EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy

On 28 May 2025, the European Commission has launched the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy, to make Europe a great place to start and grow global technology-driven companies.

✅ The EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy aims to make Europe the best place in the world to launch and grow global technology-driven companies, including deep tech companies. This is crucial for strategic technologies, such as for example cleantech and energy (including nuclear technology).

☑️ The key needs of startups and scaleups:

📌 Fostering innovation-friendly environment:

Startups and scaleups need less fragmentation, fewer administrative burdens, as well as rules that are simpler and more supportive across the Single Market.
a European 28th regime will be proposed to simplify rules and reduce the cost of failure by addressing critical aspects in areas like insolvency, labour and tax law.
The European Business Wallet will enable seamless digital interactions with public administrations across the EU through a unified digital identity for all economic operators.
The forthcoming European Innovation Act will further support innovation by promoting regulatory sandboxes.

📌 Driving better financing:

The Savings and Investments Union initiative will be key to unlocking more financing and investment opportunities in the EU.
The Strategy aims to expand and simplify the European Innovation Council, deploy a Scaleup Europe Fund to help bridge the financing gap of deep tech scale-up companies, and develop a voluntary European Innovation Investment Pact to mobilise large institutional investors to invest in EU funds, venture capital funds and unlisted scaleups.

📌 Supporting market uptake and expansion:

The Strategy introduces a Lab to Unicorn initiative, which includes the European Startup and Scaleup Hubs.

📌 Attracting and retaining top talent:

The Strategy introduces the Blue Carpet initiative, notably focusing on entrepreneurial education, tax-related aspects of employee stock options and cross-border employment.
The Blue Card Directive will be promoted to put in place a fast-track schemes for non-EU founders.

📌 Facilitating access to infrastructure, networks and service:

The Strategy proposes to simplify and harmonise diverging access and contractual conditions for startups and scaleups to technology and research infrastructures through a Charter of Access for industrial users.