From 184 applicants, 54 high-impact startups have been selected to scale their innovations across Europe’s most pressing industries.
D2XCEL, the EU-funded pan-European scaling programme, has unveiled its second cohort of 54 ventures tackling urgent challenges in supply chains, mobility, energy, circular economy, and smart cities. With a collective funding of over €200M, these startups are developing breakthrough deep tech and digital solutions to drive Europe’s green transition.
Pascal Ollivier, Founder & President of Maritime Street and founding member of the D2XCEL consortium, commented:
“D2XCEL is more than just a scaling program—it’s a launchpad for deep-tech and digital startups tackling Europe’s most pressing challenges. By combining tailored mentorship, strategic industry access, and investor connections, we help ventures bridge the gap between innovation and real-world impact. Our goal is to accelerate commercialization, de-risk market entry, and ensure groundbreaking technologies don’t just stay ideas but become industry game-changers.”
Among the selected ventures, five are from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), showcasing the region’s rising influence in deep tech and digital technologies: Transmetrics and International Power Supply (Bulgaria), Cashy (Poland), Sincroll Drive Technologies (Hungary), and ReCatalyst (Slovenia).
Advancing Innovation Across Key Industries
The newly selected ventures are developing solutions across five key market opportunities:
Supply Chain Management & Trade Finance – Rethinking how goods and services move efficiently with digital and deep-tech solutions.
Sustainable Mobility – Accelerating the shift to electric passenger vehicles, buses, and trams while improving public transport systems.
Renewable Energy Production – Developing technologies to expand and manage Europe’s renewable energy supply.
Circular Models for Cities & Regions – Enabling urban-industrial symbiosis, reverse logistics, and waste optimization for circular economies.
AI-Powered Utility Management – Using AI, machine learning, and predictive analytics to optimize energy, water, waste, and transport in smart cities.
Scaling Startups with a 360° Support Program
D2XCEL’s second cohort embarks on a six-month support program designed to accelerate growth through tailored mentorship, expert-led sessions, and industry exposure.
1:1 Mentoring – Each startup is paired with two mentors for strategic guidance on key challenges.
‘’I have signed up as a Mentor in the D2XCEL programme because there is a real need for good entrepreneurship in Europe. Our economies, and societies as a whole, depend on the creation of new businesses, with the jobs, tax revenues, and new, more sustainable services and products that they bring with them. I find it exciting, creative, and fun to think through the problems and opportunities of new ventures with start-ups, and am therefore glad to have a chance to be part of D2XCEL,’’
shared Roy Nyberg, startup mentor in the programme.
Zoe Fragou, organizational psychologist and business coach, added:
‘’This program is a unique opportunity to work with ambitious entrepreneurs, leveraging Europe’s vibrant ecosystem to scale solutions that address real-world challenges in digital and deep tech. Together, we’re not just building businesses—we’re shaping the future of sustainable innovation.’’
Expert Workshops – Cohort-wide sessions on team building, go-to-market strategy, fundraising, and IPR.
‘’Through D2XCEL, we aim to help innovators and founders navigate the patent world, giving them a competitive edge while taking into account the specific needs of early-stage ventures”,
stated Philippe Knuesel, Hepp Wenger Ryffel – a patent attorney firm based in Switzerland.
Industry Access – Exclusive opportunities at key investors and partnering events such D2XCEL Startup City Day at Embedded World (March 2025, Nuremberg), the European Freight Leaders Forum (April 2025, Wroclow), CSC Live at TOC Europe (June 2025, Rotterdam), and more, to connect with key decision-makers.
With hands-on support and real-world connections, D2XCEL equips startups to scale faster and drive meaningful impact.
A Powerful Ecosystem for Growth
D2XCEL is more than a program—it’s a gateway to Europe’s deep-tech ecosystem, connecting startups with 200+ industry leaders, investors, and corporate partners.
Riina Palu, Chairwoman of the Estonian Maritime Cluster shared her motivation to join:
“We joined the D2XCEL Scaling programme to accelerate the green transformation of Estonia’s maritime sector. By collaborating with European partners, we aim to foster innovation, create new business opportunities, and strengthen Estonia’s position as a leading maritime nation.“
Key investors include Shell Ventures, theDock, Anchor Group, Fark Labs, Vsquared Ventures, Future Energy Ventures, eCAPITAL, Voima Ventures, and many more.
Among the corporate partners & customers are PORTNET Casablanca, HAROPA PORT, Athens International Airport, Port of Antwerp-Bruges, and A2A Life Company.
Through direct access to funding, strategic partnerships, and market validation, D2XCEL helps deep-tech startups fast-track commercialization and scale real-world impact.
The full list of selected ventures is available on the programme’s news page:
For media inquiries, interviews, or more information, please contact: [email protected]
