Insights

The Eurostars funding instrument is making a comeback with a wider scope, thus offering growth opportunities to a wider group of applying companies and organisations. This time around, not only R&D-performing SMEs, larger companies, research organisations and universities will be eligible to apply for Eurostars funding, but innovative SMEs are also welcome to send in their application as the company to lead an EU funded project with its partners. Get ready, as the first call of the new Eurostars programme will open soon and it is time to act now!  

Eurostars is a public funding instrument dedicated to innovative, research-driven small and mid-sized enterprises who want to join forces with other like-minded companies. Successful applicants are in for grants worth an average of 1-2 M€ each to boost their civilian projects aimed at developing new products, processes or services. The funding instrument stimulates international collaborative research and innovation projects that will be rapidly commercialised.   

The revamped European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator is the flagship funding instrument under Horizon Europe for start-ups and SMEs with radically new ideas for rolling out marketable innovation solutions and breakthrough projects. Winning companies with ambitions to grow and scale up can receive up to 15 M€ in equity investments and 2.5 M€ in grants. Here are our tips to get ready for your application process in the application portal!

SSH Communications Security (SSH) has been delivering cybersecurity solutions to the global markets for almost 25 years. When they decided to apply for the highly competitive EU funding for their R&D operations, their consulting company of choice was Spinverse.

Allergies and asthma affect at least a quarter of the population. While often harmless, an increasing number of people suffer from severe allergies, resulting in more than 300.000 avoidable deaths per year. The WHO therefore declared allergy a major health problem of the 21st century. Currently, medical practitioners must pre-select very few allergens for in-vitro testing, based on prior anamnesis, which often results in false or incomplete diagnosis. There is no cost-efficient technology to improve the quality of diagnosis to an optimal level for patient-tailored and evidence-based treatment. The fast-growing segment of molecular diagnostic tests requires a new generation of assays and laboratory automation.

EU Breakfast seminar: In just 1,5 hours, learn if your company could receive funding. At the same time you will learn how the SME instrument will change in the beginning of 2018 and how this will affect you. After the presentations, you have the possibility to discuss your potential for EU funding with experts and go through already existing project ideas.

SME Instrument has gained great first results, proving its worth in the European innovation ecosystem, stated European Commission's report "Accelerating Innovation in Europe". The SME Instrument is EU’s first research and innovation funding programme for high potential and high risk disruptive innovation in single SMEs. Part of Horizon 2020, the 80 B€ funding program is targeted for small and medium-sized businesses with high growth potential and global ambitions.

Spinverse is delighted to make known yet another customer success story: Finnish company IndoorAtlas secured Horizon2020 SME Instrument financing to scale-up and expand the disruptive geomagnetic indoor positioning technology delivered as a scalable cloud platform.

Shipping companies are actively looking for solutions to reduce fuel consumption and environmental emissions of vessels, particularly due to the recent fuel price instability as well as the forthcoming environmental regulations. Spinverse customer Norsepower is ready to address this challenge utilising new technology, advanced materials and leading-edge control system.

5 small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) from Finland have been selected in the latest round of Horizon2020 SME Instrument Phase 2. Each project receives up to € 2.5 million to finance innovation activities. Three out of five Finland’s winning cases in this cut-off secured funding with the help of Spinverse.