Venture debt for innovative growing companies
Long-term loans for innovative companies expanding clean technologies in the EU after raising private investment, covering up to half of their investment plan.
Esta oportunidade está atualmente disponível em inglês.
EIB Venture Debt provides a repayable loan alongside existing equity investment for companies developing and expanding innovative technologies. The climate-relevant part supports clean energy, sustainable transport, decarbonisation, the bioeconomy and circular-economy solutions.
The EIB typically lends €10–50 million. Companies scaling up with a valuation above €500 million can be eligible for more than €50 million. Financing covers no more than half of the company’s investment plan: you must explain where the remainder will come from, although it need not all be committed when you first approach the bank.
The loan uses bullet repayment, with the borrowed amount paid at the end of the agreed period rather than steadily repaid from the start. EIB guidance describes terms of five to seven years, payments released when agreed milestones are met, and repayments beginning four to six years after each instalment of funding. Interest and a possible warrant element—a right to acquire shares that lets the bank share in future gains—form part of its return. This can reduce existing owners’ percentage of the company, although the effect on ownership is smaller than raising equity alone.
Interest reflects the project’s credit risk and may be fixed or variable. The EIB can also charge fees and expenses, including legal and technical due-diligence costs. The loan may be secured against assets or unsecured, and its priority relative to other lenders can vary. The EIB does not take part directly in day-to-day management.
Eligibility
The offer is for EU-based small and medium-sized enterprises and mid-caps developing highly innovative technologies, solutions or platforms. The EIB’s size overview describes mid-caps as companies with 250–2,999 employees. You must already have raised equity from professional investors and have a sustainable business model, a business plan and sound corporate governance, with clear management and oversight arrangements.
The investment plan must include research and development located in the EU. Projects should be at the commercial stage, with a product or technology ready for customers and expansion. Exceptionally, a pre-commercial project can qualify if it develops technology in an area of strategic importance to the EU.
This is growth finance rather than seed funding for a newly formed business. Be ready to demonstrate revenues, a credible company valuation and a substantial investment plan. The bank looks for an appropriate financial stake from the company’s existing owners relative to the risk it takes. Its applicant guidance includes EU research and development, sales and marketing, and potentially spending on long-term assets such as equipment in the investment plan.
How to apply
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You can apply throughout the year. Create or sign in to an EIB MyRequests account and choose “EIB Venture Debt Pre-screening Form”, not the general “Request for financing”. Submit your existing pitch deck and company information, including sector, location, business description and employee numbers. The advisory route also allows you to send a pitch deck to venturedebt@eib.org.
If your company fits, the venture-debt team invites you to an introductory call. Submit the full “EIB Venture Debt Application Form” after the team confirms that you should proceed. After reviewing your application package, EIB staff will tell you whether the additional eligibility form for thematic venture debt applies to your company. If it does, you must complete the form, which is reviewed by both the EIB and European Commission.
The competitive process then includes a decision on whether to proceed, technical, financial and commercial checks, an unsigned outline of the proposed loan terms, final approval, legal checks and loan documentation before signing and disbursement.