15 great teams start their journey in the EIT Food TeamUp 2023 programme

TeamUp is a programme that finds and matches brilliant technologists with compatible business entrepreneurs and supports them on their journey to co-create truly impactful agrifood ventures.

In the 2023 TeamUp edition, +60 innovators from +17 countries in Southern and Eastern Europe were invited to participate in the Matchmaking phase of TeamUp. For over a month, participants identified their values and motivations, got to know each other, networked and tested their matches in different business scenarios.

After this intense and intensive phase, 20 matches between tech and business profiles were made, and 15 of them were selected for the next phase of the programme. These 15 newly-formed teams are now taking part in the Exploration phase, during which they are exploring and testing their match. In addition, the teams will be supported with business building and team formation training, a stipend, as well as business and team building coaching from world-class experts.

Meet the 2023 TeamUp Exploration Phase teams:

Biopols: is a 100% natural biopolymer-based food packaging and coating solution. It extends the shelf life of products like fruits, vegetables, and meat. This product aims to reduce the carbon footprint of the food and beverage industry by reducing waste and offering a greener alternative to current packaging.

Team: Sena Tarim Yalçinkaya (Turkey) and Naci Kahraman (Turkey)

Wise Plant Food: is scientifically developing vegan dairy products that not only perfectly replace dairy products, but also taste great, have a clean composition and health-promoting properties thanks to the content of probiotic bacteria cultures, and are made from local organic ingredients.

Team: Dorota Najgebauer-Lejko (Poland), Daniel Żmudziński​ (Poland) and Małgorzata Staniszewska (Poland)

Cevifun: produces a shrimp analog made of filamentous fungi single-cell protein for seafood enthusiasts. In the scheme of sustainable food production, Cevifun aims to contribute to the bioeconomy by valorizing food industry sidestreams into alternative protein by filamentous fungi fermentation.

Team: Kristiina Loit (Estonia), Martín Terán Velástegui (Estonia) and Mikołaj Andrzejak (Poland)

FROOF: they use fermentation tech to transform crops grown with regenerative agriculture practices to produce immunity-boosting, nutrient rich, sugar free ready-to-drink beverages. With their climate friendly probiotic powders, they connect regenerative farmers with end customers - restoring soil, reclaiming our health, and creating favourable and profitable conditions for farmers to apply regenerative methods.

Team: Katarina Kostic (Spain) and Asso Lankots (Estonia)

Farmhood: is an innovative startup dedicated to combating food waste through cutting-edge research and development studies on raw materials, resulting in the creation of functional products. Products offer distinct experiences and benefits while Farmhood's focus is on sourcing raw materials from sustainable channels, including food by-products, agricultural surplus, and unsold food.

Team: Selin Arslan​ (Turkey) and Tea Vrcić​ (Croatia)

Bionome: pioneers the future of nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals using cutting-edge genetic engineering and sustainable bioprocessing techniques. Our innovative and scalable design harnesses the power of photosynthetic microorganisms using light and air to produce the purest, high-yield CBD and Fucoxanthin 4-5 times faster than traditional approaches, while ensuring consistent quality and elimination of environmental impact

Team: Nerve Cansu İşeri (Turkey) and Kaija Kurme-Jansone (Latvia)

Biodairy Labs: manufactures healthy, animal-free fat from plant oil, offering nutritious fat ingredients to the food industry without compromising taste and texture, while prioritizing environmental sustainability.

Team: Abdul Keeri​ (Poland) and Monika Ledzion (Poland)

Wolffia Suprema: High-impact agri-food tech company that grows Wolffia globosa, a sustainable source of plant-based protein for human and animal nutrition, on a large scale while contributing to the regeneration of the Earth's resources and mitigating carbon emissions. WolffiaSuprema is developing a breakthrough technology for vertical, indoor, ultra-fast, automatic cultivation of Wolffia globosa, helping to meet the soaring global demand for healthy, safe, and sustainable food.

Team: Eugenia Ana Bucur (Romania) and Begüm Önal (Turkey)

SEM2: Strawberry and vegetables electric vehicle is a new design for agriculture automation. A self-propelled electric vehicle allows to facilitate work, increasing labour productivity and product quality when growing strawberries, asparagus and other crops.

Team: Oleh Prykhodko​ (Ukraine) and Oleksandr Baliura​ (Ukraine)

BeadRoots: was born to help farmers tackle drought through natural superabsorbent polymers, helping retain more water in the soil. Our solution is completely biodegradable, eco-friendly and serves as a plant nutrient once degraded.

Team: Marco Laino​ (Italy), Paolo Pezzolla​ (Italy), Angela Bonato​ (Italy) and Valerio De Luca (Italy)

Bestran: is implementing a technology of manufacturing natural beta-carotene by fermentation of agricultural by-products with the fungus Blakeslea trispora to replace chemically synthesised beta-carotene in the food market for healthier food and environment.

Team: Oleksandr Rudas​ (Spain), Viktoriia Komarysta​ (Spain) and İhsan Çakir​ (Turkey)

Ragni Wines: offers emerging winemakers a cost-effective and supportive solution with access to specialized equipment, expertise, and established facilities, and customized wine solutions to businesses, all while promoting sustainability through a hybrid co-working and custom-crush business model.

Team: Olivia Ragni (Spain), Martins Pjalkovskis (Latvia) and Bisztriánszky Gergely (Hungary)

BecibusAI: harnesses the biodiversity of Latin America's natural food ingredients by leveraging transformative AI-driven food reformulation. It empowers sustainable, healthy, and culturally rich product development while redefining the future of the food industry.

Team: Oscar Días (Portugal), Ricardo Pereira (Portugal) and Eliana Bejarano (Spain)

Raw Edge: pioneers revolutionary fermentation tech, crafting delicious, low-sugar, gut-friendly eats that redefine wellness and taste. Blending local, natural ingredients, we're at the forefront of a new era in health, grabbing attention with our innovative nutrition and eco-friendly focus.

Team: Kristel Vene​ (Estonia), Mariliis Mia Topp (Estonia) and Aleš Ogorevc (Slovenia)

PreservaCoat: An innovative biological preparation leveraging metabolites from patented bacteria is under development. This preparation, available as a suspension, spray or dip seeks to enhance the quality and longevity of soft fruits and vegetables by boosting their health and freshness during pré and post-harvest stages, aiming to revolutionize produce preservation and offer consumers extended shelf life and improved nutritional benefits.

Team: Danuta Kruszewska (Poland) and Teresa Braz (Portugal)

If you want to know more about the TeamUp programme, you can visit the official website at: https://www.eitfood.eu/projects/teamup