EIT Culture & Creativity – the institutional partnership for Europe’s cultural and creative sectors and industries (CCSI) supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union – has released the first edition of its 100-to-Watch, setting a new benchmark for innovation and investment potential in culture and creativity.
Innovations span bio-based materials in fashion, carbon-cutting solutions in architecture, XR tools rediscovering cultural heritage and AI applications transforming the film and gaming industries. Together, they reflect the ambition of a new generation of entrepreneurs driving Europe’s green and digital transitions.
“The European cultural and creative sectors and industries are producing some of the most transformative innovations to address our greatest challenges. Yet these ventures are still underfunded, which holds back not only the sector but Europe itself. The 100-to-Watch demonstrates that high-impact investment in the CCSIs is not just possible, it’s a crucial opportunity to shape our future,” stated Anette Schaefer, CEO of EIT Culture & Creativity.
The ventures are selected from EIT Culture & Creativity’s flagship incubation, (post-)acceleration and innovation programmes, supporting cutting-edge startups to become investment-ready and commercially viable. Many of these ventures are at the pre-seed or seed stage, with some having secured over €500,000 in early-stage financing, demonstrating innovation and market traction — similar to the trends explored in Europe’s competitiveness landscape.
Beyond serving as a seal of excellence, the 100-to-Watch highlights a huge investment opportunity. Contributing 5.3% of EU GDP and projected to reach 10% globally by 2030, the CCSIs are poised to attract serious capital and fuel Europe’s sustainable and inclusive growth — a dynamic also connected to wider platform-driven economic models.
Bringing these ventures together in one place proves that early-stage companies in culture and creativity are not niche or experimental — they are already developing market-ready solutions with clear demand. As new ventures join EIT Culture & Creativity’s programmes, the 100-to-Watch portfolio will continue to evolve, helping investors spot scalable ideas, understand the breadth of the pipeline and connect with founders who are prepared for growth, echoing shifts in investment behaviour across European markets.
