EIF’s central mission is to support small and medium sized businesses by enhancing their ability to access finance. Working in partnership with public and
private institutions, EIF designs and develops market instruments to specifically target this market segment. EIF intervenes on market terms, even when using public funds, to ensure an appropriate financial return for its shareholders while achieving its core policy objective.
In September 2006, the European Council of Finance Ministers (ECOFIN) recognised that the European venture capital (VC) environment requires further development since funding bottlenecks remain, particularly in terms of early stage financing. EIF, as the leading European early stage investor (with an estimated 15% market share), is particularly active in finding solutions for funding gaps and can act as a catalyst for other investors, notably from the private sector.