Cascade Funding and Women in Tech: how to lead technology projects with European funding

With Laura Sisó, CEO and co-founder of Bridge The Gap

In this Breakfast & Learn session,  Laura Sisó, CEO and co-founder of  Bridge the Gap, shared a very comprehensive view of the current European funding ecosystem, focusing on how startups can access resources to accelerate innovation and reach the market.

We have delved into the framework of Horizon Europe (2021-2027), from which multiple support instruments derive, especially the Cascade Funding (FSTP), a mechanism of the European Commission that redistributes public funds through European projects towards startups, SMEs and spin-offs.

This system makes it easier to:

• Faster and less bureaucratic financing
•  Access to large properties between €2,000 and €500,000
• Support for pilot projects, innovation demonstrations, and pre-commercial activities in TRL 4–7 projects with direct market application

We have also reviewed the  operating mechanisms  , where the EU funds large consortia that subsequently launch open calls so that startups and companies can apply individually and obtain funding in a few months.

In addition, we have learned about specific programs such as:

• Women TechEU  , aimed at boosting deep tech startups led by women
• Open Horizons  , which connects corporations with startups to validate innovative solutions

A session that has allowed us to better understand how European funding can act as a bridge between research and the market.

You can watch the video of the session here