TechEU

TechEU is the European Investment Bank Group’s platform dedicated to accelerating innovation across Europe. By linking innovators to the right mix of funding and expertise, TechEU empowers growth and helps bring game-changing technologies to market.

Faster, simpler, better: to support the European capital markets union and make it easier for businesses to access EIB Group financing.

TechEU and the EIF

TechEU will help unlock finance for a whole range of European companies, from start-ups, growth companies and scale-ups to mature corporations.

At the EIF, we are leveraging our long-standing expertise and financial instruments to contribute to the successful implementation of TechEU. We are the EIB Group’s financing arm for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and mid-caps.

Financing solutions deployed by the EIF as part of TechEU are:

• Venture capital funding: We support VC investments (indirect equity) via the EIF’s network of VC fund partners backing companies across the entire innovation life cycle from tech transfer to startups, and to later stages of growth and scale-ups.

• Bank loans for SMEs: We offer SME loans for innovation and digitalisation through the EIF’s and the EIB’s networks of financial intermediaries, which include banks and alternative finance providers.

• Infrastructure investments: We provide support through EIB financing for digital infrastructure projects as well as through EIF-backed infrastructure funds (indirect equity), that back projects such as data centres and innovative online platforms.

Find out more about the TechEU initiative including details on what we offer, who is eligible, what is eligible, and featured projects across TechEU target sectors.

EIF financial intermediaries

Since 1994, the EIF has supported better access to finance and the growth of private capital markets in Europe to serve SMEs. We don’t lend or invest directly—instead, we offer risk-sharing products to banks and funds, helping them boost SME financing.

Here you will find our lists of equity funding partners and bank loans (debt financing) intermediaries across all EU countries:

• Equity funding partners

• Bank loans – debt financing intermediaries

Note that the Investment Readiness Checker does not apply to EIF's venture capital intermediated financing, digital infrastructure investment, and SME loans.

Did you know?

The European Tech Champions Initiative (ETCI) managed by the EIF – alongside other financial instruments such as InvestEU and the EIB’s RCR mandate deployed by the EIF – form an integral part of the broader TechEU toolkit. 

We are now pooling €70 billion of resources in debt financing and equity investments for innovation, expected to mobilise €250 billion by 2027.

TechEU is therefore aiming to become EIB Group’s overarching response to the European tech and innovation funding gap, and your one-stop shop for financial support and expert guidance.

Find out more

Press release: EIB Group increases 2025 financing ceiling to record €100 billion to step up investments in security and defence, energy grids and Europe’s tech leadership

Also available at https://www.eib.org/techeu