Building (and funding) real European deep tech champions: An interview with EIF deputy chief Roger Havenith

Managed by the European Investment Fund, the European Tech Champions Initiative (ETCI) has allocated nearly €1 billion to four strategic funds in its first year, including Atomico and Keensight Capital, in an effort to propel forward the EU tech sector with potential leverage of up to €6 billion.The ETCI fund-of-funds was inaugurated in February 2023 with an initial pledge of €3.75 billion from the European Investment Bank Group and five EU member states (Spain, Germany, France, Italy and Belgium). The ETCI aims to bolster the European Union’s digital transformation and assist leading-edge scale-ups by focusing investments on deep tech firms in their late-stage growth phases, especially those seeking to raise over €50 million.Earlier this week in Brussels, the EIF gave an update on the initiative, and we had a chance to sit down with its deputy chief executive, Roger Havenith, to talk about the announcements, future plans, and its relationship with the EIC (Fund).