Empowering Women Entrepreneurs: EPIC-X Showcases at the EIC Summit 2025
Brussels, 16 April 2025
SERN, Start-up Europe Regions Network
The EIC Summit 2025, one of Europe’s leading innovation events, was held on April 2nd and 3rd. It brought together policymakers, investors, startups, and research leaders to celebrate cutting-edge breakthroughs in science, technology, and entrepreneurial ambition. Organized by the European Innovation Council (EIC), the summit highlighted the latest in deep tech innovations and policy developments, featuring workshops, pitching sessions, and ample networking opportunities.
Among the standout initiatives presented at the event was the EPIC-X project, a Horizon Europe-funded initiative aimed at accelerating women-led deep tech innovation in underrepresented regions of the EU. With a focus on empowering women entrepreneurs and creating robust local innovation ecosystems, EPIC-X addresses two pressing challenges in Europe’s innovation landscape: the underrepresentation of women in tech entrepreneurship and the widening gap between high-performing and emerging innovation regions.
Operating across 16 moderate and emerging innovator countries, EPIC-X works to elevate women founders and nurture regional ecosystems to help these startups thrive. At the project’s core is the Acceleration+ programme, set to launch in August 2025. This programme will significantly support 20 selected women-led deep tech start-ups, offering €40,000 in grant funding and an additional €20,000 for mentoring purposes.
The project promotes a Europe-wide network of women entrepreneurs through virtual meetings, cross-fertilization events, and cross-border exchange visits into a robust cooperation scheme. More than 1,000 mentoring days and challenge-driven workshops will also be available to help strengthen these startups.
The EIC Summit 2025 marked an important moment for the EPIC-X project. It offered a platform to showcase its innovative approach to empowering women in tech and contributing to a more inclusive European innovation landscape.
Find out more about the project here!
