The EIT AI Community becomes the EIT AI & Robotics Community and opens first call for founders
EITThe EIT AI Community is evolving into the EIT AI & Robotics Community, a pan-European initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), for 2026–2028. As part of this new direction, the initiative is opening its first call, the AI Entrepreneurs Lab, for the next generation of European AI and robotics founders. A second call, FactoryX, will open in autumn 2026.
The initiative aims to help artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics ventures move from idea to scale and strengthen Europe’s competitiveness in frontier and applied AI. Led by 28DIGITAL, it brings together EIT Food, EIT Health and EIT Culture & Creativity to support the commercialisation of innovation in areas including health, manufacturing, food systems, biotechnology and robotics. Running until 2028, the initiative aims to launch 14 innovations, support more than 10 high-potential scale-ups and help participating ventures leverage more than €80 million in investment.
Why robotics is now part of the Community
The EIT AI & Robotics Community builds on the EIT AI Community. The new name reflects the growing convergence of AI and robotics and a stronger focus on turning European research into scalable, market-ready solutions.
Adding robotics responds to a specific gap. Europe produces world-class robotics research but struggles to turn it into deployed, commercial systems – particularly intelligent, AI-driven robotics operating in real industrial and physical-world environments. As AI and robotics increasingly converge, we support them together in the full path from research to market, in exactly the applications where Europe's competitiveness and strategic autonomy are most at stake: from manufacturing and health to food systems and advanced sensing. In practical terms, we support AI and robotics founders with launching, scaling and funding their innovation.
Orestis Trasanidis, Head of the AI & Robotics Community
Open now: the AI Entrepreneurs Lab
The AI Entrepreneurs Lab is a five-day bootcamp for aspiring applied AI and robotics founders, designed to help technical talent move from research to entrepreneurship. It is open to master’s and PhD students, graduates and early-stage founders with an AI or robotics idea at the core of their proposed venture. Up to 15 participants may take part, either individually or as a team.
Applicants should demonstrate a clear problem, a credible technical approach and a plausible path to market, and submit an application form, CV(s) and a short pitch. A full business plan is not required.
During five in-person days in Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, from 9 to 13 November 2026, participants will work with experienced founders on customer discovery, business model testing and pitch development, while receiving feedback from industry and introductions to investors. Selected participants may receive travel and accommodation support. Up to five prizes of €10 000 will be awarded at Demo Day.
Applications are open until 21 October 2026 at 17:00 CET. Full details and the application form are available on the EIT AI & Robotics Community website.
One connected pipeline from idea to scale
The Community’s programmes provide different entry points for founders and ventures at different stages. The AI Entrepreneurs Lab builds founder capacity, the Growth Studio supports scaling, FactoryX enables industrial validation and the Founders Club supports access to markets and investment.
- AI Entrepreneurs Lab (open now) supports new founders and early teams, with selected participants able to progress to the Growth Studio or Founders Club.
- Growth Studio supports promising early-stage AI and robotics ventures with €100 000 – €200 000 in funding for pre-Series A companies.
- FactoryX (opening autumn 2026) connects startups with industrial partners through co-funded projects to validate advanced solutions in operational settings.
- Founders Club connects European founders with investors, corporates and global markets.
Supporting trustworthy AI and robotics
The EIT AI & Robotics Community supports founders in developing trustworthy and compliant AI and robotics solutions from the outset. This includes helping ventures prepare for relevant EU rules, including the EU AI Act and the Machinery Regulation. The initiative also supports EU priorities including the Apply AI Strategy, the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) and the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy.
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