EIT Food Straight2Market continues supporting agrifood startups with consumer testing and retailer PoCs

The RIS Straight2Market programme by EIT Food continues to drive innovation in the European agrifood sector by providing startups with the opportunity to validate their products and solutions in real-market environments. This year, the selected startups will take part in two key actions: product testing with consumers and proof-of-concept (PoC) validation with retailers, helping them successfully enter the market.

In the product testing with consumers phase, the following startups will gather valuable feedback directly from end users to refine and optimise their offerings:

• Laneko is launching two tomato sauces—Crushed Tomato and Fried Tomato—made with natural, locally-produced tomatoes and the "Euskal Baserri" quality seal. These low-salt, no-sugar sauces prioritize nutrition, health, and sustainability.
• Artzai Gazta. They will introduce biodegradable packaging for its PDO Idiazabal cheese, reducing environmental impact and meeting demand for sustainable, eco-friendly products.
• Lukan Gourmet. They offer a low-salt Neapolitan sauce made with 100% local ingredients, using herbs and spices for flavour, promoting health and sustainability.
• Omnivorus Smartfood. They have created a 100% plant-based chocolate alternative using legumes, sea algae, and olive oil. It’s nutritious, allergen-free, sustainable, and replicates traditional chocolate’s taste and texture at a lower cost.
• The Cricket Farming. They produce sustainable cricket-based protein powder and organic fertilizer by transforming agrofood by-products in a circular process, offering a nutritious and eco-friendly solution.

Meanwhile, in the proof-of-concept (PoC) phase with retailers, two startups will collaborate with leading distribution players:

• Gundo, a new shopping experience: improve your customers' nutrition and health through an innovative technological solution, will carry out its PoC with Eroski.
• Farmhood is making use of new generation food processing technologies, especially the Freeze-Drying technic, we develop healthy snacks, foods and new flavors that have not lost their naturalness. will validate its concept with Migros.

These initiatives will allow startups to test the viability and market acceptance of their products, strengthen their business models, and establish strategic relationships with key industry players.

The RIS Straight2Market programme, funded by EIT Food, is designed to foster agrifood entrepreneurship in Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) regions by providing practical tools and growth opportunities for innovative startups.

Through these actions, EIT Food reinforces its commitment to building a more innovative, sustainable, and consumer-centric food system across Europe.