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Too many founders treat an investor pitch like a high-stakes performance, obsessing over financial forecasts and dense technical jargon. But ask seasoned investors what actually moves the needle, and you’ll hear a very different story.At the WE-RISE PITCH BATTLE panel, which took place during StartupFair 2026 in Vilnius, Lithuania, experts Lina Taletavičiūtė-Misiūnienė, Alex Gibb, and Jovita Žėkaitė broke down what transforms an ambitious pitch into a venture-scale business. Here are the four st

A successful pilot can prove that a deep-tech solution works. It does not automatically prove that customers will buy it, that production can scale or that the economics will support growth. Moving from pilot to market requires founders to build commercial readiness alongside technological maturity – and ecosystems to recognise that both are essential.For a deep-tech startup, a pilot is a major achievement. It can demonstrate that years of research have produced a viable solution, that the techn

As part of the EBAN Congress in Vilnius, WE-RISE and Sunrise Tech Park organised the Cleantech & Deeptech Forum, bringing together investors, founders, researchers, policymakers, and ecosystem leaders to explore the future of deeptech and climate innovation in Europe.The forum created a space for meaningful discussions on how collaboration between science, business, investment communities, and public stakeholders can help accelerate innovation and strengthen Europe’s position in strategic techno

At a recent event in Warsaw, we had the opportunity to speak with Michiel Scheffer, the President of EIC Board, and ask for his perspective on the role of women in deep-tech entrepreneurship. According to Michiel, the European Innovation Council has made progress in supporting diverse teams, yet there is still a long way to go. Currently, only about one third of EIC-supported startups include women in their teams, and the share of purely women-led deep-tech startups is even smaller. He stressed

Paris, 30 March 2026 – As part of ChangeNOW week, WE‑RISE held a dedicated startup showcase event on 30 March 2026 at Bpifrance’s Haussmann offices, bringing together 10 women‑led startups developing solutions in ClimateTech, GreenTech and AgriTech.Organised by Bpifrance within the framework of the European WE‑RISE project, the event hosted more than 70 investors and ecosystem stakeholders, creating a strong moment of exchange between founders and the innovation community. During the pitching se

The EU-funded WE-RISE initiative supports women-led startups at the forefront of Europe’s green and digital transition. Coordinated by Fast Track Ventures (Portugal) in collaboration with G-Force (Slovakia), Bpifrance (France), Toro Ventures (Spain), and Sunrise Tech Park (Lithuania), WE-RISE provides tailored funding, mentorship, and visibility within the European innovation ecosystem. The project offers €1.2 million in non-equity funding and hands-on support to help founders scale their innova

From Burden to Boost: Real Support for European Innovators On April 2–3, 2025, Brussels hosted the European Innovation Council (EIC) Summit, bringing together researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers to explore how deep tech innovation can address global challenges and drive economic growth. EIC Board Vice Chair Anita Krohn closed the first day of the Summit by quoting former U.S. President Ronald Reagan: “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the g

It is easy to demonstrate a strong correlation between national prosperity and gender equality. According to the Global Gender Gap Index 2024, the top five European economies – Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Germany – all rank in the global top 10. While Europe leads the regional gender gap rankings, having closed 75% of its gender gap, progress in economic parity remains modest. The Economic Participation and Opportunity score has seen only a slight increase of +0.4 percentage points, re