Romania is joining the second stage of the European Tech Champions Initiative 2.0 (ETCI 2.0), a major investment programme launched by the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group together with all 27 EU governments and private institutional investors. The initiative aims to mobilise up to EUR 80 billion for highly innovative European technology companies seeking to scale globally.

According to an EIB press release, the new phase of the initiative launched on Friday in Brussels on the sidelines of the ECOFIN meeting of EU finance ministers, ETCI 2.0 is designed to create a pan-European investment platform that will ease access to capital for fast-growing, high-innovation companies. The new phase will be four times larger than its predecessor, will triple the number of mega-funds with anchor investors, and will expand its scope to include medium-sized growth funds.

The first phase of ETCI supported 15 mega-funds investing in European start-ups and contributed to the emergence of 12 EU-based unicorns. ETCI 2.0 aims to attract up to EUR 15 billion in contributions - almost four times more than the initial programme launched in 2023 - and ultimately mobilise up to EUR 80 billion for more than 1,500 scale-up companies.

EIB Group President Nadia Calvino said the partnership aims to reduce the financing gap faced by European companies in their growth phase, enabling them to expand and remain in Europe. She stressed that the initiative focuses on scale and speed, powering European pioneers with the capital needed to grow and ensuring that innovative ideas, technologies and firms created in Europe can stay and thrive in Europe.

Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare emphasised Romania's early support for the initiative and the benefits for Romanian tech companies.

'Romania was among the first states to support ETCI, convinced that Europe must strengthen its capacity to support innovative companies with scaling potential and compete on global markets. By participating in ETCI, Romania contributes to facilitating access to development capital for tech companies, to consolidating the European investment-fund ecosystem, and to developing a robust flow of private capital oriented toward innovation. This commitment also strengthens the national innovation ecosystem and positions Romania as a credible partner in building the next generation of European technology champions,' Nazare said.

Private investors joining ETCI 2.0 include Danske Bank (Denmark); AltamarCAM, Banco Santander and BBVA (Spain); and Italy's Azimut Holding, Green Arrow Capital and the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation, with more expected to follow.

The size of ETCI 2.0 will be determined in the second half of 2026, when all contributions are finalised ('first closing'). The EIB Group will invest up to EUR 1.25 billion into the fund. ETCI 2.0 will support European mega-funds and, for the first time, medium-sized growth funds above EUR 300 million. The initiative is expected to act as an anchor investor in the creation of more than 100 funds, including up to 45 mega-funds, which will invest in scale-ups with an average ticket of EUR 200 million per company.

A pan-European investment platform will also be established, offering a steady pipeline of European tech funds and enhanced information for private investors on opportunities, markets and ecosystems. A digital tool will support investor engagement.

ETCI 2.0 aims to expand access to late-stage capital across Europe, strengthen links between national and EU investment initiatives, and provide long-term investors with a structured route to Europe's most promising growth-stage tech companies. It will operate in tandem with national and European programmes such as France's Tibi, Germany's WIN and the European Scale-Up Fund, contributing to a more federalised European investment ecosystem.

By mobilising cross-border public and private capital, ETCI 2.0 seeks to reinforce, integrate and streamline European capital markets, supporting EU economic and investment-union objectives, strategic autonomy, innovation and productivity growth.

The EIB Group, owned by the 27 EU member states, is one of the world's largest multilateral development banks. In 2025, it signed EUR 100 billion in new financing and advisory operations for 870 high-impact projects aligned with EU policy priorities.

The European Investment Fund (EIF), its specialised subsidiary, provides guarantees, securitisation and equity instruments to improve access to finance for SMEs and start-ups across Europe. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Mariana Nica; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)