Europe’s growing technology companies need easier access to capital and fewer barriers to expansion, Ursula von der Leyen told business leaders in Brussels. She urged lawmakers to keep proposed EU company rules simple and called for approvals that would let new technologies reach customers across the bloc.

“We must again be the place where those discoveries create new industries,” the European Commission president said at the WinWin Brussels Summit. Her speech focused on helping European technology businesses find the money and market access they need to grow.

Investment begins, rules remain pending

The fund’s investments span technologies including reusable spacecraft, energy-efficient AI chips, and radar satellites. The nearly €5bn figure refers to the money the companies raised with its support, rather than the fund’s own investment total. As EU Perspectives reported at its launch, the initiative targets growing companies seeking substantial investment to expand.

Ms von der Leyen also defended the proposed EU Inc. company form, which would allow online registration within 48 hours for no more than €100. The Council has adopted its negotiating position, but the legislation still needs agreement with Parliament. She urged the institutions to keep the framework simple enough for entrepreneurs to use.

We must again be the place where those discoveries create new industries. — Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President

Ms von der Leyen extended that argument to companies developing autonomous vehicles. They should be able to obtain approval once and then deploy their technology across Europe, she said. “Companies should be able to go through a single approval process.” She presented this as a way to give European developers a larger market from the outset, although she provided no legislative text or timetable.

The proposals address different stages of a company’s growth: registering a business, raising money, and bringing products to market. The fund has begun investing, while simpler company rules still require political agreement. For entrepreneurs, the remaining question is how soon those changes will make expanding across Europe easier in practice.