A partnership to strengthen Europe’s innovation landscape

Invest Europe and the European Startup Nations Alliance (ESNA) signed a partnership agreement aimed at fostering a stronger, more connected innovation ecosystem in Europe. This collaboration marks an important step toward advancing the start-up and scale-up environment through the mobilization of private capital, policy advocacy, and knowledge exchange.

This partnership is part of Invest Europe’s broader mission to support innovation and private capital as a driver of prosperity. It reflects a shared ambition to build a policy and investment environment in which Europe’s entrepreneurs can flourish.

Supporting capital flows to innovative businesses

A key objective of the partnership is to improve access to funding for Europe’s high-potential businesses. Early-stage and growth companies continue to face barriers in securing the capital they need to scale. By promoting stronger links between the private equity and venture capital community and European entrepreneurs, Invest Europe and ESNA aim to unlock the innovation potential of the continent.

In fact, in 2024, European venture capital funds invested €16 billion in close to 5,000 innovative companies across the continent. At the seed stage alone, around 1,300 early-stage businesses received support, with total investment reaching €1.5 billion - demonstrating the strength and resilience of private capital in fueling growth, creating jobs, and strengthening Europe’s key sectors, while highlighting the ongoing need to ensure these capital flows reach all high-potential innovators.

A shared vision for growth and impact

This partnership brings together complementary expertise: Invest Europe’s extensive experience in private equity and venture capital, and ESNA’s focus on ecosystem-building and startup policy. Through this alignment, both organisations are committed to fostering an environment in which start-ups and scale-ups can thrive, delivering long-term value and economic impact across Europe.

Promoting evidence-based policy reform

A further focus of the partnership is to support better policymaking through data and research. Leveraging Invest Europe’s market insights and ESNA’s network of national bodies, the two organisations will contribute to more informed strategies that enable sustainable growth and competitiveness for Europe’s innovation economy. This includes building on data such as the figures reported above to ensure policies reflect the realities of the market.