Acceleration, Incubation & Venture building service

Turning Artificial Intelligence innovation with high market potential into a global B2B SaaS product scale-up

Applications currently closed

Service description

A full fledge spin-off building programme targeted towards EIC Transition and Accelerator Beneficiaries. This service aims to help research institutions/individuals and specialized service firms transform their Artificial Intelligence innovations (high market potential research output or custom-made solutions) into competitive B2B products. The programme is relevant for EIC Beneficiaries that have gotten positive validation of their technology (TRL6+) and are willing to bring it to the market. It aims at going from idea to Series A faster and with a higher chance of success than typical startups. This is achieved through a Startup Studio approach where the Studio assembles a full founding team, creates a Startup and fast-tracks it in 2 steps. The first step is to experiment and find a problem/solution fit through MVP market validation. The second step is to confirm the product/market fit by reaching revenue and churn targets. Then, the Studio helps the Startup to get Series A funding. The Studio assets include a) a core team with large experience and track record in venture financing, startup creation and operations, AI technology development and SaaS product design and build; b) its network of experts in artificial intelligence, SaaS scale-up and sectors (industry 4.0, Legal/RegTech, Data); c) a SaaS Factory which covers 80% of non-core product requirements for delivering a SaaS product; d) a Studio side-car fund & a seed funds network. The selection process is run every 6 months and has a “fair no-cure/no-pay” equity model. The programme can last from 12-24 months, depending on the EIC Beneficiary's needs and pace. The operation takes place in Belgium with a hybrid model, in which the physical presence of the EIC Beneficiaries is highly recommended but not mandatory for provision of the service.

The Studio has a strict selection process with two main criteria: high market potential (total addressable market of at least 100M€ annual recurring revenue) and “deep” Artificial Intelligence technology (meaning that it will be hard to replicate and/or that the data used to train it is proprietary).

This form is used to submit queries from EIC beneficiaries and Seal of Excellence holders about the corresponding service. Your questions and concerns will be processed and responded to by the respective EIC Partner providing the service.

For general queries about the programme, contact the EIC Ecosystem Partnership Programme Helpdesk via ecosystempartnerships@bas.eic.eismea.eu.

Service ID

First name

Last name

Phone number

Name of organisation

Subject of the query

Message for the EIC Partner providing the service concerned

Connect with innovators across Europe

The European Innovation Council (EIC) and the EIC Contractor of the EIC Ecosystem Partnership Programme are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. The personal information submitted through this form will be used in the activities of EIC-funded projects. Please click below to provide your consent. For more information on our privacy practices, and how we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy, please read our Privacy Policy or contact us at the EIC Ecosystem Partnership Programme Helpdesk via ecosystempartnerships@bas.eic.eismea.eu.

I give consent to the use of my personal information.

What text is in the image?

Enter the characters shown in the image or use the speaker icon to get an audio version.

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Eligible EIC stages

Accelerator Transition

Category

Acceleration, Incubation & Venture building →

Covered by EIC ACCESS+

Yes — co-funded ✓

Financial requirements (including 50% co-funding)

The Studio operates a “co-creation” model in which are split between the “innovation owner” (e.g., the research institution), the founder in charge of product & market, the founder in charge of technology & the studio (acting as the founder in charge of operations + all the acceleration, advisory, and funding services). Share arrangements are each time specific and based on past & future contribution. In general, at Series A the innovation owners and the founders have 55-60% of the shares, and the Studio 10-15%.

Application period

01-09-2023 – 30-09-2023

About HighWay AI

No ratings yet

Based in Belgium. An accredited EIC Partner delivering services to EIC-supported companies across Europe.

View partner overview →

EIC ACCESS+ Co-funding

Receive up to €60,000 in grants, covering up to 50% of the costs, to access specialised services from the EIC Service Catalogue. Learn more on the EIC ACCESS+ website.

← Back to Acceleration, Incubation & Venture building services