BRUSSELS, Belgium / EuroWire.IO / – Europe’s new chip design platform will offer grants of up to €16 million to help start-ups bring their chips to market, as part of a €525 million investment. Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, launched the European Chip Design Platform on November 4. The project is a key initiative under the EU Chips Act and aims to stimulate a new generation of European chip design companies.
Early-stage start-ups can apply for up to €100,000 for proof-of-concept prototyping, while more mature start-ups can seek up to €16 million to cover the substantial costs of chip development towards commercialisation. Applications are made through the platform’s website, eurocdp.eu. Grants account for €440 million of the overall budget, according to The Next Web, with €85 million going to the platform itself. Funding comes from €285 million in EU money and €240 million from participating countries.
Beyond funding, the platform gives companies access to chip design tools, design support services, intellectual property blocks and manufacturing capacity. The Commission said these resources are often the most expensive and the hardest to obtain for early-stage firms. Its factpage describes the platform as a one-stop shop that also provides training and cloud-based access to design software. Belgian research centre imec leads the consortium running the platform, The Next Web reported.
Virkkunen links platform to sovereignty
Virkkunen said the platform would give chip start-ups and SMEs the support needed to overcome barriers and turn their ideas into silicon. She said it showed Europe was ready to act on its technological sovereignty goals, not only through policy and promises but also through investment. According to Reuters, she said Europe could not strengthen its role in the semiconductor industry without success in chip design.
European chip design firms account for less than 1% of global revenues in the segment, the Commission said. Its factpage notes that design is where most of the value in semiconductors is created. The Commission argued that Europe’s new chip factories will only be sustainable if there is enough demand for their output. Supporting local design companies is intended to help create that demand. Early-stage firms often find design tools and prototyping too costly to access on their own.
Start-ups already in programme
Around 20 start-ups already take part in the platform’s programme to prepare companies for market, according to The Next Web. Work on the platform started in 2025, when imec began coordinating the consortium. The platform is part of the EU Chips Act, which aims to give Europe more control over its chip supply. Germany and the Netherlands have separately launched a €40 million AI chip design challenge.
The launch comes as global demand for advanced chips rises with investment in artificial intelligence, including a recent $63 billion financing deal for Broadcom chips used by Anthropic. In Europe, a €5 billion scaleup fund led by EQT has also been set up to back fast-growing technology companies. The Commission said the platform would help start-ups tackle the high cost of developing new chips. Applications for funding are submitted directly through the platform.