AI & software startup funding and grants

European CommissionGrant

Horizon Europe Cluster 4 – Digital, Industry and Space

Collaborative research and innovation calls for manufacturing, key digital and quantum technologies, advanced materials, AI and robotics, advanced computing, low-carbon industries and space. Swiss entities have full access to strategic-area calls in the 2026–2027 work programme, except some space calls.

European Commission (DG CONNECT)Grant

Digital Europe Programme

Funds supercomputing, AI, cybersecurity, advanced digital skills and wider use of digital technology, with a budget of over €8.1 billion. Swiss participants can apply except under the cybersecurity and semiconductor objectives.

European Commission (Digital Europe Programme)Support & coaching

AI Testing and Experimentation Facilities (TEFs)

Four sector facilities for testing and validating AI and robotics in agrifood, health, manufacturing and smart cities, open to technology providers across Europe. This is testing infrastructure, not a grant to companies.

EuroHPC Joint UndertakingSupport & coaching

AI Factories and AI Factory Antennas

AI Factories and Antennas give access to compute time and support services, prioritising AI start-ups and SMEs. DACH sites are JAIF and HammerHAI (Germany), AT:AI (Austria) and the HEARTS antenna (Switzerland). Access to compute, not a cash grant.

European CommissionGrant

GenAI4EU

EU initiative funding generative AI uptake through Horizon Europe, Digital Europe and the EIC, with close to €700 million planned. Calls run under the participating programmes.

BMFTR (Projektträger VDI/VDE-IT)Grant

Leitprojekte für die Nutzung von KI in Wertschöpfungsketten

Funds industry-led consortia applying AI in specific value chains such as manufacturing, mechanical engineering and agriculture, with strong SME participation and a site in Germany. Companies typically receive up to 50% of eligible costs.

StMWi (VDI/VDE-IT)Grant

BayVFP – Förderlinie Digitalisierung

Bavarian collaborative R&D calls in digital topics such as AI, communication networks, cybersecurity and electronic systems. Consortia need at least two partners including one company, with the work done in Bavaria.

NRW.BANKGrant

Mittelstand Innovativ & Digital (MID) – Digitalisierung

Grant of 50 % up to EUR 15,000 for NRW SMEs developing marketable digital products using AI, machine learning, data mining or AR/VR. Applicants first enter a monthly lottery.

Hessian Ministry for Digitalisation and Innovation / WIBankGrant

Distr@l

Hessian grants for digital innovation: feasibility studies up to EUR 100,000 at 50 %, SME product and process innovation up to EUR 500,000 at 50 %, and growth of digital start-ups up to EUR 160,000. Two stages, starting with a project sketch.

European Innovation Council (EISMEA)Grant

EIC Accelerator

Funds single start-ups and SMEs, including spin-outs, from EU Member States and Horizon Europe associated countries. It combines a grant (lump sum below €2.5 million) for innovation activities at TRL 6–8 with equity investments of up to €10 million.

European Innovation CouncilGrant

EIC Pathfinder

Grants of up to EUR 4 million for early-stage research towards breakthrough technologies. Pathfinder Open requires a consortium of at least three independent entities; Pathfinder Challenges also accept single applicants and two-partner consortia.

European Innovation CouncilGrant

EIC Transition

Grants of up to EUR 2.5 million to validate and demonstrate a technology and build market readiness. Projects must build on results of an eligible project such as EIC Pathfinder or ERC Proof of Concept; single SMEs, start-ups, spin-offs and consortia can apply.

European Innovation CouncilEquity

EIC STEP Scale Up

Equity, not a grant: investments of EUR 10 million to EUR 30 million in 2026 for single SMEs and small mid-caps with fewer than 500 employees in digital and deep tech, clean tech and biotech. A qualified investor must pre-commit to the round.

Eureka (with national funding bodies)Grant

Eurostars

International R&D projects led by an innovative SME, with partners from at least two Eurostars countries. Each partner is funded by its national body: Innosuisse in Switzerland, BMFTR in Germany (max. 500,000 € for German partners together), FFG in Austria.

European Institute of Innovation & TechnologySupport & coaching

EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities

Business creation programmes run by EIT communities such as Climate-KIC, EIT Health and InnoEnergy. Start-ups and scale-ups get access to financing opportunities, market access, training, mentoring and investor matchmaking.

European Commission (EIB Group and other implementing partners)Loan

InvestEU Fund

An EU budget guarantee that supports loans and equity through the EIB Group and other financial intermediaries. Companies do not apply to the Commission; they reach the financing through the implementing partners.