Investment Readiness Assessment Web-Portal (E-Checker Tool) for SMEs

Overview

SquareX is proud to be implementing the Investment Readiness Assessment Web-Portal (E-Checker Tool) for SMEs on behalf of NTU International and the European Investment Bank (EIB). The initiative supports the InvestEU Advisory Hub and aims to help early-stage companies and SMEs (including scale-ups) across the EU strengthen their investment readiness and access to finance.

Implementing Partner: SquareX Solutions
Duration: 2024–2027
Stakeholders: InvestEU Advisory Hub, European Union

The E-Checker Tool serves as an interactive, web-based self-assessment platform that enables SMEs to evaluate their investment readiness, identify key gaps, and connect with relevant investors, advisors, and financial programs — including the EIC Accelerator and other EU and national financing instruments.

The tool helps businesses:

• Assess their business, financial, and technical readiness for investment
• Receive personalised feedback and guidance tailored to their maturity level, sector, and country
• Access referrals to investors, advisory networks, and support programs across Europe
• Generate investor-ready reports summarising key strengths and areas for improvement

Technical Implementation by SquareX

SquareX leads the technical design, development, and deployment of the E-Checker Tool using a modern, scalable architecture compliant with EIB data governance and GDPR standards. The system combines:

• A secure backend database with algorithms for readiness assessment
• A responsive frontend interface optimised for both desktop and mobile devices
• A dynamic reporting dashboard for both SMEs and the EIB corporate users
• APIs for integration with existing EIB, EC, and partner platforms

Development follows an Agile (Scrum) methodology, ensuring iterative delivery, continuous stakeholder feedback, and adaptability for future enhancements such as multilingual support and AI-driven recommendations.

Geographical Scope

The project initially pilots in Italy and Poland, followed by rollout to Sweden, Denmark, and France, before scaling across all 27 EU Member States. Each stage includes stakeholder workshops, user testing, and refinement based on regional feedback.

Impact

The E-Checker Tool will empower thousands of SMEs to:

• Better understand investor expectations
• Increase success rates in securing funding
• Strengthen innovation capacity across Europe's entrepreneurial ecosystem

Ultimately, the platform will contribute to Europe's smart growth and competitiveness, supporting the broader objectives of the InvestEU programme and the European Innovation Agenda.

The platform is now accessible at: https://techeuchecker.eib-group.org/