EIT Culture & Creativity Launches 100-to-Watch, Showcasing Europe’s Most Innovative Creative Ventures

EIT Culture & Creativity Launches 100-to-Watch, Showcasing Europe’s Most Innovative Creative Ventures 

EIT Culture & Creativity – one of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology’s (EIT’s) Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) – has unveiled the first edition of 100-to-Watch, a new showcase of Europe’s most promising early-stage ventures in culture and creativity. The list highlights breakthrough solutions across fashion, architecture, cultural heritage, film, gaming and more, revealing a fast-growing pipeline of innovators driving Europe’s green, digital and societal 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.

Anette Schaefer, CEO of EIT Culture & Creativity. 

Celebrating High-Potential Ventures 

The ventures included in 100-to-Watch are drawn from EIT Culture & Creativity’s flagship incubation, (post-)acceleration and innovation programmes, which support cutting-edge startups to become investment-ready and commercially viable. Most companies are at pre-seed or seed stage, with several already securing over €500,000 in early-stage financing – evidence of strong innovation capacity and market traction. 

A Growing Investment Opportunity 

Beyond serving as a seal of excellence, the list underscores a major investment opportunity. The cultural and creative sectors and industries (CCSIs) contribute 5.3% of EU GDP and are projected to reach 10% of global GDP by 2030, positioning the sector as a driver of Europe’s sustainable and inclusive growth. 

Bringing these ventures together in one place shows that early-stage CCSI companies are not niche or experimental. They are delivering market-ready solutions with clear demand. As new ventures join EIT Culture & Creativity’s programmes, the 100-to-Watch portfolio will evolve, helping investors identify scalable ideas and connect with founders ready for growth.

Download the full 100-to-Watch list here!