Europe designs the future of electronics and imports almost everything it needs to build it. Gallium, indium, germanium, silicon, the whole raw base of the microchips that run our cars, our defence systems and our energy grids: most of it arrives from outside our borders, and much of what we throw away leaves before we can recover it. Closing that loop is a project too big for any single company. It needs a value chain, not a champion.

The European Circular Electronics Kickstart (ECEK) Acceleration Program is one of the ways EVEN CLOSER is building that value chain. Open to ventures that are developing breakthrough circular electronics solutions, the program is running from July to November 2026, supporting fifteen selected startups from twelve countries world-wide. From tailored coaching to introduction to equity investors, from MVP pilots’ facilitation to EU funding guidance, the ECEK program aims at boosting startups’ growth while reshaping the future of the European semiconductors industry. This unique programme will culminate with the Demo Day to be held in Malta, on Friday 13th of November 2026, when investors, key industry stakeholders and policy makers will fly in from all over Europe and beyond to connect, invest, collaborate and grow together for a more competitive Europe.