The Netherlands is committing 200 million euros to the second round of the European Tech Champions Initiative (ETCI), double its contribution to the first round. The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group and seven EU member states have committed around 2 billion euros to the fund’s first close. Separately, fifteen institutional investors have signaled their intention to channel more than 8 billion euros into European innovation and scale-up financing. They include Dutch institutions ABN Amro, APG, MN Services and PGGM.
ETCI 2.0 aims to raise up to 15 billion euros. It will use that capital to take anchor stakes in venture capital and growth funds, helping them attract other investors and raise more money for European scale-ups. Through that mechanism and direct co-investments in selected companies, the EIB aims to mobilize up to 80 billion euros in total investment.
Separately, the European Commission is committing 100 million euros to the second round of the EIB Group’s Defense Equity Facility. That facility aims to raise 1 billion euros for investments in defense technology, space and cybersecurity.
