DEEP Ecosystems invests in entrepreneurs who build ecosystems
The 2-year ecosystem acceleration and the DEEPSEA program enable entrepreneurs to develop world-class innovation systems and to raise funds for their activities via public funding applications and the development of own business models.
Ecosystem Acceleration
We Form Coalitions for Ecosystem Growth
Funding
Go to our monthly funding opportunity list and click "Start now" to get support from our AI as well as our expert consultants in 1:1 calls. Together we develop competitive concepts based on benchmark blueprints and international expert advice, and build strong consortia to apply.
Start nowTop Startups
See a quarterly list of Europe's best new startups and understand how you can attract them to your programs and geography.
See the listAmazing Events
Internationalize your ecosystem by bringing top speakers from DEEP's network, and join delegations to the best tech events in the world with respected peers.
Explore eventsKickass Data
Go to our insights database and find graphs on every hot tech topic, read in-depth reports, and chat with our intelligence experts to understand your market and develop a strong positioning for yourself.
Open the databaseScale your Startups
Go to the community of ecosystem leaders and offer a challenge and reward for lead generation in foreign markets for your startups.
Post a challenge
Startup Heatmap Europe Report 2025 is Out Now
Discover the Top 50 Startup Cities and the Trends Shaping Europe’s Innovation Future
DownloadStart Building with our Blueprints
Create Your Own Venture Studio
The venture studio model is an innovative approach to entrepreneurship that involves creating and launching multiple businesses within a single entity.
Unlike traditional incubators or accelerators, venture studios leverage their resources and experience to launch multiple businesses in a shorter time frame, thereby increasing efficiency, economies of scale, and potential for cross-collaboration.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to establish and operate a successful venture studio in your region.
Check Your Ecosystem's Health
Science-based methodology to analyse the ecosystem you are operating in and defining system-wide KPIs to monitor or impact its performance.
- Scientifically-based Ecosystem Health Check with 8 metrics covering the startup community, the entrepreneurship support network, social capital as well as governance.
- Balanced analysis of quantitative and qualitative assessments
- Benchmark analysis with interantional peers
- Development of recommendations for improvement
Host Your Own Ecosystem Conference
Bring DEEP's global community of influential ecosystem leaders to your city and invite your local actors to initiate moonshot collaborations for exponential growth.
- Host the DEEP Ecosystems Conference in your city & brainstorm project ideas
- Define challenges & publish a call for the most promising project ideas
- Offer a multi-week support in form of the DEEP Startup Ecosystem Accelerator in the setup of new innovation projects in all stages from incubation to scale-up phase
- Access to international partnerships & connection to world-renown entrepreneurs
Setup an Innovation Sandbox
An innovation sandbox allows the co-creation of innovative solutions by technology providers and procurers with the potential involvement of users or resource providers in a multi-stakeholder environment.
Sandboxes are a very early-stage tool to explore the feasibility of new solutions and create “acceptance” among potential procurers and users prior to a potential procurement process. The innovation sandbox is delimited from the real market environment and operates under multiple safeguards. An innovation sandbox is open to host multiple solutions and requires solution providers to iteratively adapt their solution to the needs discovered in the process.
Consult Government with an Entrepreneurial Advisory Board
An Entrepreneurial Advisory Board brings together top entrepreneurs from your vertical and region to foster innovation, share insights, and drive the strategic development of your local startup ecosystem. Below is a comprehensive framework to help you establish and manage this board effectively.
- Target Profile:
- Leading entrepreneurs active in your vertical and region.
- Successful startup founders, corporate C-level executives, venture capitalists, and representatives from industry-leading organizations.
- Selection Criteria:
- Reputation, thought leadership, network strength, and a demonstrated commitment to regional innovation.
Become an Innovation Scout
Offer startup scouting with the help of our venture experts who have over 10 years of scouting experience, working with innovation units of global corporates as well as VC firms.
- A clear scouting strategy aligned with specific goals.
- Defined search profile based on geography, stage, revenue sums, and team composition.
- Access to network of local startup experts across Europe.
- Longlist with potential matches.
- Detailed company profiles of shortlisted companies based on research and interviews.
- Warm introduction where there is mutual interest.
I feel empowered by the tools I have learnt here, because they allow me to set up new goals and find a way to actually achieve them.
____ Lisa Spöck, Standort Tirol, Innsbruck, Austria
DEEP Ecosystems skyrocketed me to a whole new level of understanding in a 3-week program.
____ Alexis Pospekhov, Latvian Startup Ecosystem Builder
I needed this reflection time to think about why we are doing things and how we are thinking we can achieve our goals as ecosystem builders. This workshop was incredibly helpful .
____ Estefania Escobar, InsurLab, Cologne, Germany
The Heatmap Team is just amazing. We were thrilled by all the effort they are putting in the report.
____ Diane, Balderton Capital
A Co-Investment for Growth
- No upfront cost for participants
- Complete alignment of interest based on revenue share
- Run an Ecosystem Hack in your City to get guaranteed seats
Explore Collabs Powered by DEEP
AgriFood
Explore sustainable and impactful advancements in food production and agriculture.
African
Connect with ecosystem builders, investors, and innovators to unlock Africa’s startup potential.
Blue Economy
hare data, insights, and innovations advancing sustainable ocean and water-based solutions.
University Spin-offs and VCs
Explore how university spin-offs, investors are transforming research into successful ventures.
Our Ecosystem Hub Model
Become an Institutional Partner
Support DEEP Ecosystems and connect with emerging hub leaders early-on and get up to speed on the latest vertical and regional trends in the startup industry.
Benefits include:
- Access to Ecosystem Leader Network
- Tickets to DEEP Ecosystems Conference and Partner Events
- Join Data Collabs with Ecosystem Leaders to create co-branded reports and content
- Tailor-made social media posts promoting your ecosystem
- Full data access and tailor-made analysis in quarterly reports
- Quarterly 1:1 sessions with data analyst
- Access Premium Publications
- Access to DEEP Academy Online Courses
- Promotion of your Startup Opportunities in social media, newsletter and website
- Customized presentation on Startup Heatmap Platform as city, accelerator or topical landing page.
- Monthly Public Funding Monitor
- Consortium Building for Public Funding Applications
Speak to us to learn more
Collaborate with the hottest emerging ecosystems around the globe and access their insights, startups, and networks. Check out our portfolio here.
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