The EU Digital Innovation and Scale-up Program (DISC) aims to foster investments and technical assistance for startups, particularly in deep tech sectors across Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe. It serves as a joint initiative to enhance investment readiness, connect innovators with financial resources, and strengthen institutional capacities for digital innovation projects. Key components include pooled funding, an investment support program, and technical assistance to accelerate the region's digital ecosystem and close existing knowledge and capacity gaps.

1. EU Digital Innovation and Scale-up Program
(DISC)
Björn-Sören Gigler
Senior Digital Innovation Specialist,
Digital Single Market
DG Connect, European Commission
Bjorn-Soren.Gigler@ext.ec.europa.eu
twitter: bgigler
InnoStart Forum
Brussels
10 July, 2019

2. EU Program: An Overview
Fostering Investments & Technical Assistance & Knowledge Sharing
for strategic future-oriented technologies
• Startup Europe Program
• Digital Innovation and Scale-up Initiative (DISC)
• Digitalisation of traditional SMEs
• EU Blockchain Program
• Innovation Radar
2

3. http://startupeuropeclub.eu/

4. • is an initiative of the European Commission
• encourages entrepreneurship, startup creation and grow notably in Deep
Tech verticals (AI, IOT, HPC, blockchain)
• connects startups, investors, accelerators, entrepreneurs, corporate
networks, universities and the media through an array of networks.
• connects local startup ecosystems around Europe and enhance their
capacity to invest in other markets
• celebrates the European entrepreneurs' success
Startup Europe at a glance

5. EU vs other regions; investment gap
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Estimates consist of annual VC investment in AI-focused companies, PE investment in AI-related
companies, and M&A done by corporations. Source: Capital IQ; Pitchbook; Deallogic; S&P;
McKinsey Global Institute
“Overall Europe is behind in
private investments in
Artificial Intelligence”
AI strategy for Europe*
* COM(2018)/237

6. CESEE countries score lower in
digitalisation readiness
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Advanced EU Cohesion
Basic Adopting Active Innovator
CESEE vs EU innovation profiles
Smartness of the Regions
Basic firms do not invest in R&D and do not innovate; Adopting firms do
not invest in R&D, but adopt innovation. Active innovators are investing
in R&D and innovating
Source: (1) EIBIS and (2) EIB (2018) Smart Cities, Smart Investment in CESEE

7. CESEE countries score lower in
digitalisation readiness

8. The Challenge: Investment Gap in CESEE
The Venture Capital investment in CEE InnovFin support across EU

9. Digital Innovation and Scale-up Initiative (DISC)
• Joint initiative between (i) European Commission (ii) European
Investment Bank (iii) European Investment Fund (iv) European
Bank for Development & Reconstruction v) World Bank and vi)
International Finance Corporation
• Launched during the Digital Assembly, Bucharest, June 14, 2019
• with Governments of Croatia, Finland, Germany and Romania
9

10. Digital Innovation and Scale-up Initiative (DISC)
An investment program to foster digital innovations and startups
• Dedicated Investment program to support the scale-up of digital
innovations and startups in CESEE countries;
• Investment support program to increase visibility; enhance
investment readiness; facilitate match-making and support the
portfolio development of innovative projects;
• Technical assistance program to strengthen institutional capacity of
government to design, develop and implement digital innovation
projects;
• Enabling Digital Transformation: to foster the enabling
environment for innovation and entrepreneurship (cross-border
digital infrastructure and digital skills).
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11. DISC: Value-Added
_______________
Investment Facility
● leveraged financing
● targeted to CESEE
● for deep tech startups
● for smaller and higher
risk projects
Investment Gap
_________________
Investment Support
Program
● connect innovators with
finance
● enhance visibility for
digital champions
● link digital innovation
ecosystems
Knowledge Gap
_________________
One-stop Shop for
Technical Assistance
● strengthen public
sector administrative
capacity
● improve investment
readiness of tech
companies
● support digital
ecosystems
Capacity Gap

12. DISC Objectives
Close the Investment Gap:
• Enhance investments in future-oriented, strategic
technologies
• Improve finance for scale-up of risky, highly innovative
digital startups
• Increased investments in digital enabling environment
• Accelerate regional Innovation Ecosystem
Close the Knowledge Gap:
• Reduce information asymmetry between demand and
supply of finance
• Improved access to financial and non-financial resources
• Better connect innovators with investors
Close the Capacity Gap:
• Strengthen project implementation capacity (public & private sector)
• Reduce brain drain and loss of IP
• Accelerate growth of locally-owned digital innovations
• Strengthen Portfolio Development of bankable projects

13. DISC- Components
_______________
● Pooled funding
● Shared risk
● Scale-up startups (€2-
15M ticket sizes)
● Strengthen enabling
environment for
digital innovations
Investment
Facility
_______________
● Awareness-raising
● Community-building
● Match-making
● Portfolio development
● Investment portal
Investment
Support Program
________________
● Capacity-building for
public sector
● Advisory services to
deep tech startups
● Strengthen
regulatory frameworks
Technical
Assistance
Enabling Environment for Digital Transformation

14. Road Map and Next Steps
Mar – Startup Europe Summit - Investment roundtable I
Jun – Digital Assembly – Investment roundtable II
Sep – In-depth Market Assessment
Nov – Slush Helsinki – Investment forum
March-Dec: Pilot Program
May – Digital Assembly: Results of Market Assessment
July – Startup Europe Summit
Investment roundtable
Jan— DISC investment facility operational
March—Technical assistance program operational
Jan-Dec— Investments in Digital Enabling Environments
2019
2020
2021

15. Background information
Launch of the Digital Innovation and Scale-up Initiative: Press
Release
https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/launch-digital-innovation-and-scale-initiative-central-eastern-and-south-eastern-europe
News Story and Agenda of Launch event
https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/launch-digital-innovation-and-scale-initiative-disc
Digital Assembly 2019: Multi-media coverage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRxIM20CzH4

16. Thank-you