Deeptech business plan 2026: structure, TRL, EIC financing, and fundraising strategy

A deeptech startup (Deep Technology) is defined by three structuring criteria. First, strong scientific base: technology stemming from fundamental or applied research, generally with academic partnership (university lab, public institute). Second, proprietary intellectual property: filed patents, confidential know-how, or software with specific algorithms. Third, long cycle between invention and commercialization: 5 to 10 years for biotech and hardware, 3 to 7 years for deeptech software (AI, quantum computing). Typical sectors: biotech and medtech, energy and climatetech, advanced materials and nanotechnologies, quantum computing, AI and machine learning, robotics, space, agritech.

The TRL scale (Technology Readiness Level), developed by NASA then adopted by the European Commission, measures technological maturity of a project on 9 levels. TRL 1: fundamental principles observation (pure research). TRL 2-3: concept formulation and experimental validation in laboratory. TRL 4-5: controlled then relevant environment validation (POC). TRL 6: operational environment demonstration (industrial prototype). TRL 7-8: real-conditions demonstration then final qualification. TRL 9: system proven in commercial production.

Typical deeptech startup sequencing per TRL follows five phases. Phase 1 (TRL 1-3): research within academic lab, public funding (CNRS, ERC, ANR in France). Phase 2 (TRL 4-5): startup creation, EIC Pathfinder funding (EU subsidy up to €4M over 3 years), public grants like French Tech Émergence (€90,000) or EXIST in Germany. Phase 3 (TRL 5-6): industrial POC and first pilot contracts, Seed financing (€1-3M) from specialized deeptech funds and EIC Transition (subsidy up to €2.5M).

Phase 4 (TRL 6-7): industrialization and first significant commercial contracts, Series A financing (€5-15M) from Tier 1 VC funds (Atomico, Earlybird, EQT Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital for climatetech) and EIC Accelerator (subsidy up to €2.5M + equity up to €15M). Phase 5 (TRL 8-9): European and international commercial scale, Series B financing (€15-50M) with growth funds and corporate VC, IPO or sale on horizon. Total cycle between TRL 1 and TRL 9 varies from 5 to 12 years by technical complexity.

The deeptech business plan typically counts 40 to 50 pages, structured in 10 sections (similar to Series A but with deeptech adjustments). Section 1 — Executive summary (2-3 pages) summarizing the scientific breakthrough and market opportunity. Section 2 — Technology and state of the art (5-7 pages): scientific description of technology, comparison with state of the art, associated academic publications, freedom-to-operate (analysis of competing patents that could block commercialization).

Section 3 — Intellectual property (3-5 pages): filed and pending patent portfolio, copyrights, trademarks, license agreements with academic labs, 5-year protection strategy. This section is particularly scrutinized by deeptech funds as technological defensibility is the main moat. Section 4 — TRL and technology roadmap (3-4 pages): current positioning on TRL scale, technical milestones at 24-36 months, validation steps (POC, prototype, pilot series, commercial series), validation partners (pilot customers, certification institutes).

Section 5 — Market and value chain (5-7 pages): target B2B market analysis (rare in B2C in deeptech), positioning in industrial value chain, identified strategic partners (large groups ready to integrate the technology). Include letters of interest (LOI) from future customers or partners — critical to demonstrate market appetite. Section 6 — Scientific and business team (3-4 pages): presentation of scientific founders (PhD, publications, patents, former lab experience), scientific advisors, business founder (CEO), technical recruitment plan.

Section 7 — Business model (3-4 pages): projected pricing (licensing, equipment sale, service contracts, royalties), projected unit economics at TRL 8-9, expected gross margins. Section 8 — Financing strategy (3-4 pages): fundraising roadmap (Seed, A, B), banking partners (Bpifrance Innovation loans, public schemes), targeted subsidies (BFTÉ, EIC, France 2030). Section 9 — Financial 5-7 years (8-10 pages): longer projections than SaaS as commercial revenue arrives later. Financial model with TRL hypotheses and fundraise calendar. Section 10 — Use of funds and next round (3-4 pages) with breakdown (typically 50% R&D, 25% salaries, 15% industrialization, 5% IP, 5% operational).

• Deeptech BP: 40-50 pages with specific sections
• IP: critical section (patents, freedom-to-operate, licenses)
• TRL: current positioning + 24-36 month technical milestones
• Customer/partner LOI: critical appetite signal
• Team: CEO business + CTO scientific with PhD duo
• Financial 5-7 years (vs 3-5 years in SaaS)

The EIC programme (European Innovation Council) operates three distinct instruments adapted to each TRL phase. EIC Pathfinder (TRL 1-3) funds upstream research: €3-4 million over 3 years for international consortia of 3-8 academic and industrial partners. EIC Transition (TRL 4-6) funds lab-to-market transition: up to €2.5 million in subsidy for deeptech startups consolidating industrial POC. EIC Accelerator (TRL 6-9) funds industrialization and market launch: up to €2.5 million in subsidy combined with €15 million in equity, for deeptech SMEs with European ambition.

The France 2030 programme (€110 billion over 10 years) targets priority deeptech sectors: €30 billion for decarbonation and energy (hydrogen, SMR nuclear, batteries), €7.5 billion for health (biotherapies, innovative medical devices), €5 billion for agriculture (sustainable food, AgriTech), €4 billion for culture and digital (sovereign cloud, quantum). Several calls for projects (AAP) target startups: « Acceleration strategies » with subsidies €1-50 million, « Demonstrators and technological bricks » for industrial POC, « i-Nov Bpifrance contest » up to €5 million per project.

Specialized European deeptech VC funds invest in Seed (€1-3M) and Series A (€5-15M). Atomico (London, Berlin, Stockholm) is one of the most active with its climatetech and industrial thesis. Earlybird (Berlin) targets German and Austrian deeptech. Lowercarbon Capital (US, active EU) funds climatetech and nature-based solutions. EQT Ventures (Stockholm) invests in industrial deeptech. For biotech: Sofinnova Partners (Paris, Milan), Forbion (Amsterdam), Andera Partners (Paris). For quantum: Quantonation (Paris), 360 Capital Partners (Paris). For space: Seraphim Capital (London), Promus Ventures (Luxembourg).

JEI status (Young Innovative Enterprise) in France exempts employer charges on R&D compensation for 8 years + IS first year — particularly structuring for deeptech with large technical teams. CIR (Research Tax Credit) refunds 30% of R&D expenses, restitutable for SMEs. Combined with EIC Accelerator, JEI/CIR and VC fundraise, a French deeptech can fund 50 to 70% of its R&D expenses the first years via public co-financing + raised cash.

Deeptech intellectual property strategy combines five levers. First, filed patents: 1-5 fundamental patents + 5-15 peripheral patents to create a defensible « patent fence ». Cost: €5,000 to €20,000 per patent (preparation, EPO filing, national extensions). Second, trade secret: for non-patentable algorithms or processes, strict confidentiality agreement with employees and partners. Third, copyright: for deeptech software (source code, AI training datasets). Fourth, trademarks: commercial name and product protection. Fifth, licensing: monetization of non-strategic patents (10-20% complementary revenue from CA at maturity for some deeptech).

Strategic industrial partnerships accelerate deeptech go-to-market. Three partnership types: (1) joint R&D partnership with a large group (Saint-Gobain, Total, Airbus, Pfizer) — R&D funding + market access in exchange for partial exclusivity, (2) pilot contracts with usage validation in operational conditions, (3) exclusive or non-exclusive distribution agreements with an industrial to accelerate commercialization. These partnerships are valued by VC funds as they de-risk adoption and future revenues.

B2B deeptech go-to-market follows a specific trajectory. Year 1-2: signing 1-3 pilot contracts (often free or subsidized) with large groups for TRL 6-7 validation. Year 2-3: first significant commercial contracts (€100k to €1M per contract) with validated early adopters. Year 3-5: industrialization and transition to 5-20 active customers. Year 5-8: European scale with 50-200 customers by market. Cumulated revenue over 5 years for a B2B deeptech in average growth is typically €5-30M — well below an equivalent SaaS B2B, but with higher margins (50-80%) and stronger defensibility.

For B2B2C deeptech (technology integrated in final consumer product), go-to-market is more complex: convincing industrial integrators (e.g. an EV manufacturer for a deeptech battery, a real-estate builder for a low-carbon material) rather than final consumers. Industrial validation cycles (qualification, certification, integration) are long: 18-36 months between pilot signing and commercial deployment. Anticipating these delays in the BP is critical to not underestimate necessary runway.

The BoostPro IA deeptech business plan module generates in 10 minutes a BP structured for specialized funds and EIC programmes, including TRL, IP, industrial partnerships sections and 5-7 year financial model. The full pack (€399 with pre-filled EIC file) supports the EIC Accelerator programme application — typically 6-12 months preparation, where BP quality represents 40-50% of the selection criterion.