Event Recap — EIC Breakfast Zürich for Swiss Deep Tech Founders
61 deep tech founders joined us in Zürich to learn how Swiss startups can access the European Innovation Council again, what makes an application truly fundable, and how fundraising success is often closely linked to hiring the right team early.
Why this event mattered
With Swiss startups able to access the EIC Accelerator again from the 2025 programme year onward, the opportunity for Swiss deep tech companies has become materially more relevant. For many founders, however, the EIC still feels opaque from the outside: the programme is selective, the evaluation logic is nuanced, and having strong technology alone is rarely enough.
That is why we brought together 61 deep tech founders in Zürich for a focused breakfast session on how the EIC actually works, what the jury looks for, and how founders can better judge whether their company is ready for an application.
What founders learned
Together with Cynthia Jurytko, EIC jury member and advisor to innovative startups, we discussed what separates merely interesting companies from those that are truly fundable in the eyes of the European Innovation Council.
The session focused in particular on:
- how Swiss startups can access the EIC Accelerator again
- what role technology readiness levels (TRLs) play in evaluation
- how innovation quality and market potential are assessed
- typical weaknesses in otherwise promising applications
- how to position a startup credibly for grant and blended finance support
One of the most useful parts of the discussion was the distinction between being technically impressive and being truly ready for EIC funding. In practice, the jury is not only looking for breakthrough technology, but also for a strong path to commercialization, a credible team, and evidence that the company can execute at European and global scale.
Understanding the EIC: Accelerator vs. STEP Scale-up
One of the biggest misconceptions we see is that the EIC is simply another grant programme. In reality, it is one of Europe’s most important funding instruments for breakthrough innovation, built for companies that combine strong technology with the ambition to create category-defining businesses.
For founders, two instruments are especially relevant: the EIC Accelerator and, for a smaller number of later-stage companies, the STEP Scale-up opportunity.
EIC Accelerator
The EIC Accelerator is the core programme for startups and SMEs developing high-risk, high-impact deep tech. It is designed for companies that have moved beyond pure research and are now working toward product validation, commercialization, and scale.
- Up to €2.5M non-dilutive grant funding
- €0.5M to €10M in equity investment through the EIC Fund
- Focus on companies typically in the TRL 5 to TRL 9 range
- Evaluation based on innovation, impact, and execution quality
In simple terms, the Accelerator is meant for companies that can demonstrate more than scientific novelty. Founders need to show that their technology matters, that the timing is right, that the market opportunity is significant, and that the team is capable of turning technical progress into a scalable business.
STEP Scale-up
For the most promising companies beyond the earlier stage of market validation, the EU has also introduced the STEP Scale-up pathway. This is aimed at ventures that are already further along and need larger-scale capital to strengthen Europe’s position in strategic technologies.
- Built for companies entering a more advanced growth and scale-up phase
- Can enable larger follow-on investments than the standard Accelerator package
- Targets strategically important technologies where Europe wants stronger industrial leadership
For founders, the key point is that the EIC is increasingly becoming a funding continuum: from technology validation and early commercialization through to larger-scale strategic growth. That is rare in Europe, and particularly relevant for ambitious deep tech companies with long development cycles and substantial capital needs.
What this means for founders
The EIC is not optimized for “very early exploration,” nor is it designed for incremental software startups without a real technical edge. It is most relevant for founders who can clearly show:
- a defensible technological advantage
- a credible route from innovation to market adoption
- a team capable of executing under high scrutiny
- strong alignment between product maturity, timing, and capital needs
Timing matters. Applying too early can hurt just as much as applying too late. A strong application is often less about optimism and more about honest strategic readiness.
Why Rockstar Recruiting hosted it
At Rockstar Recruiting, we work closely with deep tech startups that are not only building ambitious products, but also trying to scale teams, attract investors, and turn technical progress into company-building momentum. We see firsthand that many of the strongest funding stories are tightly linked to the right hiring decisions at the right time.
Founders preparing for programmes like the EIC Accelerator often need to strengthen both their narrative and their team: senior technical leaders, AI specialists, domain experts, and commercial hires can all materially influence how credible and executable a company looks. That is one reason we hosted this event — to help founders better understand both the funding landscape and the talent implications behind it.
Key takeaway
One of the clearest takeaways from the breakfast was this: success in the EIC is rarely about having a polished deck or a fashionable technology theme. It is about demonstrating a rare combination of deep technical substance, market relevance, credible execution, and strategic readiness.
For Swiss deep tech founders, the reopening of this pathway creates a meaningful opportunity. But it will disproportionately benefit teams that understand how to match their company’s maturity, innovation profile, and hiring strategy to what the EIC is actually looking for.
Next steps for founders
Founders who are seriously considering an EIC Accelerator application can request direct feedback on their case and discuss whether their company appears EIC-ready today, where the most common gaps are, and how team-building may affect funding success.
Materials from the session:
About Rockstar Recruiting
Rockstar Recruiting supports ambitious startups and scale-ups with hiring across deep tech, AI, enterprise software, and executive search. We work with companies that need exceptional people to match exceptional ambition.
