Startup and in the process of commercializing
Do you have a finished product, growth potential, and your first customers – but lack capital? EIFO can be your risk-willing partner. We exist to support entrepreneurship and know that the first steps are the hardest. We are happy to take them together with you.
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Access to financing without requiring a long track record or personal guarantee
We finance based on the stage you're at – not the track record you don't yet have.
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Attract investors without giving up too much ownership
With our Matching Loan, we match your investor's contribution on a 1:1 basis. As a loan, not as equity.
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Liquidity for commercialization
Capital to finish developing the product, hire your first key people, and land your first orders.
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Equity for innovative companies with global potential
We invest directly in your company and stay on board.
From promising product to viable business
Going from a promising product to a business that stands on its own two feet is one of the toughest journeys in business. You need to demonstrate a track record you're only just building. You need to attract investors to a company you haven't yet had the capital to build up. And every day without financing is a day the market moves on without you.
This is exactly where EIFO comes in. We work closely with business angels, private investors, and banks to put capital to work. When we step in with a loan, a guarantee, or an investment, we share the risk and enable the bank or investor to go further than they could alone.
Financing solutions for the early stage
Every company is different, and so is the need for capital. Some need a loan to get into the market. Others are ready for the big growth leap and need a patient co-owner who dares to think long term. Here you'll find the four ways EIFO typically supports companies in the early stage. What all solutions have in common is that EIFO always finances together with a partner.
Loans – capital to get into the market
A direct loan from EIFO is often the alternative to bringing in an investor too early. Many startups face the choice of either delaying their development or giving up equity early in the process, which can cost both control and future value. This is where a loan can be a strong alternative.
EIFO offers loans tailored to companies in an early stage, without requiring a long track record or personal guarantee. This gives you the capital to develop the product, reach your first customers, and build the traction that puts you in a stronger position when you later negotiate with investors.
Target group: Companies that need liquidity to reach their next customers and build traction before potentially bringing in external capital.
Matching Loan – double your investment without giving up equity
The Matching Loan is EIFO's earliest-stage financing solution and is targeted at innovative startups with a scalable business model. If the company has already secured an investment from, for example, a business angel, a family office, or a venture fund, EIFO can match the investment up to 1:1, as a loan, not as an equity stake. This means twice as much capital comes into play, without the founders having to give up further equity or provide a personal guarantee.
The solution requires that the company has moved past the pure idea stage and can realistically begin generating revenue within the first few years.
Read more about the Matching Loan on the page here.
Target group: Startups that already have an investor on board and want to maximize their capital without further diluting ownership.
Guarantee – the bridge to bank financing
Many young companies end up in a financing gap: the business is too new or too high-risk for the bank to lend to on its own, even though the need for capital is urgent. This is where EIFO can provide a guarantee to the bank. By sharing the risk with the bank, it becomes possible for the bank to approve financing it otherwise couldn't grant, while at the same time building a banking relationship the company can draw on as it grows larger and more stable.
Target group: Companies that want conventional bank financing but cannot yet obtain it on their own due to a short track record or high risk profile.
Equity – capital for the big growth leap
For companies with an innovative and highly scalable business idea and global potential, a loan may not be enough. Here, EIFO can invest directly in the company as equity and become an active, long-term co-owner, providing capital, expertise, and network throughout the journey. This makes it possible to think big, accelerate growth, and pursue international ambitions in earnest.
Target group: High-growth startups with a scalable business model and international ambitions that need a patient, active co-investor rather than loan capital.
World stars as co-owners in sports tech startup – EIFO matches the investment
Bricks Performance has built the world's first Athlete OS, and was joined by three world stars as co-owners. EIFO doubled the capital with a Matching Loan, allowing the founders to retain ownership and accelerate international growth.
Related news and cases
From Startup to Scaleup 2025
EIFO's annual review of capital markets for Danish startups and SMEs shows a significant decline in venture investments in the first half of 2025.
