Deep-tech commercialisation is not only about funding or technology readiness; it also calls for market alignment, customer trust, and the right European networks to help companies scale.

For Europe’s deep-tech companies, the journey from breakthrough innovation to commercial scale is rarely straightforward. The hardest part is proving the solution works repeatedly in real conditions, fits a paying customer’s priorities, and can move through certification, procurement and supply chains without losing momentum.

At the EIC Scaling Club Growth Forum in Paris (18 March 2026, hosted at Bpifrance), EIC Scaling Club members and select guests came together for a full day of insightful sessions, strategic discussions and networking focused on what it takes to scale in Europe.

Five leaders from European deep-tech scale-ups shared candid reflections on what it takes to move from ambition to adoption. While their companies might be at different points in the commercialisation journey, they all point to a common truth: scaling deep tech requires more than technical excellence.

From proving product-market fit and building customer trust to navigating certification and corporate partnerships, these founders and industry leaders offer practical lessons for the next generation of European deep-tech entrepreneurs.

Here are five perspectives from EIC Scaling Club companies on what it really takes to commercialise deep tech in Europe:

1. Scale-up requires new skills, not just more of the same

Florent Baudu, COO at Kraftblock (Germany)

"The growth of a company from an R&D start-up to a more industrial scale-up is very complex, and it requires different mindsets and skills. The challenges you’ll need to tackle will vary along the journey, and you’ll need to have a clear consciousness of how the team will evolve as you scale up. The questions that your stakeholders will ask you at the beginning might be different from the ones you will be requested to answer at the very end, so you need to maintain a versatile approach."

Key takeaway: as you move from R&D to industrial delivery, your team, stakeholders and decision criteria change. Plan the evolution early — and keep the organisation adaptable.

2. Certification is a growth constraint — credibility is the currency

Aurélien Gibert, Deputy CEO and Partner at Limatech (France)

“For a player in the aerospace industry, the true challenge is developing the technology itself and obtaining necessary certification, which may take up to twelve years. Besides, it is essential to build credibility among industry authorities and obtain trust from your clients and the supply chain. Financing is always difficult because the financial world is not as educated about industrial projects, but we have had a lot of good wins, among which has been participation in the EIC Scaling Club, and that is why we are still here after nine years.”

Key takeaway: in regulated industries, time-to-certification shapes everything: financing strategy, partnerships and go-to-market sequencing. Trust-building with authorities and the supply chain is part of the product.

3. Customer needs first, challenge – always

Pablo Fernandez Santos, CEO at Basquevolt (Spain)

“The big difficulty first is to make sure that the technological breakthrough that you are developing is focusing on what the customer really needs. The next step is to focus on where the added value is within the company because we are small companies at the end of the day. The third step, which EIC Scaling Club was extremely helpful with, is challenging the strategy to go to the market and approach investors. So, listen to your customers, focus on your real added value and be ready for a challenge.”

Key takeaway: breakthrough tech only matters if it maps to a customer’s urgent problem. Focus your scarce resources where you create differentiated value — and pressure-test your go-to-market early.

4. Replicability is the real test of product-market fit

Asparuh Koev, CEO & Founder at Transmetrics (Bulgaria)

“There are so many things which all have to click together in order to have a product to market fit. Founders very often do testing with just one customer segment and believe it’s a fit, but it’s not enough – the technology has to be replicable so you have consistent demand. It requires much more road to travel in order to reach that market fit, and you should also not be afraid to change direction.”

Key takeaway: one enthusiastic segment isn’t enough. You need repeatable demand and a solution that travels across customers — and you should be willing to change direction when the evidence says so.

5. Treat stakeholders as a mentoring network

Herman Stockinger, CEO and founder at Easelink (Austria)

“When you move a company from R&D and lab into the market, it's about getting to know the industry you're targeting. In our case, it's a B2B company, so we needed to interact with industry players. A key element here is to engage with real stakeholders and target customers very early, and to treat this group of people as a mentoring network whose knowledge can help the company maneuver the different phases of development. Besides, in this process, you need to not only grow as a team, but also reach a level of maturity as an organization, so it’s certainly an exciting journey full of learnings.”

Key takeaway: Commercialisation accelerates when founders build an “industry learning loop” early — engaging real stakeholders and target customers as a practical mentoring network, while deliberately maturing the organisation (not just the product) through each phase.

Final words

These perspectives highlight the realities of bringing deep tech to market in Europe, where progress depends not only on the strength of the technology, but on clear market demand, strategic partnerships, early stakeholder engagement, and the ability to evolve with customer and industry expectations. Through the EIC Scaling Club, founders become part of a network designed to challenge, connect, and support companies as they move from promising innovation to commercial scale.

About the EIC Scaling Club

The EIC Scaling Club is a curated community where 120+ European deep tech scale-ups with the potential to build world-class businesses and solve major global challenges come together with investors, corporate innovators and other industry stakeholders to spur growth.

The top 120+ European deep tech companies will be carefully selected from a pool of high-growth scale-ups that have benefitted from EIC financial schemes, other European and national innovation programmes, and beyond.

The EIC Scaling Club is an EIC-funded initiative run in partnership by Tech Tour, Bpifrance (EuroQuity), Hello Tomorrow, Tech.eu (Webrazzi), EurA and IESE Business School.

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