At the EIC Summit 2026, Open Horizons will showcase how challenge-based collaboration between startups and corporates can accelerate technology validation, generate scalable industrial solutions, and create new opportunities for investment and growth.
Taking place on 3–4 June at the historic Tour & Taxis site in Brussels, the EIC Summit gathers startups, investors, corporates, policymakers, and innovation ecosystem actors from across Europe.
Open Horizons will join the shared “EU Initiatives for Women” booth, together with several European initiatives supporting women innovators, entrepreneurship, investment readiness, and startup growth. Open Horizons will present the results and methodology behind its innovation matching scheme: connecting women-led deep-tech startups with corporate challenges requiring concrete technological solutions.
Showcasing startups already validating solutions with industry
Investors, corporates, startups, and ecosystem actors visiting the booth will discover how Open Horizons connects women-led deep-tech startups with real industrial needs through its challenge-based matching methodology.
The booth will showcase both the startups currently validating their solutions through corporate pilots (Cohort 1), the new generation of women-led innovators entering the programme (Cohort 2), and future investment opportunities.
Cohort 1 startups are currently completing pilot activities developed together with corporates through the Open Horizons challenge-based matching scheme. Their solutions address industrial needs related to predictive maintenance, renewable energy management, industrial digitalisation, AI-powered optimisation, and sustainability.
Discover the Cohort 1 pilot startups.
At the same time, the recently selected Cohort 2 startups are entering the Inception Phase, where they will refine their business models, prepare pilot plans, and align their technologies with real market needs. These startups work across sectors including water resilience, AI and predictive systems, quantum computing, industrial optimisation, advanced sensing technologies, and food waste reduction.
Meet the Cohort 2 startups entering Inception Phase.
Meet the Open Horizons team
Come and say hello to Open Horizons team, Virginia Gomez (SPLORO) and Stanislav Laktiš (PEDAL), at the booth “EU Initiatives for Women”
A shared space supporting women innovators
The “EU Initiatives for Women” shared booth will bring together other European initiatives supporting women entrepreneurs and helping innovative startups access funding, networks, mentoring, and market opportunities. Among them:
- Women TechEU
Supporting early-stage women-led deep-tech startups through funding and mentoring;
- WomenInvestEU / Gender Conscious Investors
Promoting gender-smart investment approaches and improving access to finance for women founders;
- Her Fund
Focused on supporting women entrepreneurship and innovation opportunities;
- SCALE’HER
Helping women-led startups scale internationally and access new business opportunities;
- EIC Women Leadership Programme
Supporting women innovators through leadership development and networking;
- Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) – Women Entrepreneurship Thematic Group
Connecting entrepreneurs with international business and innovation support services.
By participating in the EIC Summit 2026, Open Horizons continues strengthening its collaboration with European innovation initiatives and contributing to a more inclusive and connected startup ecosystem.
Learn more about the event, register, and come visit us: https://www.b2match.com/e/eic-summit-2026