Unlocking EIC Funding: Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs & Investors

​Join us for an insightful webinar exploring the European Innovation Council's (EIC) funding opportunities tailored for women-led startups and investors. As a key stakeholder in fostering inclusive innovation, the EIC provides crucial support through instruments such as the EIC Accelerator, the EIC STEP Scale Up scheme, and the Trusted Investor Network. Learn how these funding mechanisms can help scale your business or enhance your investment portfolio while contributing to a more diverse and equitable innovation ecosystem. Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights from experts and industry leaders!
The speaker: Svetoslava Georgieva
Svetoslava has extensive experience in finance, both in the public and the private sector. She is the Chair of the EIC Fund, the VC arm of Europe’s flagship innovation programme supporting breakthrough technologies and innovations with a EUR 10bn budget. She is a Member of the Investment Committee of InvestEU, the European Commission’s programme that aims to mobilise over €372 billion in investments. She was the Bulgarian representative in the Pan-European Guarantee Fund (EGF) managed by the EIB Group and established in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was the executive director of the Fund of Funds in Bulgaria, which manages a portfolio of c. EUR 600 million of debt and equity mandates, where she was responsible for the establishment, fund manager selection and oversight of five VC funds, three debt funds and two risk-sharing mandates for infrastructure and micro finance. Prior to that, she gained international experience in finance and in the European institutions. She worked in banking and equity investments in London, and in the European Commission in Brussels, dealing with EU economic governance and state aid for banks in Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Bulgaria.
The moderator: Anne-Charlotte Joubert
Anne-Charlotte is an expert in securing EU funding with over a decade experience in navigating the European landscape, supporting organisations’ growth, building bridges between research and innovation ecosystems, to address societal challenges and create a less fragmented European market. A passionate advocate for women in STEAM, with restless dedication to empowering women, led her to serve on several boards, offering a voice to women entrepreneurs and enabling them to reach their full potential. She leads the HERFUND initiative building a network of investors and ecosystems to uplift women entrepreneurs across Europe, creating a more inclusive and equitable landscape.