Innovation Funding Sources

Standard Bots just announced a $200 million raise, valuing the industrial automation firm at $1 billion. The Series C arrives amid a Congress push to address the role of domestic robotics in manufacturing and other industries. Standard CEO Evan Beard is among the executives that participated in a recent U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee. “AI-native robots are the essential power tool of the 21st century – the tool that will grow American manufacturing and help every worker to be a force at work,” Beard said in a release tied to the news. “AI will allow industrial robots to do 100x more tasks with full autonomy. You just show your robot how it’s done, and it learns through demonstration. The quickest way to get to full autonomy is through deployments, collecting real-world data, and iterating as fast as possible. Standard Bots is the furthest along in that regard with the most vertically integrated, onshore production process, and this new capital just accelerates all of that.” Beard says the money will go toward scaling and deploying Standard’s industrial systems, along with an expansion of its Glen Cove manufacturing facility in Long Island, New York.

There are many funding options beyond raising equity capital (my career actually started in helping companies access non-dilutive funding). When I’m building the funding strategy for founders from scratch, we map out all their liquidity options (not just the obvious ones). Here’s what I’ve seen work for private companies at different stages: 1 - Periodic liquidity mechanisms. There are a few emerging platforms I’m excited about here, which are changing the game for private companies. They offer intermittent trading windows that let early investors and employees access liquidity without forcing an IPO or acquisition. This is massive for retention and cap table management. 2 - Revenue-based financing. For companies with strong recurring revenue, RBF provides capital without equity dilution. Repayments can also adjust to your sales topline, making cash flow management far less painful. 3 - Asset-based lending. If you’ve got inventory, receivables, or equipment on your balance sheet, you can unlock capital against those assets. I’ve seen a lot of founders use it for bridging funding rounds. 4 - Non-dilutive grants. Government programs (such as Innovate UK) and corporate innovation funds provide capital that doesn’t ask for any equity stake. Underutilised,and incredibly valuable for R&D-heavy businesses. Most popular at Pre Seed. 5 - Strategic debt/ venture debt. For companies that have already raised equity and need working capital without further dilution, venture debt can be a tactical bridge to the next milestone. Most often used at Series A & above. Mixing all of the above in addition to raising equity capital can build your solid funding journey from Pre Seed all the way to an IPO. #capitalraising #startupfunding #fundingoptions

Founders, you don't always need to give up equity to fuel your growth. After helping 1200+ founders with their fundraising journey, I've noticed a significant shift... Smart founders in 2025 are discovering the power of Non-Dilutive Funding. Where you get capital WITHOUT giving up equity. Think about it. → Keep 100% ownership → Full control over decisions → No board seats to manage → All future upside stays with you Here are 7 powerful ways to access non-dilutive capital: 📌 Government & Private Grants -Zero repayment needed -Perfect for specific industries & tech -Support from both public & private sectors -Great for social impact ventures 📌Business Loans -Traditional bank financing -Special startup programs available -Build strong credit history -Clear repayment terms 📌Debt Financing -Lines of credit -Bond issues -More flexible than traditional loans -Multiple options to choose from 📌Revenue-Based Financing -Pay based on monthly revenue -No fixed monthly payments -Perfect for steady revenue streams -Typically 1.3-3x return cap 📌Tax Credits -R&D incentives -Renewable energy benefits -Immediate cost reduction -Perfect for innovative companies 📌Crowdfunding -Pre-sell your product -Build a customer base -Market validation -Free marketing exposure 📌Advance Payments -Leverage existing customers -Immediate cash flow -Strengthen relationships -No additional stakeholders 📌Corporate Partnerships -Access to resources -Market entry opportunities -Strategic growth -Shared development costs Start exploring non-dilutive options early. Even if you plan to raise VC later, having diverse funding sources strengthens your position. What's your experience with non-dilutive funding? Have you tried any of these options? Share your thoughts below 👇 #startupfunding #entrepreneurship #funding #startups #venturecapital

Startups Backed by the EU’s Framework Programmes! I. Key Insights  A. Startups: Pillars of EU Growth  1. Horizon Europe (FP9) is the worldʼs biggest public innovation funding programme, with €95B funding  2. Startups supported under this framework are driving innovation and economic value, creating €520B in enterprise value with just €12B in EU funding  3. Despite their proven ROI, startups have received only 5% of EU research and innovation funding B. Strategic Sectoral Focus 1. EU-backed startups operate in critical sectors like Climate Tech, Deep Tech, AI, Biotech, and Space 2.  80% of these startups develop physical technologies, in contrast to the broader ecosystem's SaaS focus 3. Physical Tech startups have a higher graduation rate when EU-backed 4. Most EU-backed startups are early stage, presenting an opportunity to leverage their growth potential II. Recommendations  A. Expand Startup Investment  Increase the funding allocation to startups in Horizon Europeʼs successor programme (FP10) to capitalize on their measurable economic and societal impact  B. Streamline Support Mechanisms  Consolidate fragmented programmes into a single pathway for grants, equity, and mentorship drawing on the current work of ESNA and the EIC  C. Promote Visibility  Scale up EU startup summits and pitch days to connect EU-backed startups with private investors and corporates  C. Leverage Digital Platforms  Scaleup existing tools such as Dealfllow.eu and Innovation Radar with real time startup insights and matchmaking to empower stakeholders Make sure to check out the super insightful report by Yoram Wijngaarde, Nina C., Felix Ullmer, Thijs Povel ,Vittorio Sambuy at Dealroom.co and Dealflow.eu here: https://lnkd.in/eEdjSj8U #innovation #entrepreneurship #startups #ClimateTech #DeepTech #AI #Biotech #Space

Europe’s risk aversion is holding back innovation, says former ASML boss : https://lnkd.in/eYHSS43w Europe’s low appetite for risk in helping innovative companies and scale-ups is “a major problem which we need to solve,” according to Peter Wennink, former chief executive of semiconductor equipment manufacturer ASML, one of Europe’s biggest technological success stories.  ASML is the only company in the world that produces the extreme ultraviolet lithography machines used to manufacture the most advanced microchips. But its success wasn’t inevitable. For the first ten years after spinning off from Philips in 1984, the company made a loss, Wennink told the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group Forum in Luxembourg on March 3. “ASML would not exist if the Dutch government, 40 years ago, hadn’t put the equivalent now, after inflation, of €120 million into the company as risk capital,” he said. “That made the company.” He went on to suggest that European state aid rules are preventing other innovative companies from receiving much-needed support. Wennink is currently the chair of the Dutch National Growth Fund, which has allocated €12 billion to very early-stage “moonshot” projects, but cannot award the money because of European state aid rules, he said. These rules are designed to limit governments’ ability to subsidise companies in difficulty, as this may distort competition, but they also exclude many start-ups from support. “Show me a start-up, a moonshot initiative, where the money flows through the streets. It doesn’t. Of course they’re in difficulty,” Wennink said. “If you tell this to a Chinese or an American, they will just laugh at us.” Source: Science|Business

VC is not your only option. Mental and brain health startups can access non-dilutive funding sources through grants. Here are 5 grant opportunities for innovation in mental health: 1️⃣ Wellcome Trust: Grants £3 to 7 million per mental health award to fund research on digital interventions to advance early intervention in depression, anxiety and psychosis. https://lnkd.in/gtSXu_dj 2️⃣ NIH (SBIR and STTR): U.S. government grants for health startups, funding R&D and commercialization of mental health technologies. https://lnkd.in/gw6VnzZi 3️⃣ National Science Foundation (NSF) (USA): Provides grants for scientific research, including technology and neuroscience innovations relevant to mental health. https://lnkd.in/gqiWZHwY 4️⃣ Brain & Behavior Research Foundation: Provides $70,000 grants for neuroscience and mental health research, supporting early-stage discoveries and clinical innovations. https://lnkd.in/gJZbStJ4 5️⃣ Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Focuses on health equity and innovation, including mental health projects addressing public health challenges. https://lnkd.in/g6AJhxhs We are always looking to partner with early stage startups in mental and brain health PsyMed Ventures. Feel free to apply to these grants and keep us updated!

☀️ Still a month to go. Not only until the end of the #Summer, but also until the end of the public consultation on the new Guidelines on State aid for rescuing and restructuring undertakings in difficulty. 🚀 What's in it for #startups? The revised guidelines would: ✅ Remove certain types of innovative #startups from the solvency test of the “undertaking in difficulty” definition. This change would take into account that initial accumulated losses are not uncommon for innovative #startups and do not necessarily indicate an imminent risk of failing; and ✅ Include some types of hybrid financial instruments in the determination of equity to assess whether a company is in difficulty. This change would introduce more flexibility into the definition of "undertaking in difficulty" and allow for a better assessment of the actual risk of failing. Let us know what you think of these changes by 4 September: https://lnkd.in/ezC5x9Pj Another action of the #EU #startup and #scaleup strategy in the making (https://lnkd.in/e9_kcSdC)

A new startup blueprint for Europe's innovation future! ⬇️ The European Commission has yesterday released “The EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy – Choose Europe to Start and Scale” (COM(2025) 270 final). This strategy is a wake-up call—and a once-in-a-decade opportunity—to position the EU as a magnet for global tech founders, investors, and innovation talent. Key highlights at a glance: 📍 One Europe for Startups: A proposed 28th company regime will enable EU-wide operations via a single digital legal framework, simplifying cross-border company creation - digital-first, fast-track, frictionless. 📍 Next-Level Capital: Launch of a Scaleup Europe Fund and stronger ties with institutional investors to close the late-stage funding gap. 📍 IP-Driven Growth: Major focus on turning research into revenue—new licensing templates, TTO support, and tech transfer models. 📍 Talent Pipeline Reform: Tax clarity for ESOPs, visa upgrades for founders, and education alignment with startup needs. 📍Progress Tracking: A new scoreboard to track centaurs, unicorns, and innovation policy impact across Member States. Why this matters for Intellectual Proeprty (IP) and finance experts? The EU is finally addressing one of the most persistent structural gaps - IP-backed financing. In partnership with EUIPO - European Union Intellectual Property Office, the Commission will develop a comprehensive IP valuation framework by 2027 to unlock capital flows for startups with strong intangible portfolios. This could be the lever that integrates IP into Europe’s venture and growth finance culture. What do you think about this long awaited development in the IP system? [#Startups #EUStartupStrategy #IPValuation #IPFinance #DeepTech #IPforSMEs]

Europe is ALREADY a leading region in startup creation, with comparable figures to the US and China. Also, we are not lagging so much behind regarding unicorns with around 600 unicorns being founded in Europe. And, despite all criticism, the EU is putting huge efforts into positioning itself not only as the top global region in innovation, entrepreneurship but also when it comes to scale-ups. Europe’s main gap is not starting companies, but scaling them with fewer European startups reaching very large valuations or global leadership, and many relocating to the US for funding or exits. That’s why recent EU policy is focused less on creation and more on keeping and growing successful startups into global giants. I think it’s time to congratulate the EU for all these scaleup-focused initiatives. I believe that if all of them come to materialise, Europe will also be the top region in scale-ups in the near future. Let’s take a look at some of the EU initiatives: - EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy (“Choose Europe”), this is the umbrella strategy under which most new initiatives sit.  - Scaleup Europe Fund (flagship financing tool). This is the most important new financing initiative aiming to mobilise €5-10bn+ of public-private money targeting deep tech AI, climate tech and strategic industries.  - European Innovation Council (EIC) Scale.up funding expansion with €300m in 2025 for the EIC Step Scale.up scheme, €900m until 2027.  - EIB and “Tech EU” will deploy ~€70 billion (2025–2027) for tech sectors to crowd-in ~250 billion in total investment.  - On top of this, the EU.inc initiative that aims to create a single, pan-European company structure that startups can use instead of dealing with 27 different national legal systems, which would be of critical importance for European scale-ups. Having founded and managed a company with clients in 23 countries with +99% of our turnover coming from international markets, we know the challenges but also the opportunities to grow internationally and to scale. We welcome these EU initiatives and are optimistic about our European future. If your company is struggling to grow internationally, but you have a competitive product or service please send me a DM. We might be able to help. #euscaleups #scaleupfund #scaleups #startups #euinnovation

⭐ This have the potential to change everything for European deep tech! Yesterday's launch of the EU Startup & Scaleup Strategy isn't just another policy document. It's a blueprint for turning Europe into the world's best place to launch and scale technology-driven companies. What excites me most is the strong focus on science-based innovation. ( I know that all startups matter, but this focus is much needed!) As CEO of KTH Ventures AB and head of KTH Innovation, I've worked with innovation at KTH Royal Institute of Technology for over two decades. I've seen groundbreaking research and brilliant researchers develop technologies that could transform entire industries. But too often, those breakthroughs get stuck in labs, stuck in systems not built for today's pace and not properly funded. The strategy addresses key priorities: 🔹 European Startup & Scaleup Hubs — interconnected innovation centers across the continent 🔹 European 28th Regime — seamless cross-border growth through #EUInc 🔹 Strengthened European Innovation Council — more accessible support for startups 🔹 Scaleup Europe Fund — finally addressing our capital gap At KTH, we're already living this vision. Through KTH Innovation's and KTH Ventures' deep tech program "Pioneer", we bring together scientists with breakthrough technologies and experienced venture builders - exactly what the strategy proposes. As members of Rise Europe, a network of leading ecosystem builders, we understand the power of connected innovation across borders. We have met with Ursula von der Leyen, Ekaterina Zaharieva and several other EU officials on this matter. What's game-changing? The 28th regime for cross-border scaling, the Scaleup Europe Fund addressing our funding gap, simplification of complex regulations, clearer state aid rules that universities desperately need, and enhanced public procurement to create real demand for innovative solutions. Finally leveraging our Single Market's full potential alongside a strengthened EIC. But here's the reality check: speed matters now more than ever. We need rapid implementation, not just beautiful frameworks. Every month we delay is another breakthrough that might end up commercialized elsewhere. To make this work, we need universities, startups, investors, and policymakers aligned behind one goal: turning European science into European success stories. The strategy is out. Now let's build. Link to strategy in comments 👇 #Itallstartshere #RiseEurope #ChooseEurope #RiseforEurope