Project Acronym EPIC-X

Project Full Name: Excelling deep tech through place-based innovation and connected ecosystems for women-led start-ups

Project number: 101193579

Duration (year – year): 2025-2026

Programme: Horizon

Project website: https://epic-x.eu/ 

Project LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/epicxeu 

Project description: EPIC-X aims to transform the European innovation ecosystem by empowering women-led deep tech startups. As part of this mission, the project will support 20 female-led deep tech startups from countries classified as “moderate” and “emerging” innovators, distributing a total of €1.2M to accelerate their growth and impact via a structured programme and grant funding.

Our role: Epic-X compromises of 16 ecosystem builders hailing from the 16 moderate and innovator countries: Slovenia, Portugal, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Italy, Poland, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Estonia, Croatia, Malta, Latvia, Greece, and Spain.  This network’s basis is set to expand widely to all regions and engage quadruple helix players in collaborative efforts. AcrossLimits is providing support to the project, representing the project in Malta as part of the official network of ecosystem builders. 

Partners: 

TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT OY, Finland

ENTERPRISE EVOLUTION EDUCATION AND CONSULTANCY, Ireland

STARTUP EUROPE REGIONS NETWORK, Blegium

INSTITUT ZA RAZISKOVANJE PODJETNISTVA TOVARNA PODJEMOV MARIBOR, Slovenia

NFORUMEXECUTIVOS – FORMACAO E CONSULTORIA, UNIPESSOAL LDA, Portugal

STARTUP HUNGARY ALAPITVANY, Hungary

SLOVENSKA ALIANCIA PRE INOVATIVNUEKONOMIKU, Slovakia

Asociatia Romanian Tech Startups, Romania

MAKE MORE S.R.O., Czechia

Fundacja Startup Poland, Poland

InnovUp, Italy

VIESOJI ISTAIGA INOVACIJU AGENTURA, Lithuania

Coordinator: INOVA+, Portugal

Eco-system builders: 

SPARKUP Tartu Science Park, Estonia

Found.ation, Greece

The Bulgarian Entrepreneurial Association, Bulgaria

Spanish Startup Association, Spain 

CRO STARTUP, Croatia