Open Horizons Final Call: €55K Funding for Women-Led Deep Tech Startups

About

An equity-free funding program offering up to €55,000 for women-led deep tech startups, designed to support their growth through milestone-based funding and access to corporate partnerships.

Benefits

• 💰Financial Support
  Up to €55,000 in equity-free funding
• 🎯Milestone-Based Funding
  Funding disbursed based on milestone achievement: €10,000 after Inception Stage, €20,000 after mid-term pilot review, €20,000 after successful pilot completion, €5,000 after participation in the final Demo Day
• 🌐Investor Access
  Access to investors and scaling opportunities
• 🤝Corporate Partnership
  Participation in a structured pilot with corporate partners.

Eligibility Criteria

• Startup must be founded or co-founded by women holding a top management position (CEO, CTO or equivalent) at submission
• Women must own at least 25% of the company’s shares at submission
• The startup must be a legal entity registered for at least 6 months and operating for less than 6 years
• The startup must meet the SME criteria (fewer than 250 employees and annual turnover not exceeding €50 million or balance sheet total not exceeding €43 million)
• The startup must operate in the digital and/or deep-tech sector.

Participation Commitments

• Participation in Info Days on 18 March and 16 April 2026
• Completion of application forms and submission of required documents in English
• Engagement in the Inception Stage and Piloting Stage as per the program timeline.

Target Region

Europe

Target Sector

Deep Tech