Deep-tech startups are specific types of entrepreneurial ventures that are based on disruptive technologies that are capital-intensive, research-intensive and require lengthy development processes. These characteristics make deep-tech startups more difficult to finance and commercialize than other kinds of entrepreneurial ventures. As such, failure rates are particularly high, which precludes certain opportunities to make societal and commercial impact. From our experiences with deep-tech startups, we believe they often fail due lack of tailored support, too few valuable connections and poor funding. Overall, today’s innovation systems are not very well designed for deep-tech startups. In this editorial, we argue that it is essential for innovation systems to be tailor-made for the needs of deep-tech startups that can make far-reaching and important differences. Our argument comes in the form of five guiding principles to help tech accelerators, science parks and other innovation-based systems and programs’ fast-track deep-tech startups and help them secure the support they need to explore their full potential. Drawing on our experience working with both innovation systems and aspiring deep-tech startups in Scandinavia, we introduce and explain the five principles in what follows.