Accelerate and grade-up existing technology based companies (SMEs and Start-ups) to create European Gazelles
European technology-based companies have a high-growth potential but their expansion is often hindered by industrial fragmentation and by their lack of visibility over the European market.
In order to tackle these development barriers, the Gazelle Accelerator programme aims to support existing technology-based companies (notably SMEs, startups and scaleups) by strengthening their business collaboration with customers and private and public investors, by enabling them to amplify their innovation network, and by giving access to internationalisation business support services. The Gazelle Accelerator programme was launched in January 2020 under the EIT Manufacturing Business Creation pillar Accelerate Programme, and its ambition is to each year support up to 50 innovative startups and SMEs, most of them scaleups, to become the future European Gazelles.
EIT Manufacturing ASBL ceased operations as of 10 April 2026.
After more than five years of building the largest pan-European manufacturing innovation network, EIT Manufacturing ASBL has ceased operations as of 10 April 2026.
We are thankful to our staff, partners and startups who invested in this mission alongside us. The mission that brought us together – improving people’s lives through sustainable manufacturing – has not lost its urgency. We trust that the network, relationships and knowledge built over these years will continue to carry that work forward as the European manufacturing ecosystem requires continuity more than ever.
Our regional offices: EIT Manufacturing East (Vienna), EIT Manufacturing West (San Sebastian), EIT Manufacturing South (Milan) and EIT Manufacturing North (Gothenburg) will remain active. If you are based in those regions, reach out to your existing regional contact directly to continue the conversations.
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