From 9 to 13 June, the 2025 edition of the European Innovation Council (EIC) Immersive Programme, in partnership with MIT LinQ, brought 13 of Europe’s most promising health and life sciences innovators to Boston (US), a city synonymous with biotech innovation, world-class research, and translational science. Over the course of the week, the EIC-backed innovators benefitted from an intense agenda packed with meetings, mentorships, and ecosystem immersion, catalysing transatlantic partnerships and unlocking new frontiers for European start-ups ready to scale globally.
Accelerating European innovation in the heart of Boston
The EIC Immersive Programme, part of the EIC Business Acceleration Services, is designed to empower EIC-backed companies and accelerate their international growth. By immersing start-ups in Boston’s biotech and life sciences ecosystem, the programme offers a gateway to one of the most active markets for biotechnology innovation and investment worldwide. The week was a strategic blend of hands-on workshops, high-level institutional visits, investor matchmaking, and pitching opportunities.
Deep dive into Boston: an intensive week of activities
During the five days in Boston, participants engaged in a dynamic schedule that included visits to iconic institutions in the MIT’s ecosystem and beyond. These tours offered exposure to cutting-edge research, clinical innovation, and start-up incubation environments.
- Institutional visits: On top of the MIT Ecosystem tour, the cohort toured LabCentral, DEKA Center engineering labs and Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC).
- Workshops: Sessions addressed key topics such as hospital procurement practices (with VA Boston Healthcare System), refining value proposition (MIT Catalyst), and personalised advisory meetings with MIT linQ experts with tailored guidance to sharpen business strategies.
- Investor and partner matchmaking: Start-ups engaged in targeted one-on-one meetings with U.S. investors, corporate partners, and healthcare stakeholders.
Pitching opportunities: Companies had multiple opportunities to pitch throughout the week. Two companies from our cohort, O11 Biomedical and Neogap Therapeutics, competed for an USD 80,000 prize at Mansfield Bioincubator pitch and investor meetup.
European Innovation Spotlight at MIT iHQ
Held at MIT Innovation Headquarters (iHQ), the European Innovation Spotlight was an exclusive event co-hosted by the EIC and MIT linQ Catalyst that gathered over 100 European innovators, investors, corporates, and industry representatives.
During the event, all 13 EIC innovators pitched for 3 minutes in front of various stakeholders, from investors to researchers to biotech and medtech stakeholders. One of the companies, NeoGap, was awarded second place in their pitching competition, and won USD 20,000 and lab space for a year.
The event featured a panel discussion on innovation and collaboration in the Boston ecosystem, moderated by EIC Innovation Procurement Programme Coordinator Vassilis Tsanidis with the participation of François Brizard, EIC Representative to the United States; Katie Ellias, Board Member of the French-American Chamber of Commerce New England and SAB Biotherapeutics; Vinit Nijhawan, Managing Director at MassVentures; Imran Nasrullah, Chief Business Officer at Grove Biopharma; and Sebastien Torre, Co-Founder and CEO at ENRICHers.
European Innovation Spotlight
European Innovation Council Pitch Day
The week concluded with a high-energy pitch event hosted by the European Innovation Council at the CIC Venture Café in Cambridge.
The companies were strategically divided into two key sectors—medtech and biotech—allowing for focused presentations and targeted feedback. Each company was given five minutes to pitch their solution, followed by an engaging Q&A session led by a panel of investors.
This pitch event was more than just a showcase: it was the culmination of an intensive week of learning, mentoring, and preparation. For the entrepreneurs, it was an opportunity to connect directly with potential investors and receive real-time feedback on their business models and value propositions.
Beyond the pitches, the event fostered an atmosphere of collaboration and exchange. Attendees had the chance to network, explore potential synergies, and lay the groundwork for future partnerships.
European Innovation Council Pitch Day
About the EIC International Trade Fairs Programme 3.0
The EIC International Trade Fairs Programme 3.0 supports the internationalisation of European SMEs, scaleups and start-ups, building on the success of its predecessor, the EIC Overseas Trade Fairs Programme (OTF) 2.0. If you’re interested in knowing more about the programme and our open calls, please visit our page in the EIC Community.
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The EIC International Trade Fairs Programme 3.0 is an initiative of the EIC Business Acceleration Services.
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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.