In 2025, the EIC (European Innovation Council) launched 2 funding calls under the EIC Accelerator: one in March and the other one held in October. Here is a comprehensive summary of the results of the EIC Accelerator in 2025.
The 2025 EIC Accelerator landscape was defined by extreme selectivity and a shifting funnel dynamic. While the March call was noted for its limited number of winners, the October cut-off saw a significant surge in both total applications and successful funding outcomes:
Overall data in 2025
| Metric | March 2025 Call | October 2025 Cut-off |
| Total Applicants | Undisclosed | 923 |
| Companies Reaching Interview Stage | 150 | 121 |
| Total Winners Awarded Funding | 40 | 61 |
| Success Rate at Interview Stage | 26.6% | 50.4% |
| Overall Success Rate | Undisclosed | 6.6% |
The transition between the two periods reveals a significant evolution in the EIC selection funnel. The March call featured a wider gate at the interview stage (150 companies) but a historically low conversion rate, leading to its reputation as one of the most selective calls in the program’s history. Conversely, by the October cut-off, the funnel tightened significantly earlier in the process (with only 13% of total applicants reaching the jury) but those who did reach the interview stage were significantly better prepared, resulting in a success rate exceeding 50%.
Budget allocation
The European Innovation Council significantly expanded its financial deployment in the latter half of 2025, increasing the total capital committed to the European deep-tech ecosystem.
| Metric | March 2025 Call | October 2025 Cut-off |
| Total Funding Allocated | €299 million | €467 million |
| Average Funding per Company | €7.4 million | €7.65 million |
Most awarded countries
The geographic distribution of the winners confirms the continued dominance of established innovation hubs, though the rankings for third and fourth place showed notable volatility.
| Country | March Winners (Count / %) | October Winners (Count / %) |
| Germany | 7 (17.5%) | 10 (16.0%) |
| Spain | 5 (12.5%) | 10 (16.0%) |
| Sweden | 4 (10.0%) | 6 (9.8%) |
| Netherlands | 4 (10.0%) | 5 (8.2%) |
| France | 3 (7.5%) | 8 (13.0%) |
Germany and Spain maintained consistent leadership throughout 2025, collectively representing roughly one-third of all successful projects in both the March and October calls. The most significant shift occurred in France, which nearly tripled its winner count to take the third-place spot by the October cut-off. Meanwhile, the Netherlands saw a slight decline in its relative standing, despite maintaining a consistent volume of winners.
Most awarded areas
The technological focus of the EIC Accelerator transitioned from niche “Challenges” in the first half of the year toward broader technical categories in the second half.
In the March 2025 Call, the most awarded areas were Health (20.0%), Energy (15.0%) and AI/ICT (12.5%); while in the October 2025 Cut-off the most awarded areas were Engineering (24.0%), Environmental Technologies (24.0%), and Health (23.0%).
In the March call, the EIC emphasized specific challenge categories such as GenAI, Mobility, Space, and Advanced Materials. By the October cut-off, the distribution shifted toward broader industrial themes. Engineering and Environmental Technologies emerged as dominant forces, reflecting a strategic pivot toward decarbonization and industrial modernization, while Health remained a consistently strong pillar of the portfolio.
Company size
The EIC Accelerator continues to prioritize “pre-scale” companies that have moved beyond the seed phase but still require substantial de-risking capital.
| Employee Bracket | March 2025 Winners | October 2025 Winners |
| 2–10 Employees | 30.0% | 31.0% |
| 11–50 Employees | 62.5% | 57.0% |
| 51–200 Employees | 7.5% | 11.0% |
The “sweet spot” for successful applicants is the 11–50 employee bracket. In terms of chronological maturity, the EIC maintains a preference for younger companies; 36% of October winners were founded less than five years ago, while the March call saw its highest concentration of winners founded in 2022 (17.5%). However, both calls demonstrated the program’s flexibility by supporting older “outliers”, indicating that mature SMEs undertaking significant technological pivots remain eligible.
Background information
The EIC Accelerator is a flagship funding program under the European Union’s Horizon Europe framework. It is specifically designed to support high-potential startups and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) that are developing “deep-tech” or “game-changing” innovations with the potential to create or disrupt markets.
With a €10.1 billion budget (2021-2027), it supports researchers and startups from early-stage research to commercial expansion.
About the author of this post
Sara Gavidia
Communications Manager
Funding Expert
LinkedIn
sara.gavidia@strata.team
Hello! I’m Sara 👋🏻 I’m the Lead content editor at Strata. Would you like to become one of the next EIC winner? Then contact our Team of experts: they will offer personal support to review your case and help you prepare a great application!
