John Smith is an Investment Manager at the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund, the European Union's "Super Fund" designed to bridge the funding gap for high-risk, high-reward startups. As part of the first European Commission initiative to make direct equity investments, John plays a key role in supporting pioneering founders and cutting-edge projects with significant social and economic impact. His work focuses on fostering innovation across Europe by encouraging gender-balanced ventures and catalyzing the European venture capital ecosystem. Under his guidance, the EIC Fund acts as a patient capital investor, partnering with startups to help them scale and attract further market investment.