Women TechEU
Women TechEU is an EU-funded programme that awards €75,000 non-dilutive grants and business support services to early-stage women-led deep tech startups across Europe, distributing €12 million to 160 beneficiaries per two-year cycle under Horizon Europe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Women TechEU does
Women TechEU is an EU-funded grant and support programme dedicated to accelerating early-stage, women-led deep tech startups across Europe. It operates as a Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) project funded under Horizon Europe Pillar III (EIC Work Programme), with the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) acting as the granting authority. Each selected beneficiary receives a €75,000 non-dilutive grant together with a personalised package of mentorship, training, investor readiness coaching, leadership development, go-to-market support, environmental impact assessment, access to European events, and participation in the alumni community and local chapter network. The programme targets startups where women hold top management positions and at least 25% of shares, registered in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country for between six months and five years, operating between TRL4 and TRL6, and having raised less than €1 million in equity.
Women TechEU firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Women TechEU
- Legal name
- Women TechEU
- Website
- https://womentecheurope.eu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Women TechEU is an EU-funded programme that awards €75,000 non-dilutive grants and business support services to early-stage women-led deep tech startups across Europe, distributing €12 million to 160 beneficiaries per two-year cycle under Horizon Europe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Women TechEU industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Government Grants & Startup Support Programme
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)
Keywords
Where Women TechEU is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Women TechEU business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- EU Grant Funding: Women TechEU receives EU funding to distribute equity-free grants to women-led deep tech startups. The programme (2026-2028) has €12 million to invest across 160 beneficiaries.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Equity-free grant of €75,000 per selected startup |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Women TechEU product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Women TechEU is an EU-funded programme that provides €75,000 non-dilutive grants and a holistic business development package (mentorship, training, expert guidance, networking, and matchmaking) to early-stage women-led deep tech startups registered in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries. The current 2026-2028 edition is delivering €12 million in equity-free grants to 160 beneficiaries selected through a continuous open call.
Product overview
Women TechEU is a funding and support programme (not a conventional product company) offering an EU-funded initiative that provides €75,000 non-dilutive grants and a holistic business development programme to women-led deep tech startups across Europe. The programme operates through a two-phase application process (Eligibility Check and Full Proposal) via the Sploro Platform, supplemented by services including mentorship, investor readiness training, leadership development, go-to-market support, environmental impact assessment, access to European tech events, local chapters, and an alumni community. The current edition (2026-2028) is led by a 15-organisation consortium with €12 million in total grant funding.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Women TechEU Programme (2026-2028) EU-funded support programme providing €75,000 equity-free grants and a personalised business development package (mentorship, training, expert guidance, networking, matchmaking, and access to high-impact European events) to early-stage women-led deep tech startups registered in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries.
Quantifiable outcome
- 344 women-led companies supported since 2021
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Women TechEU
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Women TechEU technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Women TechEU partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.
- EIT ManufacturingcoreKnowledge and innovation community supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. Leads the consortium as coordinator, leveraging its network and landmark events. EITM West (San Sebastian, Spain) is the coordinator, with EITM South (Italy) and EITM East (Austria) as affiliated partners.
- SplorocoreInnovation advisory firm from Spain with long experience in managing open innovation programmes and cascade funding. Leads Women TechEU 2 EIC (2026-2028) consortium as the primary coordinator.
- AwakenHubcoreAll-female team from Ireland enhancing opportunities, access, and connectivity for female founders. Coordinates effort to evaluate applicants and provides community and investment access support.
- AcrossLimitscoreDynamic company based in Malta offering European solutions for technology, innovation, and funding. Guides communication and dissemination activities and links service delivery.
- European Business Angels Network (EBAN)majorPan-European representative for early stage investor community, gathering over 100 member organizations in more than 50 countries. Estimated to invest €11.4 billion annually.
- Finance InnovationmajorGlobal competitiveness cluster created by the French government in 2007. Special focus on women in Fintech with vast network of valuable members and partners.
- AFAEMME (Association of Organisations of Mediterranean Businesswomen)majorFederation of Businesswomen Associations in the Mediterranean launched in 2002 in Barcelona. Comprises 65 businesswomen organisations from 24 Mediterranean countries.
- EIT Food SouthsupportingPart of Europe's largest food innovation community, working to build a future-fit food system. Supports the Women TechEU consortium with their network and expertise.
- EIT Health SpainsupportingNetwork of best-in-class health innovators with approximately 120 partners. Brings together relevant players of the health innovation value chain in Spain.
- EIT Climate-KICsupportingEurope's leading climate innovation agency and community. Uses a systems approach to shape innovation supporting cities, regions, countries and industries meet climate ambitions.
- WA4STEAM (Women Angels For STEAM)majorGrowing international community of women angel investors seeking to expand women entrepreneurial presence in STEAM fields. Provides seed capital and strategic partnership nurturing women future leaders.
- European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA)coreGranting authority for the Women TechEU programme. Managed the pilot scheme directly in 2021 and continues as granting authority for the externalised consortium projects.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Women TechEU competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator: EIC Accelerator is the downstream EU funding mechanism that Women TechEU alumni are explicitly bridged into. Same granting authority (EISMEA), same Horizon Europe Pillar III umbrella, same target (deep tech SMEs), and complementary grant + equity structure.
- Antler: Global early-stage VC and accelerator with strong European presence, actively investing in and supporting founders at pre-seed and seed stages. Comparable in combining non-dilutive/equity-light support with structured founder development, though it takes equity and is not women-specific.
- Founder Institute: Global pre-seed accelerator running structured founder-development programmes with mentorship, training, and investor access. Comparable in delivering early-stage startup education and structured curriculum, though it operates for equity and is not women- or deep tech-focused.
- MassChallenge: Global non-equity accelerator that provides equity-free cash prizes, mentorship, and corporate connections to early-stage startups. Closely comparable to Women TechEU in its equity-free grant model and startup support services, though not women- or deep tech-specific.
- EU Prize for Women Innovators: Also an EU Commission initiative focused on recognising and supporting women-led deep tech and science-based innovators across Europe. Comparable in mission, target audience (women founders in deep tech), and EU institutional backing.
- SoGal Foundation: Global community and venture platform dedicated to supporting diverse and women founders. Comparable in mission (women in tech entrepreneurship), community-led GTM, and offering of educational + capital-access programmes, though operates more as a network than a grantmaking institution.
Broad incumbents
- Y Combinator: The world's most prominent startup accelerator, offering seed funding, mentorship, and demo days. Comparable as a benchmark for early-stage accelerator outcomes, but operates at much larger scale, takes equity, and is not focused exclusively on women or deep tech.
- Techstars: A leading global accelerator network offering mentorship-driven programmes for early-stage startups. Comparable in delivering structured mentorship and investor introductions, though operates a for-profit model with equity stakes across a broader startup portfolio, not women-only deep tech.
Regional players
- TechWomen: U.S. State Department initiative supporting women in STEM from Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East through mentorship and exchange programmes. Comparable in mission (women in STEM/tech leadership) and structured mentorship model, but operates in different geographies.
Others
- Female Founders Fund: A US-based early-stage venture fund explicitly backing women-led companies, including in tech and deep tech. Comparable in its mission-aligned capital allocation to women founders, though it operates as a for-profit VC taking equity rather than as a grantmaking programme.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Women TechEU social profiles
Digital presenceWomen TechEU compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Women TechEU financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Women TechEU leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Women TechEU funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Women TechEU M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments8 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Women TechEU
What does Women TechEU do?
Women TechEU is an EU-funded programme that provides €75,000 non-dilutive grants and a holistic business development package (mentorship, training, expert guidance, networking, and matchmaking) to early-stage women-led deep tech startups registered in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries. The current 2026-2028 edition is delivering €12 million in equity-free grants to 160 beneficiaries selected through a continuous open call.
Is Women TechEU a public or private company?
Women TechEU is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Women TechEU founded?
Women TechEU was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Women TechEU based?
Women TechEU is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Women TechEU make money?
One revenue line is on record: EU Grant Funding.
Who are Women TechEU's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator, Antler, Founder Institute, MassChallenge, EU Prize for Women Innovators and SoGal Foundation. Broad incumbents are Y Combinator and Techstars. TechWomen is listed as a regional player. Female Founders Fund is listed as an others.
Does Women TechEU have an API?
No public API is recorded for Women TechEU.
What industry is Women TechEU in?
Women TechEU's product category is Government Grants & Startup Support Programme. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAI, Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8742.