4th edition of the EWA Programme in Spain concluded with a very tight pitch competition
Ana Climent, founder of Ca Climent and Priscila Silva, founder of Gundo App were awarded with the 1st and 2nd prize by the close of this edition.
On 21st of November, the EWA Spain Demo Day took place at Norrsken House Barcelona, where more than 70 attendees enjoyed a closely contested pitching competition. The event marked the conclusion of the 4th edition of the programme, showcasing the achievements of ten entrepreneurs who dedicated themselves to months of intensive training, mentoring, and networking.
During the afternoon, all the EWA entrepreneurs had the opportunity to show what they had learnt and implemented during the 6 months of the programme.
Once the entrepreneurs had presented their pitches, the jury started with the deliveration. This deliveration occurred during a roundtable discussion, and the winners were announced afterward. The round table included the participation of Anna Palli, Head of Technology Watch & Quality Assurance at IRTA; Olga Valls, co-founder at WA4STEAM and Marie-France Muzart, Head of Spain at McCormick. They discussed about the Challenges of scaling innovation for innovative women in the agrifood sector. Once the awarded entrepeneurs were selected, they were announced.
Ana Climent, Founder of Ca Climent was awarded with the first prize.
The prize consists of 10,000 euros for the winner, who plans to invest in mechanizing cultivation to increase production by more than 1,100%, as she explained. "It will help me achieve a more efficient harvest because it will no longer be manual."
The company CA Climent has rescued two varieties of peanuts on the brink of extinction (Collaret and Cacaua) to promote their cultivation, roasting, and distribution. Based in La Granja, the company revitalizes abandoned fields, creates job opportunities for local farmers, and generates 22 times less carbon footprint than its competitors. This is significant because in Spain, almost all peanut consumption is imported. In fact, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, there were only two hectares under irrigation last year.
Priscila Silva, founder at Gundo App was awarded with the second prize, valued at 5,000 euros.
This second prize was sponsored by Eurecat - Centro Tecnológico de Catalunya, pioneers in agrifood advacement using cutting-edge tech and science to craft healthier, more sustainable food.
The nutritional Gundo App, which helps, guides, and facilitates consumers in the simple purchase of food at the supermarket. It is based on individual data such as weight, height, sex, physical activity, among others, to create a nutritional profile and tailor it to their goals or needs. In this way, it allows users to make healthier decisions by having the necessary information before completing their purchase.
In addition, Ana González, founder at Protiberia, also received recognition. She has been chosen to represent Spain at the Women in Agrifood Summit in Lithuania.
Her biotechnology company produces proteins from the Tenebrio Molitor insect for human and animal nutrition.
They also study the application of these by-products in the agricultural sector and have their own Smart Insect Farm located in Villamalea, a small town in Albacete.
The jury, consisting of Jordi Picas, CEO at Mundial Gourmet; Amaya Prat Solís, R&D&I & Sustainability Director at Ametller Origen; Mar Barri, Quality & Sustainability Director at Flax and Kale; and Elvira Domingo, Regional Impact Portfolio Manager at EIT Food for Southern Europe, commended the participants for their outstanding efforts in promoting innovation and sustainability in the agrifood sector.
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