European Cybersecurity Investment Platform

(INITIATIVE) (INVESTMENT)

ECSO. “European Cybersecurity Investment Platform.” Accessed 14.08.2025. https://ecs-org.eu/activities/european-cybersecurity-investment-platform/.

About the initiative

The European Cybersecurity Investment Platform (ECIP) is set to be a fund-of-funds mechanism proposed by ECSO as a response to the investment gap in the EU cybersecurity market. With a target size of at least €1 billion, the ECIP aims to strengthen the competitiveness of our cybersecurity market and overall European strategic autonomy.

Since 2016, ECSO has been working with major private investors, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Commission, alerting on the need to increase investments allocated to cybersecurity. In 2020, the Letter of Intentoutlining this proposal to the European Commission garnered the support of 49 prominent public and private stakeholders representing the European cybersecurity landscape.

Building upon ECSO’s initiative, the EIB European Investment Advisory Hub, at the official request of the ECSO-Member Basque Cybersecurity Centre, commenced a feasibility study in October 2021 to assess the market viability and potential structure of the ECIP. The study’s findings unequivocally confirmed the need for the creation of the ECIP. Discover in this page how ECSO continues working with the European cybersecurity ecosystem in concrete steps to establish the European Cybersecurity Investment Platform.

Objectives

• Strengthen European cybersecurity market to attract and retain top talent, develop critical competencies, and ensure the strategic positioning of European solutions by enhancing investments in European cybersecurity start-ups and SMEs.
• Support European start-ups to consolidate their operations, scale up, and expand their market presence by offering stronger growth-focused financing options, particularly for Series A+. The ECIP is an opportunity to fund late stage companies and create European champions.
• Strengthen venture capital capabilities by investing in the existing or emerging European funds specialised in cybersecurity.
• Create leverage effect and serve as an incentive among the LPs to invest bigger tickets into the funds by increasing trust in the cybersecurity market.
• Stimulate the emergence of new venture capital funds and investment initiatives specialising in cybersecurity by promoting and strengthening the cybersecurity segment.
• Support synergy creation in relevant R&D&I funding schemes across Europe.