Brussels — June 3, 2026 — The Open Horizons project, funded under the EU’s Horizon Europe programme, has announced its third and final call for applications, offering up to €55,000 in equity-free funding to women-led startups in deep tech and digital innovation.
The initiative aims to empower women innovators by providing capital, mentorship, and market access. Selected teams will pilot solutions addressing 12 corporate challenges from partners including EY, Siemens, Migros, and Stahl, spanning areas such as industrial AI, advanced materials, fintech, retail optimisation, HR tech, and data analytics.
Eligible startups must be registered in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe-associated country, be women-led with at least 25% female equity ownership, and be early-stage ventures founded between six months and six years ago with less than €1 million raised in equity funding.
Startups are encouraged to apply if they operate in domains such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, blockchain, IoT, advanced computing, metaverse, energy, green tech, agritech, or fintech.
By focusing on women-led innovation, Open Horizons seeks to strengthen diversity in Europe’s deep tech ecosystem while accelerating solutions in sustainability, digital transformation, and advanced technologies.
