Following the closure of the Women TechEU’s third open call on 17 March 2025, the EU-funded scheme received a record breaking 1,038 applications from 43 eligible countries, the highest number of submissions to date, demonstrating the growing demand for support among women-led deep tech start-ups across Europe.
After a thorough evaluation process, 40 winners were selected, representing 13 countries, including 3 from widening countries.
Call #4 is now open. The deadline is 4 August 2025. More information below.
What is Women TechEU?
Women TechEU is a 2-year EU-funded project supporting women leading deep tech startup companies from Europe.
Their mission is to create a more gender-balanced entrepreneurship ecosystem. They believe that diversity drives innovation, and they seek to provide women in deep tech with more opportunities, resources, and support to thrive.
The project consortium has launched 4 calls for applications over the span of 2 years which, following a rigorous evaluation process, will result in a total of 160 beneficiaries. As of right now, 120 beneficiaries are locked in.
What do the beneficiaries receive?
Each call features 40 winners. Each winner is awarded a €75,000 non-dilutive grant, supporting them to scale their innovative solutions. These trailblazers receive personalised mentorship, gaining invaluable insights and guidance to propel their ventures forward. Their success is reshaping industries and demonstrating the transformative impact of women in technology.
Geographic diversity of winners
The latest selection round showcases start-ups from across a broad range of countries. The United Kingdom led with 9 winning start-ups, followed by France with 6, Germany and Norway with 4, Denmark and Türkiye with 3, Austria, Netherlands, Spain and Sweden with 2 each. A winner was selected from Belgium, Estonia, and Greece. This wide-ranging representation underscores the consortium’s commitment to fostering innovation across diverse technological landscapes, including those from widening countries.
AI leads the pack in represented industries
Startups from a broad spectrum of sectors participated in the call. Here’s the breakdown:
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, including Big Data: 50.0% (focus on data-driven innovation across sectors such as manufacturing and digital services)
- Biotechnology, Life Sciences and Agritech: 32.5%
- Sustainable Energy, Clean Technologies and Greentech: 15%
- Advanced Materials: 10%
- Internet of Things, W3C, Semantic Web: 10%
- Electronics and Photonics: 7.5%
- Advanced Manufacturing: 5%
- Aerospace, Automotive and Remote Sensing: 2.5%
Explore the who and the what in the DataHub
The Women TechEU DataHub has been updated to include detailed profiles of the third call winners. These start-ups represent a diverse range of deep tech innovations, offering insights into their technologies.
The platform provides an accessible way to explore the backgrounds of each selected start-up, helping increase visibility and encourage connections across the deep tech ecosystem.
You can explore the DataHub at https://datahub.womentecheurope.eu
Call #4 is now live
Following the conclusion of the third open call for startups, the Women TechEU consortium has already launched the fourth and final call which is set to close on 4 August 2025 at 17:00 CEST.
The insights gathered from the first, second, and third open call have been instrumental, prompting the project consortium to refine its engagement strategies. These strategies now focus on increasing participation from regions and sectors that previously saw fewer applications. By deliberately targeting these areas, the consortium aims to enhance diversity and broaden the impact of the upcoming calls, ensuring a more inclusive reach across Europe’s innovation landscape.
For stakeholders interested in collaborating to promote the Women TechEU scheme through a physical or virtual activity, the consortium encourages reaching out to the dedicated Events team at events@womentecheurope.eu.
For more information
All relevant details, including eligibility criteria, can be found on the Women TechEU website. Interested applicants are encouraged to consult the Guidelines for Applicants and the FAQ section for more information.
For any questions regarding the Women TechEU scheme, please contact the official Helpdesk Team at helpdesk@womentecheurope.eu.
