ESIL Annual Event: Business Angels and Deep Tech Teams

Business Angels, policymakers, founders, researchers, and other ecosystem players met in Brussels on 5 June 2026 for a deep dive into the future of angel investing and deep tech in Europe.

Many promising research results still struggle to reach the market. While connections between researchers and investors have improved, funding alone is often not enough.

The ESIL Annual Event focused on what is still missing: how funding, skills, networks and ecosystem actors can be better aligned to support the full journey from lab to market.

Key topics

Innovation-driven research teams: How research teams can move beyond scientific results towards validation, application and market readiness
The role of Business Angels beyond capital: How investors contribute through mentoring, experience and networks to support early-stage deep tech
Aligning funding and support instruments: How EU, national and regional mechanisms can better support the transition from research to market

Who was the event for?

Researchers and deep tech founders
Business Angels and investor networks
Universities and Technology and Knowledge Transfer Offices
Innovation actors (accelerators, venture builders, programme managers)
Policymakers and funding bodies

Agenda

8:30 - 9:00	Registration Floor 8, Room 180, Auditorium	Floor 8Room 180Auditorium
9:00 - 9:15	Introduction: From Research Excellence to Market Impact Jan Debets, Head of Business Development and Partnerships at META Group Philippe Rase, Co-president, France Angels Floor 8, Room 180, Auditorium
9:15 - 10:00	Panel 1 From Research to Market: Innovation Driven Research Teams Timo Hallantie, Head of Unit, EIC Pathfinder, European Innovation Council Fredrik Winther, CEO, SINTEF TTO & Venture Laurie Calvet, Coordinator, CNRS-Ecole Polytechnique - BAYFLEX pathfinder Veronika Šedajová, CTO, Atomiver Stefano Buscaglia, CEO, Links Foundation Moderated by Jana Drzkova, Head of Business Development of Euroquity at Bpifrance Floor 8, Room 180, Auditorium
10:00 - 10:45	Panel 2 The Value of Business Angels Beyond Capital Claire Munck, CEO, BeAngels Lieve Grawet, Business Angel, BAN Flanders Riam Kanso, CEO & Founder, Conception X Michel Behar, Vice president, Défense Angels Moderated by Jenny Tooth OBE, VP of Diversity at BAE & Executive Chair of UKBAA Floor 8, Room 180, Auditorium
10:45 - 11:30	Panel 3 From Grants to Market: Aligning Funding and Support Instruments Luis Carlos Busquets Pérez, Head of Sector, EIC Challenge-based Accelerator, European Innovation Council Sara Dagostini, Policy Officer, European Commission, DG REGIO Maciej Zdanowicz, EU Policy Advisor, Polish National Centre for Research and Development Boryana Spasova, Policy Officer, Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) in DG BUDGET Moderated by Francesca Natali, Shareholder and managing partner, META Group Floor 1, Cantine	Floor 1Cantine
11:30 - 12:15	Panel 4 From Research Results to Impact: Strengthening the Deep Tech Ecosystem Viktorija Ruzelyte, Policy Officer, European Commission, DG RTD Reginald Vossen, President, Business Angels Europe Gilles Le Cocguen, Director - Head, Euroquity at Bpifrance Daniel Gassman, Head of Sector, European Innovation Ecosystems Moderated by Luigi Amati, Director & CoFounder, META Group Floor 1, Cantine	Floor 1Cantine
12:15 - 12:30	Conclusion Nuno Quental, Project Officer, European Innovation Council Luigi Amati, Director & CoFounder, META Group Floor 8, Room 180, Auditorium	Floor 8Room 180Auditorium
12:30 - 13:30	Networking Lunch Floor 8, Room 180, Auditorium