What the Commission is doing
The Commission has put startups, research and innovation among the key priorities of its mandate to close the innovation divide between the EU and its global competitors and boost competitiveness, bearing in mind the Letta Report on the future of the Single Market and the Draghi Report on European competitiveness.
The EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy proposes a comprehensive set of actions to make the EU the best place in the world to launch and grow technology-driven innovative companies.
It supports startups throughout their lifecycle - from launch to growth to maturity - helping innovators, founders and investors to Choose Europe.
With its “whole-of-government” drive, the Strategy will eliminate barriers and align incentives through 26 concrete actions across 5 key areas:
- innovation-friendly environment – Simplify regulations, reduce barriers.
- better financing – Improve access to funding
- fast market uptake & expansion – Help startups scale across the EU and globally
- top talent attraction – Ease visa processes, support entrepreneurial talent
- Infrastructure & networks – Provide access to infrastructure, tech hubs and services.
5 Strategy actions have already been delivered, while 21 are launched and ongoing.
The Startup and Scaleup Strategy is closely linked to other flagship actions of the Competitiveness Compass, such as the "Savings and Investments Union", the "Single Market Strategy" or the "Union of Skills".
EU Inc. and definitions of innovative enterprise, innovative startups and innovative scaleups
In March 2026, the Commission adopted two of the actions included in the Strategy: the EU Inc. (“28th regime”) and the Recommendation on the definitions of innovative enterprises, innovative startups and innovative scaleups.
Companies, including innovative startups and innovative scaleups, will benefit from a single set of company law rules across the EU and from common EU definitions helping them to get targeted regulatory or financial support.
Clear, practical EU-wide definitions. Because real game-changers deserve real targeted support.
Scaleup Europe Fund
The Scaleup Europe Fund - Europe’s boldest-ever €5 billion initiative designed to empower the most innovative deep tech scaleups – will be launched at the European Innovation Council (EIC) Summit 2026.
After a rigorous selection, the EIC Fund Board has chosen EQT, a global leader in growth equity, as the preferred investment adviser and fund manager. Their expertise in growth equity for high-potential technology companies will drive investments in AI, quantum, cleantech, biotech, and space, ensuring Europe’s most promising scaleups grow here, not elsewhere.
The Commission is now finalising legal agreements and investor commitments, with first close and initial investments expected by autumn 2026.
The Scaleup Europe Fund was developed in collaboration with a coalition of potential founding investors, who—alongside the European Commission—were also involved in shaping its structure and investment framework: Novo Holdings, EIFO (Export and Investment Fund of Denmark), CriteriaCaixa, Santander/Mouro Capital, Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo / Intesa Sanpaolo / Fondazione Cariplo, Dutch pension fund ABP (with APG as Asset Manager), and Allianz.
European Startup and Scaleup Scoreboard
The European Startup and Scaleup Scoreboard, a key deliverable under the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy, monitors progress in the development of startups and scaleups ecosystems across EU Member States. This new strategic tool maps the development, strength and competitive edge of European startup and scaleup ecosystems and empowers policy makers to drive targeted, evidence-based action to support them.
Powered by data from the Joint Research Centre, the Scoreboard comprises 36 indicators across six dimensions, aligned with the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy:
- innovation-friendly regulation
- better financing options
- faster market expansion
- support for top European talent
- access to infrastructure, networks, and services
- impact
Countries are ranked in four categories based on performance:
- front-runners (>125% of EU average)
- high-performing (100–125%)
- catching-up (70–100%)
- rising (<70%)
Documents
The objective of this study is to gain firsthand information directly from founders and executives, to better understand what drove their decision to relocate and to identify potential ways to improve the conditions for startups and scaleups within the European Union.
Questions and answers on the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy
Latest
Research and innovation news alert: Young voices took centre stage today in Sofia, where they joined European Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva to map out a more competitive and innovation-driven future for the EU startup ecosystem.
The scoreboard reveals a clear trend: pro-startup policies drive real results. Since 2020, the baseline year for the Scoreboard, 20 out of 27 EU Member States have improved their performance, proving that targeted support for founders fuels innovation, job creation, and economic growth.
Events
At the initiative of the Commission, various events, meetings and fora are being organised to gather the views of stakeholders.
European Startup and Scaleup Forum
The European Startup and Scaleup Forum supports the implementation of the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy by engaging founders, investors and other innovation stakeholders on an ongoing basis across the Strategy’s actions.
This exercise brings in the process the experience and voices of innovation stakeholders, that together with other forms of consultation have contributed to developing and implementing the Strategy.
Three meetings have taken place in February 2025, April 2025 and January 2026. Additional meetings will take place over the course of the year.
