On 9 and 10 April 2024, IESE Business School joined 48 of Europe’s most promising deep-tech scaleups in Brussels and Leuven for the European Innovation Council (EIC) Scaling Club ‘Ignition Forum’, marking the launch of EIC Scaling Club’s inaugural cohort. The initiative is designed to nurture the next generation of home-grown deep-tech unicorns across pivotal themes like digital security & trust, renewable energies, next-generation computing, and smart mobility. Among the distinguished cohort are Boud4Blue and Multiverse Computing, founded by IESE alumni Cristina Aleixendri (EMBA 22, 40under40 2022) and Enrique Lizaso (MBA-90), respectively.
As the academic partner of the Club, it was a privilege to engage in the Ignition Forum, delving into new opportunities alongside the scaleups poised to drive a digital and trustworthy future. IESE’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center’s team facilitated three Scaling Challenge Roadmap workshops on: 1) Strong Board Strategy, 2) Investment Thesis Strategy; and 3) Lead Investor Strategy.
Endorsed by the European Innovation Council, the EIC Scaling Club aims to propel these chosen innovators to global prominence, with tailored support in fundraising, leadership coaching, corporate partnerships, media exposure, and beyond.
Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, welcomed participants at the Ignition Forum. Commissioner Ivanova said: “Congratulations to the first members of the EIC Scaling Club! Your innovative spirit and dedication are an inspiration to all of us. With this initiative, we want to empower our most promising innovators, the ambitious scale-up companies that will drive Europe’s technological leadership.”
In the near future, the EIC Scaling Club will expand its efforts to build a high-level, international network of more than 120 deep-tech champions and surround them with the world’s leading investment firms, corporations, media representatives, vetted business mentors, and other technology industry stakeholders.
As a team, we were thrilled to spend quality time with the 48 selected deep tech scale-ups and all the mentors, investors, corporates, EIC Scaling Club Council members, and many more who joined the event in Brussels and Leuven. All hands on deck to boost Europe’s leading next generation of deep-tech innovators!