EU seeks anchor backers for €5 billion Scaleup Europe Fund
The European Union is lining up anchor investors for a €5 billion Scaleup Europe Fund to finance artificial intelligence, quantum computing and other strategic technologies.
The fund has received commitments of roughly €3 billion from potential anchor investors. In addition, about €1 billion is earmarked from the European Innovation Council. A meeting with prospective backers is scheduled for 28 October, 2025.
Denmark’s Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO), Spain’s Criteria Caixa SA and the Novo Nordisk Foundation are in discussions to commit capital, according to preliminary information. The European Commission says the fund could eventually help unlock up to €25 billion for European tech companies in future investment rounds.
Denmark’s Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO), Spain’s Criteria Caixa SA and the Novo Nordisk Foundation are in discussions to commit capital, according to preliminary information. The European Commission says the fund could eventually help unlock up to €25 billion for European tech companies in future investment rounds.
The European Investment Bank also will attend Tuesday’s meeting and is evaluating whether to participate, the bank has indicated.
The new public-private fund is designed to support late-stage financing rounds of more than €100 million. Companies receiving money will be required to keep their headquarters and core operations in Europe.
Target areas include AI, quantum, robotics, advanced materials, clean energy and biotech. The Commission plans to appoint an external fund manager by January 2026. Speedinvest general partner Andreas Schwarzenbrunner called the plan “a good first step,” adding:
EU officials want to help high-potential deep-tech companies scale at home after a run of sales and relocations. Advanced Micro Devices agreed in 2024 to buy Finnish AI firm Silo AI in an all-cash deal valued at about $665 million, and Apple acquired French AI company Datakalab in 2023.
As GNCrypto wrote previously, the EU is also preparing reforms to shift parts of financial supervision away from national regulators to Brussels, giving ESMA more direct powers and creating a more consistent rulebook.
The new public-private fund is designed to support late-stage financing rounds of more than €100 million. Companies receiving money will be required to keep their headquarters and core operations in Europe.
Target areas include AI, quantum, robotics, advanced materials, clean energy and biotech. The Commission plans to appoint an external fund manager by January 2026. Speedinvest general partner Andreas Schwarzenbrunner called the plan “a good first step,” adding:
“While the €3 billion commitment is a positive signal, even €5 billion remains tiny compared to what’s happening globally. If AI, quantum, and other key technologies will define Europe’s future competitiveness, we need to spend an order of magnitude more, and the EU needs to be a much larger anchor.”
As GNCrypto wrote previously, the EU is also preparing reforms to shift parts of financial supervision away from national regulators to Brussels, giving ESMA more direct powers and creating a more consistent rulebook.
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