
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