Keynote & Fireside chat:Powering Europe's tech champions

European technology has no shortage of brilliant laboratory research, industrial foundations, or seed-stage startups, but it faces a structural funding gap at the late-stage and growth phases. High-potential scaleups are frequently forced to relocate outside the continent to secure the massive growth capital rounds required to compete globally. How is the European Investment Fund (EIF) actively reversing this trend? In this fireside chat from the Global Corporate Venturing (GCV) Conference, Maija Palmer (Head of Content Strategy at GCV) sits down with Merete Clausen, Deputy Chief Executive of the European Investment Fund (EIF)—the largest public venture capital investor in Europe, backing a quarter of all VC and private equity funds across the continent. The discussion explores the rapid expansion of the European Tech Champions Initiative (ETCI). Operating with a scaleup-first mindset, the ETCI has successfully backed 15 newly established mega-funds near or above the €1 billion threshold, fueling investments into 45 high-growth companies and generating 11 unicorns across digital tech, artificial intelligence, green tech, and life sciences. Discover how the EIF is scaling the initiative into Phase 2, introducing a specialized mid-size fund window, building robust European exit ladders (including continuation and pre-IPO funds), and positioning Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) units and institutional allocators as vital system-shapers capable of scaling innovation across global value chains. 🕒 Interactive Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction: The Market Footprint of the European Investment Fund (EIF) 01:21 - The Structural Funding Gap: Europe's Late-Stage Growth Capital Deficit 02:27 - Activating Phase 1 of the European Tech Champions Initiative (ETCI) 03:06 - The Power of €1B+ Mega-Funds: Unlocking 45 Scaleups and 11 Unicorns 03:40 - Unveiling Phase 2: Expanding Member States and the Mid-Size Fund Window 04:44 - Public-Private Platforms: Engaging Institutional and Corporate Venture Capital 05:37 - Leveraging 30 Years of EIF Due Diligence Expertise to Provide Comfort to Private LPs 06:47 - Moving from Opportunistic Portfolios to Strategic Value Chain Moats 07:40 - Target Frontier Sectors: Deep Tech, Clean Energy, Biotech, and Cyber Security Resilience 09:25 - The €250M+ Norm: Reshaping Growth Capital Rounds to Stop Forced Talent Migration 12:37 - Building the European Exit Ladder: Pre-IPO Support and Capital Recycling 18:19 - Mitigating Lock-In Risks: The Emerging Role of Continuation Funds 21:21 - Balancing the Scale: Navigating the Dual Mission of Financial Returns and Public Policy 📈 Core Takeaways from the Discussion Corporates as System Shapers: In modern tech ecosystems, elite corporate venture arms are no longer mere passive participants writing isolated checks. By injecting deep industrial validation, specialized engineering insights, and instant target-market distribution channels into startup portfolios, CVCs act as the ultimate catalyst for scaling technology across complex value chains. Normalizing Multi-Hundred-Million Rounds: The metric of success for Europe over the next five years is shifting rounds of €200 million to €500 million from rare anomalies into standardized market occurrences, ensuring companies stay anchored locally as they approach maturity. Recycling via Continuation Funds: Deep-tech timelines naturally extend beyond standard 10-year venture structures. The implementation of specialized continuation funds prevents the premature locking or stagnation of high-value innovation capital, easing secondary transitions before a final public listing. The Shared Dual Mission: State-backed financial institutions and corporate venture groups navigate an identical paradox: they must deliver top-tier financial returns to their respective shareholders while simultaneously satisfying strict corporate or public-policy strategic directives.