1 The EIC Accelerator Project

EIC Accelerator Program: A Comprehensive Overview

The EIC Accelerator program, part of the European Innovation Council (EIC), is designed to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups in their quest for innovation and scaling. Focused on DeepTech and high-risk innovations, the program provides a unique blended finance approach that combines both grants and equity investments.

Funding Structure

The EIC Accelerator offers substantial funding opportunities, with grants up to €2.5 million available to cover various project costs, such as research and development (R&D), prototyping, testing, and scaling operations. The equity component provides up to €15 million until 2024 and reduces to €10 million starting in 2025. This financial support aims to bridge the crucial gap between early-stage innovation and market entry, enabling companies to navigate the challenges of bringing groundbreaking technologies to fruition.

Purpose in the European DeepTech Ecosystem

The EIC Accelerator plays a pivotal role in fostering innovation within the European DeepTech ecosystem. By targeting cutting-edge advancements that align with societal challenges, the program not only stimulates technological progress but also enhances Europe's competitive edge in global markets. This initiative aims to nurture startups and SMEs that demonstrate potential for high impact, ensuring that Europe remains at the forefront of technological advancement.

Role in Scaling and Private Sector Funding

The EIC Accelerator aids companies in scaling by providing not only financial resources but also access to a network of mentors, partners, and investors. The program helps businesses refine their value proposition, enhance their growth strategies, and attract further investment from private sectors. By reducing the financial risk associated with innovation, the EIC Accelerator encourages more substantial investment from venture capital and other private funding sources.

Case Study: BlinkIn GmbH

Company Overview

BlinkIn GmbH, a German startup, emerged as a winner of the EIC Accelerator program with its innovative project titled "BlinkIn Visual Assistant." Submitted on June 15, 2022, the proposal aimed to establish a new category of automated visual support, aspiring to create a visual AI Operating System for Europe that diverges from existing voice-activated systems like Siri and Alexa.

Project Overview: BlinkIn Visual Assistant

The BlinkIn Visual Assistant project is centered around the vision of providing a "Help Button" for the world, thereby redefining how individuals interact with technology through visual assistance. The goal is to develop an advanced visual AI system that can interpret and respond to real-world scenarios, offering immediate support and guidance through visual cues and augmented reality.

Technology Basics and Background

The technology underpinning BlinkIn's innovation revolves around advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms capable of analyzing visual data in real-time. This involves computer vision techniques that allow the system to recognize objects, interpret scenes, and provide contextual information to users.

The development of the BlinkIn Visual Assistant leverages a combination of several cutting-edge technologies, including:

This innovative fusion of technologies positions BlinkIn as a leader in the emerging field of visual AI, promising to transform how users interact with their environments and technology. The project not only aims to enhance individual productivity but also addresses broader societal needs, offering assistance in sectors such as healthcare, education, and emergency response.

In conclusion, the EIC Accelerator program significantly contributes to the European innovation landscape by supporting initiatives like BlinkIn GmbH’s Visual Assistant, fostering technological advancements that hold the potential for transformative societal impact.

2 The Funding Rounds

BlinkIn GmbH: Funding and Investment Overview Since EIC Accelerator Funding (June 2022)

Financing Raised

• In October 2022, BlinkIn GmbH was awarded a €2.5 million grant from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator to advance its vision for automated visual customer service. This non-dilutive funding supports international engineering expansion and product development over an 18-month period starting February 2023.
• Prior to the EIC grant, BlinkIn raised $50K through incubator/accelerator programs involving investors such as Maruti Suzuki Incubation Program, Industry 4.0 Accelerator, NSRCEL - Maruti Suzuki Mobility Incubation Program, SAP Startup Studio, and EIT Urban Mobility.

Funding Rounds: Timing and Amounts

Date	Round Type	Amount	Investors/Source
August 2021	Incubator/Accelerator III	$50K	Multiple accelerators
June/October 2022	Grant (EIC Accelerator)	€2.5 million	European Innovation Council

• The formal kick-off for the EIC-funded project occurred on February 1st, 2023.
• There are no reported Series A/B/C or large-scale venture rounds beyond these identified financings up to May 2025.

Investor Information

• Notable investors in early-stage rounds include:
• Maruti Suzuki Incubation Program
• Industry 4.0 Accelerator
• NSRCEL – Maruti Suzuki Mobility Incubation Program
• SAP Startup Studio
• EIT Urban Mobility
• The €2.5 million from the EIC comes in the form of a direct EU grant rather than equity investment or traditional VC backing during this period.

Company Valuation

• Publicly available sources do not disclose any concrete company valuation figures for BlinkIn following their receipt of the EIC funding.
• Dealroom lists estimated financial ratios but without actual valuation numbers; thus there is no confirmed post-money or implied valuation data accessible in public records as of May 2025.

Exit Events: IPOs, Buyouts, Acquisitions

• There are no indications that BlinkIn has undergone an exit event such as an IPO or acquisition since obtaining its major funding via the EIC Accelerator.
• No news reports or databases list any buyout activity by larger firms nor any secondary market liquidity events through May 2025.

Summary Table

Event	Date	Details
Major Grant Awarded	Oct 2022	€2.5M from EU/EIC for product development
Project Kick-off	Feb 1st, 2023	Start of funded development phase
Early Investment	Up to Aug '21	$50K via accelerator/incubator programs
Exit Events	N/A	No IPO/acquisition/buyout reported up to current date

BlinkIn’s primary financing event since mid-June 2022 has been public innovation grant support rather than private venture capital or large equity rounds. No exits have taken place within this timeframe.

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Sources:

• InsurLab Germany Accelerator alumnus Blinkin receives EUR 2.5m EIC promotion
• PRESS RELEASE – Messe Frankfurt
• Blinkin – Products, Competitors, Financials – CB Insights
• Blinkin company information & investors – Dealroom.co

3 The Press Releases

BlinkIn GmbH: A German EIC Accelerator Winner

BlinkIn GmbH, based in Germany, was a winner of the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator funding in June 2022. The company specializes in developing a web-based visual collaboration platform for remote tech support, aiming to empower users with a self-service tool to solve technical issues using smartphones.

Technology and Mission

BlinkIn's mission is to "Give the world a Help Button" by creating a new category of automated visual support. Their platform is designed to facilitate frictionless user experiences through visual AI, enabling consumers to rely on self-service for technical problems while allowing businesses to offer effective remote-first customer service globally. The platform integrates AI-driven self-service with live expert assistance, ensuring seamless transitions and support beyond current standards in customer service.

Recent Developments

Following their EIC funding, BlinkIn has continued to focus on product development and expanding its engineering team internationally. The company has also been awarded the Stellantis Startup Award 2022, recognizing it as a top startup in Germany and among the top 25 globally. This recognition has supported BlinkIn's efforts to enhance its visual collaboration platform for enterprise and SME customers, while seeking partnerships in fields like OEM, insurance, conversational AI, and smart sensors.

Press Releases and Blog Posts

BlinkIn actively engages in media outreach and updates, but specific press releases or blog posts on their website are not detailed in available sources. However, their recent achievements and awards suggest a strong focus on innovation and industry recognition.

Sources

• EIC Accelerator winners and statistics June 2022
• BlinkIn is the winner of the Stellantis Startup Award 2022
• BlinkIn Visual Assistance - Defining a new category of automated visual support

4 The Technology Advancements

BlinkIn GmbH: Post-EIC Accelerator Advancements and Market Traction

Since securing EIC Accelerator funding (co-funded by the European Innovation Council), BlinkIn GmbH has focused on refining its multimodal AI platform, emphasizing enterprise-grade solutions for complex workflows. Below is a synthesis of their progress based on publicly available information:

Technological Advancements

• Visual AI integration for real-time object recognition via smartphone cameras.
• Adaptive learning agents that autonomously handle recurring tasks while improving through user interactions.

Market Demonstrations

• Sector Applications: Pilots include field operations (equipment troubleshooting), customer service (interactive product manuals), and sales (context-aware assistants). Specific client names remain undisclosed in public materials.
• Global Collaboration Roots: Early deployments in 2020—such as remote AR-guided engineering support for Wuhan’s Huoshenshan hospital—highlight pre-EIC capabilities in cross-border visual assistance, though post-2022 case studies are not explicitly detailed.

Intellectual Property & Research Outputs

Public records do not disclose new patents or peer-reviewed studies since 2022. However, their CORDIS project report emphasizes proprietary advancements in:

• Small & Large Vision-Language Model training, utilizing unlabeled multimodal data to reduce dependency on annotated datasets.
• AI Studio’s WYSIWYG interface, which auto-generates step-by-step guides from raw documentation using natural language prompts.

While clinical trial terminology does not apply directly to BlinkIn’s industrial focus, their technology demonstrates applicability in technical support domains requiring precision-guided interventions.

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Sources

• Blinkin Visual Assistance - CORDIS Report
• BlinkIn GmbH @ Web Summit 2024
• DevelopmentAid Profile
• COVID-era Deployment Case Study
• Terms of Service - Product Features

5 The Partnerships and Customers

BlinkIn GmbH's Strategic Partnerships and Market Positioning Post-EIC Accelerator Funding Since securing EIC Accelerator funding in June 2022, BlinkIn GmbH has focused on expanding its B2B2C tech support solutions through strategic collaborations and product development. While specific customer names remain undisclosed, the company has engaged with leading brands across sectors to refine its visual collaboration platform for remote technical support.

Key Developments

• Product Development: BlinkIn allocated funds to grow its engineering team and enhance its web-based visual assistant platform, emphasizing smartphone compatibility for instant accessibility.
• Ecosystem Partnerships: The company actively seeks partnerships in OEM, insurance, and AI-driven tech fields (e.g., Conversational AI, Computer Vision) to integrate advanced tools into its platform.
• Market Expansion: By prioritizing remote-first customer service solutions, BlinkIn aims to position itself as a global leader in frictionless tech support for enterprises and SMEs.

Strategic Impact

BlinkIn’s partnerships with industry leaders in AI and smart sensors are designed to accelerate technological innovation while scaling operations internationally. These relationships enable the integration of cutting-edge tools into their platform, improving self-service capabilities for end-users. The focus on web-based modules ensures rapid deployment across markets without hardware dependencies.

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Sources

PRESS RELEASE - Messe Frankfurt

6 The Hiring and Company Growth

BlinkIn GmbH: Team Growth and Strategic Hiring Post-EIC Accelerator Funding BlinkIn GmbH, a Baiern-based SaaS startup specializing in IT and communications solutions, has maintained a team size of 11-50 employees since its 2020 founding. While specific hiring activity or growth metrics post its June 2022 EIC Accelerator win are not publicly disclosed, the company’s structure suggests steady scaling within the B2C and SaaS sectors.

Key Insights

• Current Headcount: Estimated between 11-50 employees (no updated figures available post-2022).
• Management Stability: Co-founder Josef Süß remains listed as Geschäftsführer (Managing Director), with no recent leadership changes reported. Damien Louis Alfred Mongrand served briefly as Geschäftsführer until 2021.
• Hiring Activity: No active job listings or recruitment campaigns are visible on Startbase or LinkedIn as of the latest data.

Strategic Implications

The lack of recent hiring announcements could indicate either operational efficiency or a focus on organic growth. For early-stage startups like BlinkIn, maintaining lean teams while leveraging accelerator funding often prioritizes product development over rapid headcount expansion. If hiring resumes, key roles would likely include technical specialists in SaaS architecture or customer experience optimization to align with industry trends toward mobile-first solutions and AI-driven analytics—areas emphasized by similar platforms like Blink.

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Sources

• BlinkIn GmbH - Startbase
• Blink's 2025 Intranet Report Highlights
• Blink's AI-Driven Employee Analytics Platform

7 The Media Features and Publications

Overview of BlinkIn GmbH

BlinkIn GmbH, headquartered in Baiern, Germany, is a company that focuses on developing remote support technologies leveraging AI and video chat. It has gained recognition for its innovative approach to customer support through AI-assisted experiences. The company received funding under the EIC Accelerator program in June 2022.

Media Features

BlinkIn GmbH has been featured in various media for its innovative use of AI in customer support. It combines deep learning, big data, and proprietary computer vision algorithms to enhance customer service experiences. The company's mission involves creating actionable support experiences based on expert knowledge and AI for real-world scenarios.

Publications

Publications have highlighted BlinkIn's role in revolutionizing customer support by providing visual assistance and AI-driven solutions. This includes using AI to guide users, automate processes, and enable self-service. The company's technology includes features like Augmented Reality to facilitate problem-solving and one-click remote assistance.

Podcasts and Interviews

There is no specific information available on podcasts or interviews conducted by the team of BlinkIn GmbH. However, the company's innovative approach to AI-assisted customer support is likely a topic of interest in industry discussions.

Conference and Fair Visits

BlinkIn GmbH will participate in events like the Web Summit, showcasing its capabilities in building and launching multimodal AI applications. The company's involvement in such events highlights its commitment to innovation and customer experience enhancement.

Event Involvement

BlinkIn is involved in events that focus on AI and digital transformation. Its participation in the German Pavilion at the Web Summit 2024 demonstrates its active role in promoting AI technologies for business applications. The company's mission, co-funded by the European Innovation Council, underscores its engagement with cutting-edge technological developments.

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Sources:

• BlinkIn GmbH
• BlinkIn Visual Assistance
• BlinkIn Company Profile
• BlinkIn at German Pavilion @ Web Summit 2024