Four Irish female-led deep-tech companies have been selected for EU support and funding under the second edition of WomenTechEU, a scheme launched by the European Commission in 2021 to support deep-tech startups led by women.
The four companies are: Antler Bio Limited (animal health) and medtech companies, Lifelet Medical Limited, identifyher Limited and Teleatherapy Limited. In total, 134 female led companies have been selected to receive an individual grant of €75,000 as well as mentoring and coaching.
Supporting 134 female-led deep-tech companies in all, with increased budget of €10m
The second edition of WomenTechEU supports 134 female-led deep-tech companies with an increased budget of €10m. The commission announced the results, targeting innovative European deep-tech companies founded by women. Almost three times as many companies have been selected this year compared to the pilot.
After its successful pilot, in 2022, WomenTechEU has launched a second call to boost innovation in Europe’s female-led deep-tech sector, with an increased budget of €10m.
Funded under the European Innovation Ecosystems work programme of Horizon Europe, 134 selected companies will be able this year to receive an individual grant of €75,000 to support the initial steps of their innovation process and the growth of their company.
Furthermore, all female founders are offered mentoring and coaching under the European Innovation Council (EIC) Women Leadership Programme, and dedicated networking opportunities across the EU.
This second edition of WomenTechEU has attracted a record number of interest with 467 applications from 35 member states and Horizon Europe Associated Countries.
They come from 26 different countries
Following the evaluation, a panel of independent experts selected a total number of 134 companies for funding. They come from 26 different countries with 14% of companies based in countries associated to Horizon Europe and 15% from Horizon Europe widening countries.
All companies proposed for funding have in common that they apply cutting-edge deep-tech innovations while operating across 16 different industry sectors.
The selected projects range from the development of new medical drugs to carbon capture technologies, digital learning solutions, or autonomous robotics solutions.
More than 15 companies are university spin-offs. By combining innovative ideas, female entrepreneurship, and excellent research and development, this year’s companies selected for WomenTechEU will contribute to enhancing the quality of life for the citizens of the EU and beyond.