How to Win Big with the EIC Accelerator: Insider Secrets from a €6.25M Grant Recipient

If you’re a deep-tech founder staring down the barrel of the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator application, you’re not alone. The process is notoriously competitive, with success rates hovering around a brutal 5%, but the payoff—up to €2.5M in grant funding plus €10M in investment—can be transformative.

Rhona Togher, CEO and co-founder of Lios, an advanced acoustic materials scale-up based in Dublin, knows this firsthand. Her company just secured €6.25M in EIC Accelerator funding in 2025 after navigating the notoriously complex process. Now, she’s pulling back the curtain on what it really takes to win—and what she wishes she’d known before pressing “submit.”

The Brutal Reality: It’s Not About Being the Smartest

Let’s get one thing straight: the EIC Accelerator isn’t a science fair. Togher’s biggest revelation? “The single most important document is not your pitch deck. It’s the EIC work programme.”

Translation: if your technology doesn’t align with the EU’s current strategic priorities—whether that’s climate tech, advanced materials, or dual-use technologies—you’re already fighting an uphill battle. The Commission isn’t asking, “Is this clever?” They’re asking, “Is this strategically important for Europe?”

Size Doesn’t Matter (But Credibility Does)

Forget the myth that you need a 40-person team with millions in revenue. Togher’s team at Lios was just five to six people when they won. What mattered was credibility and trajectory.

The reviewers want to see:

• Real market traction (not just lab results)
• Strong, defensible IP
• A team capable of execution
• Governance structures beyond the founders
• Financial sustainability

The “Valley of Death” Is Real (And This Bridge Is Rare)

Here’s the brutal truth about deep tech: you’re in the hardest funding gap imaginable. Your technology works (TRL 6-8), you might have pilot validation, but you’re not yet at commercial scale. In Europe especially, this is where many innovations die—too advanced for research grants, too early for most private investors.

The EIC Accelerator is specifically designed to bridge this gap. It’s one of the few instruments built for companies genuinely on the cusp of scale.

Evidence Beats Volume Every Time

The review process is brutal. Remote evaluators focus on technical merit and written clarity. Juries—typically composed of investors and entrepreneurs—are commercial and investment-driven. They read everything: your short proposal, full application, annexes, financials, Freedom To Operate assessments, and letters of intent.

In a single week, a panel might review 15-20 companies, absorbing thousands of pages. How do you stand out? Be credible. Be concise. Be memorable. Be real.

Avoid the trap of volume. Three well-written letters from genuine customers and industrial stakeholders will carry more weight than twenty cookie-cutter letters. The reviewers are looking for genuine industrial validation, not just lab results.

IP Strategy Is Non-Negotiable

Intellectual property and freedom to operate come up constantly in reviews. You need to demonstrate:

• Understanding of the competitive landscape
• Knowledge of who’s patenting in your space
• A clear IP strategy
• Meaningful white space

The Jury Interview: It’s an Investment Pitch, Not a PhD Viva

This surprises many founders. The jury panel typically includes five jury members (often investors/entrepreneurs), an EIB representative, an EIC Programme manager, and an observer/moderator.

Most questions are commercial:

• Who’s on your cap table?
• What’s your go-to-market strategy?
• How will you scale?
• Tell me about your governance.
• Is this plan financially robust?
• What will be the economic impact?

You may have a subject matter expert in the room, but you’ll almost certainly have multiple investor-type profiles. The underlying question is “Can this become an EU unicorn?” not “Is this the most elegant piece of science?”

Governance Signals Maturity

One recurring theme: governance. Strong juries want to see independent board members, financial oversight, documented decision-making, and a clear split of executive responsibility.

Even if this is your first company, showing that you’re intentionally building strong governance structures demonstrates maturity and ambition. It signals you’re growing the company and yourselves with scale in mind.

The European Case: Make It or Lose It

Demonstrate how your technology strengthens European competitiveness. Impact isn’t just environmental—it’s economic. Consider how you contribute to wealth generation, jobs, and strategic autonomy. Make the European case.

Be Memorable (For the Right Reasons)

Will the jury remember you? Showcase your technology with warmth, confidence, and simplicity. Preparation is key. Know your business plan inside out—you’re likely to encounter difficult questions and alternative perspectives.

Remember that the jurors are human. Engage authentically and openly. They want to see you do well.

And Finally: Don’t Be Discouraged

It’s a really competitive programme. Sometimes remote evaluators score you highly, and the jury sees it differently. It happens. But strong companies do get funded.

Even preparing for the EIC Accelerator—tightening your governance, refining IP strategy, stress testing commercial models—makes you stronger regardless of the outcome.

The Bottom Line

The EIC Accelerator is demanding because it sits at one of the hardest points in a company’s journey: that uncomfortable space between breakthrough and bankability. If you’re there, genuinely there, it can be transformational.

Be honest. Be investable. Be European in your ambition.

And above all, remember: the jury wants to fund companies that will make Europe stronger. If that’s you, prepare well, and go for it.

EIC Accelerator Funding
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EIC Accelerator Tips
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“5% success rate but 100% worth it”
“Align with EU priorities or go home”
“Evidence beats volume every time”
“Governance isn’t optional, it’s essential”
“Be European in your ambition”
“The jury wants you to win”
“Prepare for the worst, hope for the best”
“TRL 6-8 is where dreams die (or thrive)”
“IP strategy can make or break you”
“Commercial questions, not technical ones”
“Small teams win when they’re credible”
“European case = competitive advantage”
“Be memorable for the right reasons”
“Don’t be discouraged, be prepared”
“The valley of death has a bridge”
“Transformational funding for transformational tech”
“Success leaves clues, follow them”
“The hardest funding gap has the biggest rewards”
“Be honest, be investable, be European”

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