EC launches an education & training platform for startups to bridge the €15,000 legal fee gap and help founders scale.
WARSAW – Every year, Europe’s most promising deep-tech founders face a critical “value gap.” While the continent is a powerhouse of talent – producing 24% of the world’s unicorn founders (nearly rivalling the US at 38%) – it captures only 6% of global unicorn enterprise value, according to data from Dealroom. Currently, 42% of European-founded unicorns eventually migrate to the US because the local environment lacks seamless cross-border scaling.
To address this, the EU SCALE Startup Academy is officially opening applications for the next cohort. The initiative is seeking 21 early-stage deep-tech startups from any EU Member State or Ukraine to join a three-month mission to simplify European investment and pilot a prototype of EU SCALE (European Simple Convertible Agreement for Loan to Equity), an investment tool designed to simplify and accelerate the deal signing process for an early-stage investment in Europe.
This is happening in parallel with the announcement of the EC President Ursula Von Der Leyen, mentioning a new truly European company structure – EU Inc, also known as the 28th regime, in her 2026 annual address. “We are incredibly excited about the European Commission’s recent announcement regarding the 28th regime and the plans to simplify startup registration through a single company law regulation,” says Tomasz Mazuryk, Co-CEO of FundingBox Group and the Technical Coordinator of DeepSAFE, an EC-funded project behind EU SCALE. “However, systemic legislative change takes time. Startups fighting for growth today cannot wait years for a regulation to take full effect. We already have a prototype of the EU SCALE ready. This cohort of academy members will provide the vital feedback to fine-tune it for the entire market.”
The EU SCALE Startup Academy
The Academy is run by Accelerace, one of Europe’s most experienced seed-stage accelerators. Since 2008, Accelerace has spotted and trained over 1,000 startups (including unicorns like Trustpilot and Pleo), maintaining an impressive 80% survival rate among its alumni.
Through this specialised program, participants will receive:
- Expert Mentorship: Deep dives into team composition, technology readiness, and commercial scalability.
- Prototype Testing: Participants will be among the first to test the EU SCALE prototype with interested investors. This mechanism is vital for the EU as it reduces the legal gridlock that currently drains startup capital during cross-border deals.
- Venture Readiness: Preparing founders to navigate the fragmented 27-market landscape without being forced into a “Delaware flip.”
“Capital in Europe is currently trapped within 27 different legal and tax systems,” says Anna Dymowska, COO of FundingBox Group and the project’s coordinator. “EU SCALE is our answer: a solution built for speed – we estimate that the deal can be made in just one afternoon! By participating in this Academy, startups aren’t just getting mentored; they are helping us refine a tool that could become the future standard for European funding.”
How to Apply
Applications are open from February 12 until 21st April 2026. Eligible startups must be less than five years old, have raised less than €100,000 in investment, and be legally registered in an EU Member State or Ukraine.
To apply and help shape the future of European innovation, visit: https://eu-scale.eu/expression-of-interest/.
