One year ago, Open Horizons started with a clear mission: to help women-led deep-tech startups turn innovation into real market solutions.
Since then, we’ve been building a growing ecosystem where startups, corporates, investors, and innovation actors collaborate to bring new technologies closer to real-world applications.
Here is what the first year of Open Horizons looks like.
A strong response from Europe’s startup community
Interest in the programme has been huge. In its first year, Open Horizons launched two Open Calls, receiving 538 applications from more than 30 countries across Europe and Associated Countries.
These applications show the diversity, creativity, and ambition of women-led startups working across fields such as artificial intelligence, advanced materials, digital technologies, and sustainability.
From these applicants, seventeen startups will be soon selected to join the Inception programme for Open Call 2, while five of them are currently developing pilot projects with corporate partners under Open Call 1.
Preparing startups for real industry collaboration
Before starting their pilots, the selected startups went through the Inception Phase, an important step designed to prepare them for collaboration with industry. During this phase, startups worked on refining their Business Model Canvas and Proof-of-Concept plans, aligning their solutions with corporate needs and defining clear milestones for their upcoming pilots.
This process ensures that the technologies developed within Open Horizons are not only innovative, but also ready to create real value in the market and aligned with corporates’ needs.
Guiding founders through the programme
Helping startups understand how the programme works and write excellent applications has also been a priority. So far, four Info Days have been organised to guide founders through the application process, explain the eligibility criteria, and clarify how the challenge-based programme works.
Another Info Day will take place on 18 March, giving startups the opportunity to ask questions and learn how to prepare a strong application.
Building connections across Europe’s innovation ecosystem
Beyond the programme itself, Open Horizons has been actively engaging with the wider European innovation community. During this year, we participated in more than 20 startup and deep-tech ecosystem events across Europe, connecting with founders, investors, corporates, and policy actors.
The project is also collaborating with several EU-funded initiatives and innovation networks, including Women TechEU, INNOVATE-EU, WE-RISE, ACCEND, Hard2Scale to name a few. Our network is also rich in contacts with national and international incubators and business angels associations, contributing to a broader ecosystem that supports women entrepreneurs and deep-tech innovation.
The journey continues with the final Open Call
We are still looking for the next generation of innovators. Open Call 3 is now open. It represents the final opportunity for women-led startups to join the programme and receive support through funding and mentoring. Lastly, it is also a unique opportunity to develop real pilot projects with corporates, helping them move from innovation to real market adoption.