Nature Tech in CEE: Where Founders Can Find the Right Support and Capital
Securing funding for nature-positive innovation in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) remains one of the region’s toughest challenges. While local investors are still warming to cleantech, new pathways are emerging through EU programmes, accelerators, and cross-border partnerships. For founders willing to navigate this landscape early, even with a prototype, the opportunities are larger than ever.
Funding opportunities for green innovation projects
National and EU Public Funding
Bulgaria and Romania both have access to significant green innovation funds through national budgets and EU mechanisms such as the National Recovery and Resilience Plans and Horizon Europe. Though early success rates were low, targeted proposal support has boosted participation in recent years. Startups can now join collaborative projects or apply for SME-focused instruments like Eurostars to fund R&D and commercialisation.
European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator
The EIC Accelerator remains a key route for high-impact cleantech ventures, offering blended finance — grants and equity worth up to tens of millions of euros. However, Bulgarian and Romanian startups often struggle to reach the final rounds due to limited early funding and mentoring. Initiatives such as SynergistEIC now help founders from “widening countries” improve proposal quality and competitiveness.
Access to Research and Infrastructure
Partnerships like the one between the EIC and CERIC give startups access to advanced labs for prototyping and validation. National innovation funds — e.g. Bulgaria’s Fund of Funds and Romania’s Operational Programme for Competitiveness — also issue grants and loans targeting green and digital innovation via financial intermediaries.
Venture Capital, Angels, and Mission-Driven Funding
Private investment in Bulgarian and Romanian startups is growing, but NatureTech remains underrepresented. Over 20 active VC funds operate in Bulgaria, many backed by EU initiatives like JEREMIE. Founders should also explore mission-driven programmes such as the LIFE Programme and the EU Innovation Fund, which support climate and environmental pilots.
Common challenges for CEE nature tech startups
Access to capital remains the primary barrier for green innovators in CEE. Local investors are often cautious toward early-stage or unproven technologies, while bureaucratic hurdles and the absence of startup-friendly regulation add complexity.
Market size is another limitation — Bulgaria and Romania offer small domestic markets and conservative industrial clients, making early customer traction difficult. Finally, the longer R&D cycles typical of cleantech and biotech solutions often clash with traditional venture capital timelines, creating a mismatch between innovation speed and investor expectations.
Practical strategies to solve these challenges
Given the constraints of local markets, startups should prioritise EU-level funding and accelerator support early. Applying even at the prototype stage helps strengthen investor readiness and credibility.
Building pilot partnerships — for example, deploying a water filtration solution in a municipal park or collaborating with corporate R&D teams for turning everyday biowaste into eco-friendly batteries — tackling waste and clean energy challenges in one go. This is an effective way to validate solutions and attract funding. Founders should also plan for international expansion early, aligning products with EU certification standards (CE, ISO) and identifying markets beyond their home country.
At SCION, we recognise these systemic challenges. Our accelerator is designed to equip founders with capital access, mentoring, and networks that bridge science, innovation, and investment — helping transform research-driven ideas into scalable, real-world impact. Startups are welcome to join the SCION Accelerator — a space designed to help emerging innovators grow their ideas into scalable solutions, before moving on to programmes like the EIC that support more advanced ventures.
