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.
➡️ Source: Commission launches ambitious Strategy to make Europe a startup and scaleup powerhouse