side event at the EIC Summit.
Learn more about the EIC Partners highlighted by the Financial Times through the EIC Service Catalogue:
1. Startup Lisboa - Unicorn Factory Lisboa
Country: Portugal.
10th place in the European ranking.
2. InnovX
Country: Romania.
11th place in the European ranking.
3. SpinLab
Country: Germany.
12th place in the European ranking.
4. BGI - Building Global Innovators
Country: Portugal.
25th place in the European ranking.
5. IPN - Instituto Pedro Nunes
Country: Portugal.
44th place in the European ranking.
6. IncubAlliance
Location: France.
46th place in the European ranking.
7. Techcelerator
Location: Romania.
51st place in the European ranking.
8. EIT Food
Country: Belgium.
89th place in the European ranking.
9. EIT Urban Mobility
Country: Belgium.
98th place in the European ranking.
10. Starburst
Country: France.
99th place in the European ranking.
11. EIT Health
Country: Germany.
112nd place in the European ranking.
12. Plug and Play
Country: Spain.
117th place in the European ranking.
13. EIT Digital
Country: Belgium.
118th place in the European ranking.
14. Beta-i
Country: Portugal.
124th place in the European ranking.
How were the organisations ranked by the Financial Times?
Organisations with at least one physical location in Europe, offering incubation or acceleration programmes since at least 2019, were invited to apply and provide information on their alumni. These contacts were then invited to answer a survey about the programmes that they took part in and their experience with the organisation.
The hubs were ranked according to several criteria, the main one being the assessment of the alumni on the several dimensions of the programmes. The ranking also considered testimonies from experts (such as investors, entrepreneurs and academics) and the success of the startups supported by each hub.
Learn about the full evaluation criteria here.
More on the EIC Service Catalogue
The EIC Service Catalogue gathers a vast number of acceleration and support service offers open to EIC Beneficiaries and Seal of Excellence holders, provided by the group of innovation ecosystem organisations known as EIC Partners.
Aside from incubation and acceleration, the platform allows EIC innovators to apply for more niche services, including Intellectual Property (IP) support, access to Infrastructure, matchmaking and prototyping, amongst others. If you are having trouble accessing highly technical or specific resources/services to scale up your solution, the EIC Service Catalogue may be the tool you need.
Log in to the EIC Community to discover more (registed users only).
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About the EIC Ecosystem Partnerships and Co-investment Support Programme
The EIC Partners are selected under the EIC Ecosystem Partnerships and Co-Investment Support Programme, which is expanding the EIC Business Acceleration Services (BAS) by taking on two of the greatest challenges for EIC innovators: accessing specialized sector-focused services and attracting private investors.
Through a series of partnerships with key actors, the EIC is helping its beneficiaries access specialized, sector-focused resources, facilities, and expertise to address their individual needs. The programme is also promoting co-investment along the EIC Fund, namely by supporting and facilitating interactions between beneficiaries and investors.
For additional information, please contact our helpdesk: eicpartnerships-helpdesk@eic-bas.eu.
DISCLAIMER: This information is provided in the interest of knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission, or any other organisation.