The EU is having another go at improving access to capital for biotechs and science-based startups, in a bid to enable them to remain anchored in Europe. The Startup and Scaleup strategy, announced on May 28, is a response to the long-running problem that although Europe has strong foundations in its academic research, the innovative companies this science spawns often end up being acquired by U.S. companies, or moving to the U.S. to list on Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange.

Despite a sharp drop in March, total med-tech M&A deal value for the first quarter of 2025 remained significantly higher than last year’s, reaching $10.93 billion compared to $3.63 billion in Q1 2024, though still down from $22.56 billion in Q1 2023.