Meet our EIT Food TeamUp 2023 winners
The third edition of the Startup Team Builder programme of EIT Food has announced the four innovative agrifood startups that won this year’s prizes
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.
On November 6th and 7th, the EIT Food TeamUp programme concluded with the Pitching Days in which 15 teams competed for the prizes of €40,000, €25,000, €15,000, and €10,000.
The competition was judged by a panel comprised of top agrifood experts: Stavros Tsitouras (Head of Research and Development at Foodscale Hub), Marion Bazille (Program Manager at Big Idea Ventures), Giancarlo Addario (Principal at Five Seasons Ventures), Patricia Larráyoz (Innovation Hub Manager at CNTA) and Felix Schweikardt (Co-Founder & CEO at auvisus GmbH). The jury had the difficult task of choosing four winners among 15 excellent teams. In the end, the jury awarded the prizes to startups with the most impactful agrifood solutions and the most promising teams.
1st Prize – €40,000
BeadRoots, Italy
Led by Angela Bonato, Marco Laino, Paolo Pezzolla and Valerio De Luca, BeadRoots is acompletely biodegradable and eco-friendly solution to help farmers tackle drought through natural superabsorbent polymers, helping retain more water in the soil.
2nd Prize – €25,000
Biopols, Turkiye
100% natural biopolymer-based food packaging and coating solution that extends the shelf life of products like fruits, vegetables and meat. The startup, led by Sena Tarim Yalçinkaya and Naci Kahraman, aims to reduce the carbon footprint of the food and beverage industry by reducing waste and offering a greener alternative to current packaging.
3rd Prize – €15,000
BioDairy Labs, Poland
BioDairy Labs is the future of plant-based fats. Abdul Keeri and Monika Ledzion manufacture healthy, animal-free fat from plant oil, offering nutritious fat ingredients to the food industry without compromising taste and texture, while prioritizing environmental sustainability.
4th Prize – €10,000
Raw edge, Estonia
Mariliis Mia Topp, Kristel Vene and Aleš Ogorevc work on blending local, natural ingredients at the forefront of a new era in health, while grabbing attention with innovative nutrition and eco-friendly focus. Raw edge pioneers revolutionary fermentation tech, crafting delicious, low-sugar, gut-friendly eats that redefine wellness and taste.
–
In case of any questions or interest in the winning teams, please feel free to contact TeamUp Programme leads Paulina Nowotka (Junior RIS Project Manager, paulina.nowotka@eitfood.eu) and Juan Ignacio Zaffora (Regional Startup Manager, juan.zaffora@eitfood.eu).
About TeamUp TeamUp is a 6-month programme that finds and matches up brilliant innovators with compatible and complementary profiles. TeamUp provides important tools and support to build an agrifood startup including expert guidance, world-class training, mentorship, networking and funding. The programme is designed for two types of innovators from Southern and Eastern Europe: technologists with innovative agrifood solutions and entrepreneurial business professionals who want to build an agrifood startup.
In the 2023 TeamUp edition, +60 innovators from +17 countries in Southern and Eastern Europe were invited to participate in the Matchmaking phase. 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 the Matchmaking phase, the 15 newly created teams continued into the Exploration phase, during which they explored and tested their match. The teams were supported with business and team formation training, a monthly stipend, as well as business and team building coaching from world-class experts.
At the end of the programme, 15 teams presented their solutions and TeamUp journey during the Pitching Days on November 6th and 7th.
The next edition of TeamUp will be launched in early 2024. More information about TeamUp can be found on the programme webpage.