Being an EIC coach: an enriching experience for the European innovation ecosystem

An essential part of the European Innovation Council (EIC) Coaching Programme is carried out by selected experts who are there to save you time and money by helping you avoid rookie mistakes. Coaches steer entrepreneurs towards new options and new perspectives, like foreign markets or new product development. This way, innovators can access the coach’s industrial and market network and improve their leadership skills. 

An EIC coach is selected following a Call for expression of interest and aims to challenge the coachees’ assumptions and guide them through their innovation journey. The EIC chooses experts who can help clarify what the EIC beneficiaries want to achieve, the necessary steps to get there, the biggest challenges in their entrepreneurial path and how to navigate them.  

Below you will find some of our coaches’ stories and experiences.  

Our expert advisors  

Angela Stathi serves as a deep tech expert advisor and coach to the EIC. Her advisory work involves critically assessing companies’ business models, value propositions, strategies, team compositions, and international expansion plans.  

Reflecting on her experience, Angela shares:  

I thoroughly enjoy being part of the EIC family, helping innovators ethically deploy emerging technologies to drive growth and innovation in Europe and beyond. The essential ingredients for successful business coaching include being open to constructive challenges, fostering clear and open communication, providing actionable insights and constructive feedback, setting clear objectives, actively listening, accepting challenges, and being receptive to new insights. These elements collectively ensure that coaching sessions are productive and impactful, fostering growth and development for companies.

A similar experience has been shared by Kaija Pöysti, M.Sc. (tech), entrepreneur, angel investor and business coach. Kaija is a coach who focuses on entrepreneurship, building startup teams, developing business models and go-to-market strategies, and especially defining KPIs.  

I have continued to stay in touch with several of these companies, working on their strategy, introducing them to potential customers and helping them with fundraising. I think that the way the EIC coaching programme lets SMEs discuss with several coaches before choosing one is essential for finding the right match. (...) This has led to interesting food for thought for both the SME and me as a coach. Coaching is always a two-way street where both the SME and the coach learn. I can warmly recommend coaching to all eligible SMEs. Being an entrepreneur is sometimes a very lonely job, with a lot of decision-making. Having a coach as a confidential sounding board can make all the difference.

Martin Theyer, managing partner at PKF, reported similar thoughts and feelings:  

Being a coach has been an incredibly fulfilling journey. The interactions I have with deep tech startups and entrepreneurs are both inspiring and enlightening. Working with such innovative minds, I am constantly amazed by the creativity and determination these entrepreneurs bring to the table. Each session is a two-way street where I not only impart knowledge and guidance but also learn and grow from the fresh and dynamic insights provided by the coachees. This role allows me to witness firsthand the development and progression of groundbreaking technologies and innovative business models in Europe. It is truly a privilege to contribute to their growth and success. The collaborative environment fostered by the EIC Coaching Programme enhances this experience, making it deeply rewarding.

Volker Hirsch, technology entrepreneur and investor, also commented on the positive impact that being an EIC coach had on EIC beneficiaries coming from fields as diverse as robotics, immersive story-telling, education, animal-free dairy production, AI, medical imaging, gaming and many more, hailing from Berlin, Helsinki, London, Bari, Paris, Madrid, Vienna, Warsaw and beyond.  

I approach each assignment with a very open mind, asking the companies in the programme what they wish to achieve rather than applying a rigid one-size-fits-all approach. This allows the founders to open up on their specific challenges and helps fashion a very personalised coaching experience for them. It makes me rather happy that the startups I have coached under EIC programmes went on to raise over €100M in funding to date, both from the private sector and from subsequent successful grants.

How to become a coach

If you are an experienced business development professional with an entrepreneurial and/or investment background, consider joining our pool of coaches. Follow the link to the Call for expression of interest and provide your specific industry and market experience, an executive summary with keywords and a CV in PDF format, all in English. Registration as an expert on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal is also required.  

Your inclusion as an EIC business coach is determined by:  

• The demand for your specific expertise among the current coach profiles.  

• Regular rotation to refresh and diversify the coaching pool.  

• Evaluation of your qualifications and experience against established criteria.  

• The impact and effectiveness of your coaching, as rated by those you have coached.  

Get in touch  

Reading the coaches’ experiences, would you like to join the EIC Coaching Programme and get a new coach? Visit the official webpage and discover how to get access reading the dedicated article. For any questions, please contact us through the EIC Community’s contact page with the subject line 'EIC Coaching Programme.'

The EIC Coaching Programme is the cornerstone of our mission to support European innovators. By providing tailored, expert coaching, we aim to empower participants to achieve their full potential and drive Europe's innovation landscape forward.   

Don't miss out on this opportunity to elevate your project with guidance from the best in the field.

Read more about the EIC Coaching Programme here.