Overview
28DIGITAL is the name adopted on 10 October 2025 by EIT Digital, an organisation founded in 2010 as EIT ICT Labs, a Knowledge and Innovation Community of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. The legal entity, 28DIGITAL IVZW, is registered at Rue Guimard 7 in Brussels. Over its 15-year KIC phase it received EUR 1.1 billion from the EIT. An EIT KIC receives European Commission funding for a maximum of 15 years, after which 28DIGITAL continues as an independent foundation with a Memorandum of Collaboration with the EIT. The organisation works along three pillars: Talent (tech skills and master studies), Tech (startup and scaleup programmes and research to market) and Trust (partnerships). Programmes include the Co-Creation Accelerator 2026-2027, the MANOLO Summer School on AI, the OpenEU investor programme, Master School programmes and Access to Finance. Since 2011 the organisation has created or supported 968 start-ups, brought 631 innovations to market and graduated 2,503 students from EIT-labelled programmes. It operates 23 European offices and a hub in Silicon Valley, and its portfolio holds around 300 companies. On 10 June 2026 it announced Strategy 2026-2030: expansion to 35 countries, 2.5 million learners, 1,000 startups and scaleups supported, 500 new ventures, EUR 2 billion mobilised, EUR 250 million invested in early-stage startups and a 50-50 split between commercial and public income. Federico Menna has been CEO since March 2023, succeeding Willem Jonker.
Funding history
- 2010-2025 EIT KIC grant: EUR 1.1B in funding from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology over 15 years
Stated facts & numbers
- Founded: 2010 (as EIT ICT Labs, later EIT Digital)
- Renamed: 28DIGITAL, 10 October 2025
- Headquarters: Brussels (Rue Guimard 7)
- Legal form: IVZW (international non-profit association)
- Offices: 23 in Europe plus Silicon Valley hub
- EIT funding received: EUR 1.1B over 15 years
- Start-ups created or supported: 968 (since 2011)
- Portfolio: About 300 companies
- CEO: Federico Menna (since March 2023)
Key people
In the news
- Connecting the dots in Europe is what 28DIGITAL is known for. 🇪🇺 We are scaling this to worldwide reach!. 🌏 Yesterday our Chief Education & Skills Officer, Prof. Salvatore Moccia, discussed collaboration with Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement (KAIA) in South Korea. 🇰🇷 KAIA manages national R&D for Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Its work covers construction, infrastructure, urban development and mobility, with digital transformation running through all of it. Its Global
- What do Bitdefender, Bosch, European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), SUSE, TNO and the European Commission have in common? They share one common goal - a competitive, resilient and sovereign Europe! 🇪🇺 Additionally, they all have experts who have made brilliant contributions to the latest Makers & Shapers report: A Digital Resilient Europe: Agile to Adapt, Firm to Control. The report brings together voices from industry, research, startups, investors and policy. They look at how Europe can stay adaptable in a
- We are not a travel agency ✈️ But we take you places 🌍 26 universities. 🎓 13 countries. 🌍 1 European innovation network. 🤝 Led by our Chief Education & Skills Officer, Salvatore Moccia, the 28DIGITAL Master School is open for 2027 applications. Will you be our next digital innovator? 👉 https://lnkd.in/e3rJeVfr Andrea Biancini Siddhesh Krishnan Romane Léauté Nata Japiashvili Vilma Djala Oana Neagu Alexia Froudkine 🇪🇺 Diana Berezhna Sebastian Meyer Luisa (Lou) F. Valentina MilaneseJulie Newton
- Europe’s innovators: this is our moment. Let’s make sure it lands. 👇 Thank you, Christian Ehler and René Repasi and the ITRE committee. The European Parliament’s position on the next Horizon Europe sends a clear signal: Europe is doubling down on innovation. 🔹 A €200bn programme, above the Commission’s €175bn 🔹 The EIC more than tripled, to €32.5bn 🔹 €2.5bn dedicated to the Knowledge and Innovation Communities: concrete, ring-fenced and built to last Why it matters: Europe invests around 2.2% of its GDP in R&D. That’s more
- Still using AI just to chat? 🤖 It's time to put it to work. From automating everyday tasks to building intelligent workflows, generative AI is opening up new ways for businesses to operate, create and innovate. Join us in Madrid for AI in Action: From Chat to Intelligent Workflows, a hands-on training session organised in the framework of Madrid TechConnect and EDIH MADRID REGION 2.0. What's on the agenda? 🟢 Beyond the chat — Build intelligent AI workflows to automate tasks, manage documents and streamline processes. 🟢 Building
- How can Europe stay in control of its digital future, without losing the agility to adapt? 🇪🇺 On 25 November, 28DIGITAL launches the latest Makers & Shapers Report, “A Digital Resilient Europe: Agile to Adapt, Firm to Control”, at the European Tech Embassy in Brussels. 🇧🇪 The launch will show which choices Europe must make now to secure its digital future. We’ll look at where Europe stands on digital resilience, and what it takes to move from dependency to real strategic autonomy. Hosted by our CEO, Federico Menna, who will
- Registrations for our webinar "AI-on-Demand: Bringing European AI Solutions to the Market" are open now! 🔥 Join us on November 12th at 13:00 CET to discover how AI-on-Demand can help you reach customers, boost visibility, and scale across Europe. This is a partner event of the European AI Innovation Month. ✨ Explore the Marketplace and AI Navigator 🌐 Discover key services, benefits, and opportunities for AI providers 📊 See real use cases and how others are succeeding 💬 Live Q&A with platform leads Register here:
- Collaboration is the key in driving innovation in Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem. 28DIGITAL is proud to work with partners like STMicroelectronics in all aspects of the Knowledge Triangle: Business, Education and Research. Nicolò Guerini, Public Affairs Senior Specialist – Ecosystem Relations, from STMicroelectronics says, "We see collaboration as the key to driving innovation in Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem. Working with 28DIGITAL allows us to bridge education, technology, and industry—creating opportunities for
Alumni
Federico MennaInterim Chief Executive Officer→Board Member at Adra - AI-Data-Robotics-Association
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