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ACCELERATE - EIT Food Accelerator Network

Are you an impactful Agrifood or FoodTech startup looking to boost your go-to market readiness? Validate your technology and prepare for commercialisation to tackle the biggest challenges within our Food System.

Innovations drive change

EIT Food
Accelerator Network

Want to JOIN our programme

Validate your technology development roadmap with top-notch master classes, 1:1 coaching, connection to relevant facilities & experts, and networking to support successful market adoption. Register your interest for the next startup call!

About the EIT Food Accelerator Network

EIT Food Accelerator Network is a 2-3 month, theme-based programme, delivered through five unique innovation hubs in Europe:

  • Food bioprocessing, Helsinki Hub
  • Next generation of plant sourced solutions, Paris Hub
  • Sustainable food packaging, Bilbao Hub
  • Future proof agriculture, Munich Hub
  • Food as medicine, Haifa Hub

The programme enables the most promising AgriFoodTech startups to accelerate, further validate their technology and advance their investment and commercial readiness to achieve the ultimate goal: a successful market adoption.


Why join the programme?

  1. Validate your technology and win up to € 50,000
    Identify your technology gaps and re-shape your product tech development roadmap with experts.
    Pitch your tech validation case and win up to € 50,000 to implement your project.
    Access EIT Food’s network of facilities and equipment across Europe (universities, research centres).
  2. Prepare for commercialisation
    Attend top-notch master classes to further advance your corporate and investment readiness.
    Access to expert mentors, advisors and key industry leaders.
  3. Access to investors and corporates
    Opportunity for direct financial support from EIT Food: receive up to € 500,000 per venture through a Simple Agreement For Future Equity (“SAFE”) instrument.
    Tailored matchmaking with selected startups with agrifood investors including our core partner FoodSparks, managed by PeakBridge.
    Exclusive exposure to up to 10 corporate program partners to explore collaboration.
  4. Extend your EU Agrifood Tech Network and partner with key players
    Introduction to high-profile corporates and industry leaders.
    Up to € 1,500 funding for travel to networking events and meeting.
    Exposure during demo days and major AgriFoodTech events.

Our 2024 Cohort

EIT Food Accelerator Network programme is thrilled to welcome its 2024 cohort of fifty ground-breaking European startups and eight Brazilian startups, bringing cutting edge technology and science together to transform our food system.

Cohort Borchure 2024

These extraordinary entrepreneurs and startups challenge conventional practices across the entire food and agriculture value chain, but they also solve urgent sustainability challenges and build value aligned with both planetary capacity and consumer demand.


Our Corporate Partners

The EIT Food Accelerator Network programme links those who need technology and innovations, those who are developing it, and those who might finance and scale it.

Are you eligible?

To apply for the EIT Food Accelerator Network programme:

  • Your business innovation must be underpinned by a technology with a prototype, or pilot project (paid or unpaid).

  • It must also fall under one of EIT FAN’s themes.

    • Food bioprocessing, Helsinki Hub
    • Next generation of plant sources solutions, Paris Hub
    • Sustainable food packaging, Bilbao Hub
    • Future proof agriculture, Munich Hub
    • Food as medicine, Haifa Hub

  • You must be a registered company established in an EU Member State, or Horizon Europe associated countries (NB This includes the UK) in or after 2014

  • Your company must be pre series A, meaning you must not yet have closed a Series A investment round.

  • Ideally, you will have successfully completed customer validation

  • Ideally, you will be able to demonstrate traction for example through letters of support, sales, or signed letters of intent

Switzerland and UK-based companies are eligible to apply. However, eligibility to receive funding will be determined based on Switzerland’s and the UK’s eligibility status for EU funding at that time.

Application timeline

  1. December – February

    Applications open

  2. March – April

    Evaluation & Selection

  3. May - July

    Programme: successful applicants access master classes, mentoring and product tech development support, culminating in a Tech Validation Case pitch

  4. August - onwards

    Exposure at Demo Days, Winners of the Tech Validation pitch will implement key milestones of their Tech Validation

  5. 15-16 October

    EIT Food Venture Summit

Our Startups

Startup Impact Spotlights

  • “The EIT Food Accelerator Network programme was the best fit for what we do. A great forum to validate our approach and a massive platform, which will be useful through our entire company journey. We chose EIT Food Accelerator Network programme for its credibility, useful connections, stamp of approval from the EU and fantastic network of people.”

    - Alex Demenko , economad - EIT Food Accelerator Network alumnus 2022
  • “The EIT Food Accelerator Network programme was a natural next step for us to grow and prepare for commercialisation journey. To test our business model and ideas in a safe pan-European space was extremely important to us before entering the market. Thanks to the programme we learned, adjusted our perceptions and developed accordingly. The mentors were just excellent, and I have learnt so much from them.”

    - Milda Savickaite, Kulagenas - EIT Food Accelerator Network alumnus 2022
  • “For Fermentful's development taking part in the EIT Food Accelerator Network programme was a huge milestone to accelerate the business and create strong network around it. I'm grateful for the opportunity, the EIT Food Accelerator program is a very respectable in the food industry, being a part of it adds credibility for the new player in the market and it can help you massively in terms of fund-rising, R&D, commercialisation and high-end connection creation.”

    - Anda, Fermentful - EIT Food Accelerator Network alumnus 2022
  • “Connections and contacts are so important in agri-food sector. EIT Food brings you the perfect ecosystem for you to connect and meet the perfect partners. Thanks to the EIT Food Accelerator Network programme we are now in touch with a massive community of experts, professionals, mentors, startups and investors for both commercial exchanges and business opportunities. Since taking part in the programme we have manage to double our revenue, create 2 new products and are now starting to scale-up the production.”

    - Maxime Boniface, Väcka - EIT Food Accelerator Network alumnus 2022
  • “The EIT Food Accelerator Network programme gave us the tools to prepare our startup to find an investor and the funds needed to support the next steps. We chose this programme, because of its mentors, its AgriFoodTech ecosystem, connections and the visibility and exposure it offers to startups with possible investors.”

    - Carles Arnabat, GREEN KILLER WEEDS, S.L. - EIT Food Accelerator Network alumnus 2022

FAQs

Do I have to be located in the same country as one of the programme hubs?

What is the time commitment for startups taking part in this programme? 

How are applications assessed?

Who are the evaluators? 

How much funding does this programme offer?

How can I win a Tech Validation award up to € 50,000?

What makes EIT FAN unique compared to other accelerator programmes?

How do you support EIT FAN Alumni?

Any questions? Contact our Food Accelerator Network Programme Lead

Microsoft Teams image 7
Yulia Bodnar

EIT Food Accelerator Network Programme Manager