Good morning {{first_name}},
This week’s Deep Tech Now brings you:
Venture firms backing New Space startups, with some sizeable and freshly raised funds
Life Science grants worth up to €20 M, from early-stage green biotech to Pharma co-development
Upcoming Demo Days across Europe where you can meet up-and-coming Deep Tech startups
Free mentoring session with Hailey Eustace, Commplicated founder and Deep Tech communications expert
All dates and deadlines are just below. Dive in, and hit reply – your feedback fuels our next issue!
DEEP TECH OPEN | SPACE
5 Venture Firms Backing Space
Background image credit: Isar Aerospace Newsroom, Test Flight
Latest fund: €170 M
Portfolio includes: K2 Space, Reflex Aerospace, Northwood
Sweet spot: Early stage
Latest fund: €300 M target
Portfolio includes: Aldoria, Arkadia Space, Ion-X, The Exploration Company
Sweet spot: Pre-seed to Series B
Latest fund: €170 M
Portfolio includes: Atmos, ClearSpace, Hydrosat, ICEYE
Sweet spot: Series A
Latest fund: €120 M Orbital Ventures Fund
Portfolio includes: Ellipsis Drive, ICEYE, Jua, The Exploration Company
Sweet spot: Early stage
Latest fund: Seraphim Space Ventures II LP
Portfolio includes: ICEYE, HawkEye 360, LeoLabs, D-Orbit, Spire Global, Voyager
Sweet spot: Seed and Series A
DEEP TECH OPEN | BIO BUILDERS
5 Best European Grants for Bio Builders
Start-ups Meet Pharma 🔗 | Deadline: September 26, 2025
Maximum Grant Award: n/a
Eligibility: EU, Switzerland or Horizon Europe-associated countries with at least a prototype
Duration: Three months
Strategic Edge: This EIT Health challenge is a gateway to explore potential partnerships, co-development prospects, and strategic alliances with Abbott
Best Fit: Startups developing innovative approaches to assess immune status in healthy subjects using minimally or non-invasive methods
Tip: More details here
IHI Call 11 🔗 | Deadline: October 9, 2025
Maximum Grant Award: Up to €20 M
Eligibility: Horizon Europe countries, with some limitations for newer entrants
Duration: 60 months
Strategic Edge: Join an initiative that aims to translate health research and innovation into real benefits for patients and society, and ensure that Europe remains at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary, sustainable, patient-centric health research
Best Fit: Companies working on brain dysfunction, the link between infections and non-communicable diseases, AI-powered pharmacovigilance, type 1 diabetes, and ambulatory surgical centres
Tip: Check out the IHI Guide for Applicants
EIC Pathfinder Challenges Call 🔗 | Deadline: October 29, 2025
Maximum Grant Award: Up to €4 M
Eligibility: Horizon Europe countries
Duration: Variable
Strategic Edge: Participate in a flagship program with a wide range of challenges
Best Fit: Startups at TRL 1 to 4 stages fitting the challenges’ themes:
Biotech for climate resilient crops and plant-based biomanufacturing
Generative-AI based agents to revolutionise medical diagnosis and treatment of cancer
Towards autonomous robot collectives delivering collaborative tasks in dynamic unstructured construction environments
Waste-to-value devices: circular production of renewable fuels, chemicals and materials
Tip: Check out the presentation videos for each category
TEF-Health Call 2 🔗 | Deadline: December 31, 2027
Maximum Grant Award: Up to €300,000 in service discounts
Eligibility: EU/EEA startups and SMEs
Duration: Up to three years
Strategic Edge: Access to physical and virtual testing environments, data, clinical settings, and support from universities, hospitals, and certification bodies
Best Fit: AI and robotics health solutions at a minimum TRL of 6
Tip: Portuguese startups have access to a separate call
MSCA Choose Europe for Science 2025 🔗 | Deadline: December 3, 2025
Maximum Grant Award: €3.5 M
Eligibility: Horizon Europe countries
Duration: Up to five years
Strategic Edge: Get financial support to hire talent and increase the attractiveness of European research careers
Best Fit: Organisations seeking to recruit postdoctoral researchers
Tip: Call opens on Oct. 1, 2025
DEEP TECH OPEN
5 Demo Days to Meet Deep Tech Startups
Boost VC Deep Tech Demo Day | Online | October 1, 2025
Aerospace, energy, climate, robotics, crypto, bio, AI/ML, spatial computing (AR/VR), healthcare, food, industrial and more
Accredited investors only – Register here.
ClimaTech Connect Demo Day | Valencia, Spain | October 8, 2025
ClimateTech startups – Join in.
INAM’s Demo Day | Berlin, Germany | October 16, 2025
Advanced materials and novel manufacturing methods – Save your seat.
Deeptech Demo Day | Online | November 25, 2025
In-person party for finalists in London on November 27 – Sign up.
De-TECH Venture Builder Demo Day | Istanbul, Turkey | December, 2025
AI, quantum technologies, health and biotech, advanced materials, space technologies, and other data- & science-driven domains
Exact date TBC – Find out more.
THE PULSE
Shape the Future: EU’s 28th Regime Call
➞ The European Commission is looking for feedback on calls for a 28th regime – a single harmonised set of rules for innovative companies throughout the EU.
To-do: Make sure to contribute to the call for evidence here before September 30, 2025.
➞ Science Business rounded up what’s coming up in EU research policy after the summer break.
Key takeaway: This will be a busy autumn, with updates on AI strategies, the 28th regime, space budget, and more.
➞ The U.K. Space Agency will be absorbed by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
Why this matters: This is part of a broader effort to reduce bureaucracy and move faster.
ECOSYSTEM GIFT
Headlines That Grab Investor Attention — Let’s Write Yours
Whether you’re preparing for funding, launching technology, or building thought leadership, the right messaging can turn obscurity into impact.
We’re pleased to offer one reader a free strategic communications consultation with Hailey Eustace, founder of Commplicated and veteran Deep Tech investor-operator. Express your interest here.
Hailey began at the $485 M Texas Emerging Technology Fund, led global communications at MassChallenge, and scaled BIOS Health through its AI/neurotech rebrand and Series A – experiences that laid the foundation for Commplicated, the first strategic communications firm built specifically for early-stage Deep Tech startups.
Last Week's Winners: Congratulations to Elena Manolova (BlockBuzz), Claus Lang (Kodex AI), and Jannis Duckek (Ambivation), who won Profile Dynamics assessments. We'll be putting you in touch with our certified consultant shortly. Stay tuned – every week we have a new Ecosystem Gift to share.
Thank you for reading! What’s the one thing you’d like us to cover next to help you with your commercialisation efforts?