Venture Builders: the European Commission has launched a first Workshop on this hot topic

Venture Builders (VB) is a new term that is emerging in the landscape of academic spin-off creation. Venture builders are stakeholders who offer the benefits of investors, co-founders, C-level staff, and providers of networks, partnerships, and even business opportunities. This is what is often referred to as ‘smart money’.

The European Commission is taking an increasing interest in this model and has recently launched a study and stakeholder consultations on the topic. As part of this work, DG RTD (Research and Innovation) organised a first workshop entitled "Creating Venture Builder Roles in Universities and Research Organisations" on 17 June 2026 in Brussels.

The large audience engaged in a very lively discussion on issues of definition, models and the support expected. The workshop began with an analysis of the current landscape carried out by Mr Mads Friis on behalf of the European Commission.

Key points included the fact that the question of a precise definition of what a VB is has not yet been resolved. This is probably not made any easier by the existence of financial support programmes with the same name, ‘Venture Builder’, such as those run by EIT Health or Innovate UK. There is also a general lack of awareness of these tools within academia and public research, despite the fact that several stakeholders and success stories already exist.

Why is the European Commission interested? The answer is simple: Europe is looking for new ways to increase the number and success of academic spin-outs and to accelerate the journey from research results to market impact. Venture builders are increasingly being viewed as one potential mechanism to help bridge this gap.

The work has only just begun, and a second workshop is taking place in October 2026. The aim is to define how the European Commission can support these stakeholders through guidance and initiatives, always with the ultimate goal of increasing the commercialisation of public research.