Support Organisation directory in Europe
Browse support organisation organisations across Europe. Each entry links to its country, city, and sector pages.
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Adriapol Institute
Albanian institute founded in 2014 and based in Korce, promoting innovation, competitiveness and regional cooperation across Albania and South East Europe. It works through three divisions covering digital transformation, cultural industries and economic advancement, and delivers startup incubation, maker spaces and business support, including through the Triple City hub in Tirana.
AINOT Business Angels Network
A network of private investors associated with NOT (Federation of Engineering Associations), supporting early-stage high-growth companies. AINOT runs a structured support program from idea scouting and pre-incubation to equity investment (up to €200k) and follow-ons. How to apply: submit your idea via the online application form on the AINOT website (open intake). Notable focus: deep innovation and engineering-heavy startups, leveraging NOT’s technical expertise to vet and mentor projects.
Aktantis
Aktantis is a world-class European deeptech competitiveness cluster founded in 2005 and based in Sophia Antipolis, France, federating an innovation ecosystem focused on digital transition across microelectronics, IoT, cybersecurity, AI, and photonics. With over 300 member organizations, Aktantis supports companies through project financing, growth acceleration, international expansion, and cybersecurity protection, with member startups collectively raising over 500 million euros in funding and investing 1.5 billion euros in R&D. The cluster participates as a partner in SIDO Lyon as part of its European deeptech ecosystem development mission.
Albanian Investment Development Agency (AIDA)
Albania's investment development agency, based on Rruga Skerdilajd Llagami in Tirana and established under law no. 10303 of 15 July 2010. Its stated focus is raising the competitiveness of the private sector, strengthening the country's export potential, and promoting and supporting foreign direct investment. It administers funds and publishes sector guidance for businesses investing in Albania.
Amber Business Angels Network
A network grown by the Polish Entrepreneurship Foundation in Szczecin, uniting ~50 investors from across Poland. Amber invests in projects that at least have a prototype or beta, focusing on those with high potential and market access. Notable focus: early post-prototype startups requiring angel funding to commercialize (diverse sectors, strong emphasis on the West Pomerania region).
Andorra Business
Andorra's economic promotion and development agency, based at Prat de la Creu in Andorra la Vella. Its stated priorities are diversifying the national economy by developing key sectors, attracting and supporting foreign and domestic investment, helping Andorran companies compete, and easing the arrival of new companies in the country. It administers R&D incentives and grants aimed at attracting high-value-added businesses.
APER Angels
A deep-tech and hardware focused co-investment network founded in 2014 under the APER Ventures fund. APER Angels connects private angel investors with VC funds to pool capital for high-tech startups. They typically invest PLN 250k–5M in early-stage companies, and have backed over 24 startups with ~PLN 50M total. Notable focus: hardware, IoT, and deep-tech startups (often syndicating with APER Ventures).
Association of Business Service Leaders
The Association of Business Service Leaders is the industry body representing the business services sector in Poland, covering shared service centres, BPO, IT services and R&D operations. It publishes the sector's annual market reports, runs skills and location-attractiveness programmes, and stages the ABSL Summit, the sector's main annual conference. It is registered at Rondo ONZ 1 in Warsaw.
BASSCOM
The industry association of Bulgarian software development companies, based in Sofia. It publishes an annual Software Industry Facts & Figures report -- the 2024 edition giving EUR 5.14bn in sales revenue, over 87% of it from exports, 11.5% revenue growth, a 4.9% share of GDP and more than 60,000 employees -- and runs events, sector activities and a membership programme.
BESCO – Bulgarian Entrepreneurial Association
BESCO (Bulgarian Entrepreneurial Association) is a non-governmental organization founded in September 2017 by 30 stakeholders in Bulgaria's startup ecosystem. It acts as a bridge between startups, investors, government bodies, and international institutions, and is Bulgaria's member in the European Startup Network. BESCO advocates for entrepreneur-friendly regulation, facilitates access to Sofia Tech Park resources, and partners with the European Investment Bank and EIF. It operates under the motto 'For Entrepreneurs By Entrepreneurs.'
Bit Alijansa (BIT Alliance)
The leading association of IT companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina, working to strengthen the country's digital ecosystem through collaboration, innovation, education and international positioning of the domestic IT industry. Its stated primary goal is cooperation with educational institutions on revising curricula, and it runs the ITkarijera.ba careers platform for the sector.
Business Angels of Slovenia
Business Angels of Slovenia (Poslovni angeli Slovenije) was founded in 2007 and is the first and largest angel investor club in Slovenia. The organisation has facilitated over $8 million in investments across more than 40 ventures, focusing on early-stage and seed-stage startups. It is a member of EBAN (European Business Angels Network) and the Global Entrepreneur Network, providing portfolio companies with access to international investor networks. It serves as a bridge between founders seeking seed capital and experienced investors looking for early-stage deal flow.
Business Finland
Business Finland is the Finnish government agency for innovation funding and trade, investment, and travel promotion, formed in 2018 from the merger of Finpro and Tekes. It is one of the most significant public funding sources for startups in Europe, distributing hundreds of millions of euros annually in grants, loans, and R&D funding to Finnish companies at all stages. For startups, Business Finland offers the Tempo funding program (up to EUR 50,000 for early validation), NIY (up to EUR 1.25M for scaling), and various R&D project grants for deep tech and industrial innovation. The agency also operates a global network of offices helping Finnish startups enter international markets, and runs targeted programs for sectors including cleantech, health, gaming, and AI. Business Finland plays a foundational role in Finland's innovation system and is a key reason Helsinki has become one of Europe's leading startup cities.
COBIN Angels
COBIN Angels is Poland's largest business-angel network, founded in 2015 and based at the Cambridge Innovation Center in Warsaw, with a community of 160+ active private investors. It syndicates pre-seed and seed rounds (typical tickets of PLN 100,000–450,000 per angel), runs founder education and pitch sessions, and connects startups with experienced operators. The network is led by founder and managing partner Robert Ługowski, CEO Dominik Krawczyk and managing partner Paweł Michalski, with an investment board including Kasia Pieniądz and communications led by Tomasz Laskowicz. COBIN organises the annual Business Angel of the Year (BAY) awards — now in its eighth edition — and co-publishes Poland's business-angel market report with the SGH Warsaw School of Economics, PKO Bank Polski and PFR Ventures. It is a member of the European Business Angels Network (EBAN) and participates in cross-border EU syndication programmes. Notable syndicate investments include Growbots, Salesbook, SkySnap, Prosoma and the pet-care startup Petsy (a €1.1M angel round in 2024).
Coders Lab
Coders Lab is a Warsaw-founded IT school and coding bootcamp established in 2013 by brothers Marcin and Jacek Tchórzewski, among the first programming bootcamps in Poland. It offers career-change programmes in Python, JavaScript, and data analytics and has expanded its campus model to several European countries. The company received angel investment from Grupa Pracuj and employed roughly 190 people by its tenth anniversary in 2023.
DCU Ryan Academy for Entrepreneurship
The DCU Ryan Academy for Entrepreneurship is a not-for-profit startup support organization in Dublin, affiliated with Dublin City University and founded with philanthropic support from the Ryan family (of Ryanair fame). Since its establishment in 2010, the Ryan Academy has become a hub for accelerator programs, entrepreneurship training, and ecosystem initiatives in Ireland. It operates from DCU’s Innovation Campus and focuses on early-stage startups as well as fostering entrepreneurial skills among students and the general public. Two flagship programs define the Academy: Propeller Accelerator, which was one of Ireland’s first seed accelerators (launched 2011, focused on tech startups), and the Female High Fliers program, an accelerator exclusively for women-led startups. Through these, the Academy has accelerated dozens of startups – alumni include fintech startup CurrencyFair and data startup Logentries, both of which achieved successful exits. Startups accepted into Ryan Academy programs receive pre-seed funding (up to €30k), office space, mentorship from seasoned entrepreneurs, and investor introductions. The Academy also provides entrepreneurship training courses, both at DCU (to students via modules) and to the wider community via short courses. Uniquely, the Ryan Academy blends academic and practical aspects: participants can tap into DCU research expertise while getting hands-on workshops by industry practitioners. The Academy actively engages in EU projects and networks, e.g. it led the INSPIRE program to support immigrant entrepreneurs and partnered on the Startup Europe initiative. Impact-wise, the DCU Ryan Academy has supported over 500 entrepreneurs and helped secure follow-on funding for many. It is credited with improving diversity in Ireland’s startup scene (through Female High Fliers) and championing social entrepreneurship as well. Alumni like Boxever (AI in travel, acquired by Sitecore) got early support at Ryan Academy. With its mission to “develop Ireland’s next generation of entrepreneurs,” the Academy plays a pivotal role in the ecosystem. It effectively acts as a “support organization” bridging academia, industry, and startup community – offering not just programs but also research, events, and policy input to grow Ireland’s innovation capacity.
Development Agency of Serbia (RAS)
Serbia's national development agency, based in Belgrade, promoting inward investment and supporting the competitiveness of domestic companies. It publishes sector guidance for investors, runs support projects and programmes, and profiles investments such as the Bosch Group's facility in the municipality of Pećinci.
EBAN
EBAN is the European trade association for business angels, seed funds and other early-stage market players, based in Brussels. It represents angel investors in European policy work, publishes the annual statistics on the continent's early-stage investment market, and runs training and accreditation for angel network managers. Its EBAN Annual Congress moves between European cities each year and is the sector's main gathering.
EIFO
EIFO, the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark, is the state backed institution that provides loans, guarantees, and equity to support Danish companies from early stage startups to export focused scale ups. Formed by merging Denmark's growth fund and export credit agencies, EIFO plays a central role in de risking innovation and attracting private capital. The organization co invests with venture funds, supports green transition projects, and helps companies expand internationally. EIFO is a cornerstone of Denmark's public support infrastructure for entrepreneurship.
ENISA
ENISA (Empresa Nacional de Innovacion) is a Spanish state-owned company that provides participative loans to SMEs and startups, a form of flexible, quasi-equity financing that does not require founders to give up ownership or provide personal guarantees. It is one of the main public financing instruments for early-stage companies in Spain.
