StepUp StartUps

The StepUp Startups initiative of the European Commission brings together data, research, and analysis on Europe’s startup landscape, with a particular focus on the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI). It is a central hub for intelligence on startup development in the EU, providing insights to inform policy, strengthen innovation ecosystems, and accelerate the growth and impact of the continent’s startup ecosystem.

Through a series of data-driven, deep dive reports, StepUp Startups explores key challenges and opportunities for EU startups – from access to finance to AI talent retention to AI adoption. Each publication contributes to a deeper understanding of how Europe can foster a more competitive, inclusive, and technology-driven startups environment.

The insights produced by StepUp StartUps are intended for policymakers, investors, accelerators, and entrepreneurs. A key goal is to furnish evidence that can help align strategy and action with the evolving dynamics of the European startup economy.

Published reports

• Agentic AI: Leveraging European AI talent and Regulatory Assets to Scale Adoption - this report examines Europe’s readiness for such a shift and outlines the steps needed to deploy agentic AI safely and at scale.Published January 2026
• The role of AI in the EU's dual-use technology field - this report outlines how Europe is entering a critical phase in which the ability to integrate AI across civilian and defence innovation ecosystems will determine both technological competitiveness and strategic autonomy. Published December 2025
• Europe’s Open-Source AI Landscape - this report shows that open-source is already widely used across the AI tech stack: over half of developers regularly rely on open models, datasets and tools. Its transparency also supports safer AI by providing valuable information to researchers to study the safety of these models in detail. Published December 2025
• Easing the path for European startups - this report highlights that Europe’s startup landscape is evolving, but founders still face Single Market fragmentation, compliance burdens, slow talent-mobility procedures, and financing gaps. It offers evidence-based guidance to inform EU-level action and support national reforms that can create a more competitive and innovation-friendly environment for European startups. Published November 2025
• Pension Funds and Sovereign Wealth - this report identifies a major opportunity for Europe to boost scale-up financing by increasing the participation of pension funds and sovereign wealth funds in innovation. It shows that reallocating even a small share of these long-term assets could unlock substantial new investment for high-growth European firms. Published November 2025
• Funding the AI Economy - this report explores trends in the EU’s fast expanding AI investment landscape. It includes a particular focus on trends in Central and Eastern Europe and Corporate Venture Capital participation in scaling EU AI start-ups. It makes recommendations to scale-up investment capacity and ecosystem connectivity. Published November 2025
• Shaping the Future of AI Talent in Europe: Strategies for Growth and Retention - this report investigates AI talent demand and supply trends, the EU’s strengths in AI talent and skills. It also analyses how the EU can continue to develop, attract, and retain the talent necessary to drive the AI future by, for example, alignment of national strategies and EU initiatives. Published October 2025
• Public Sector Services and the AI Opportunity -this report highlights key strategies to enhance AI adoption in the EU’s public sector while strengthening opportunities for startups and SMEs. Key insights include AI use cases from public services across Europe, a deep dive into the role of innovation procurement in AI adoption and recommendations for policy, skills and innovation. Published October 2025
• The Opportunity for AI to Enhance Business Support Processes - this report outlines the business objectives, benefits and barriers to AI adoption in Business Support Processes (i.e., processes that support HR, Accounting and Customer Resource Management functions). It offers deep dives on trends and European startups activity in this space. Its recommendations focus on scaling up AI adoption for these functions and unlocking its potential for wider transformation. Published October 2025
• Spin-offs: reinforcing a vector of value creation for EU - this report highlights how universities are leveraging Deep Tech to drive innovation and create societal impact. It concludes by recommending key strategies for strengthening and streamlining the spin-off ecosystem and unlocking Europe's competitive advantage in deep tech.Published February 2025
• Beyond Fragmentation: The Connectivity of Startup Ecosystems in Europe - this report examines the fragmentation challenges in Europe’s start-ups ecosystems and offers strategies to boost collaboration, talent mobility, and funding access. Published November 2024

StepUp StartUps Consortium

The StepUp StartUps initiative is funded by the EU and runs from January 2024 to December 2025. It brings together Barrabés.biz, the Leibniz Institute for Research on Society and Space, DEEP Ecosystems, Startup Europe Regions Network and EU-Startups, with the support of the European Startup Nations Alliance.