The road to FP10: Where next for Europe’s startup and scaleup strategy?

Despite the launch of the Startup and Scaleup Initiative in 2016, the EU’s regulatory and financial ecosystem has over the past decade fallen short in enabling innovative companies to grow at scale. Addressing this gap is now a top priority for the current Commission putting forward the new EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy, published in May 2025.

A new set of legislative, policy, and financial instruments, both at the EU and member-state levels, aims to foster the emergence and growth of high-impact ventures. As part of Horizon Europe’s successor programme, FP10, the EIC is expected to be significantly reformed, expanding the mandate, the budget, and pushing for more challenge-driven approach. Complementary proposals such as the European Innovation Act and the so-called “28th Regime” seek to streamline regulations and lower the costs associated with entrepreneurial failure. Additionally, the European Investment Bank (EIB) will play a central role with its forthcoming TechEU initiative, a €70 billion “one-stop shop” for innovation financing which will build on the pivotal work of the European Investment Fund in supporting startups and scaleups, through its flagship programmes such as InvestEU and the European Tech Champions Initiative (ETCI).

 On July 9, Science|Business will convene a high-level, closed-door dialogue between members of its international Network and key figures from the worlds of policy, finance and entrepreneurship to debate the way forward. Among the topics for discussion: How will the upcoming strategy be translated into implementation and concrete initiatives? How should innovation be financed, and what type of financing instruments will be offered?  How to ensure long-term public-private investments and a thriving, risk-tolerant venture capital ecosystem? And are research performing organisations recognised sufficiently in the strategy as startup generators and key players in the European innovation landscape?