The search is on for the next 100 agri-food entrepreneurs that can transform the food system to be healthier and more environmentally sustainable. There are six key focus areas of particular interest including sustainable agriculture and aquaculture, alternative proteins, digital traceability, circular food systems and targeted nutrition.

The EIT Food, a European food innovation initiative supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) search comes as the global food system faces major challenges to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals and adhere to the Paris Agreement climate targets.

EIT Food has provided more than €10 million (US$11.8 million) in direct financial support across its business creation programs in 2020.

This support has helped entrepreneurs to grow and scale their impact faster, with successful EIT Food start-ups raising more than €91 million (US$107 million) in external investments. 

“only a spirit of entrepreneurship will help Europe to make the transformation we need, creating a food system fit for the future, that is healthy, sustainable, and meets the needs of a growing population,” says Andy Zynga, CEO of EIT Food. 

European Startup Monitor reports that less than 4 percent of start-ups in Europe are in the agri-food space, creating a huge market opportunity for innovators, investors and entrepreneurs alike. 

“Our purpose at EIT Food is to create a culture across Europe for entrepreneurship to thrive,” Zynga adds.  

The 2021 search
Applications for the 2021 cohort will begin early next year and close in the spring. 

EIT Food is looking for ideas and businesses that have the highest impact when shaping the future of food and are aligned with the European Commission’s Farm to Fork Strategy.

The Farm to Fork Strategy aims to accelerate the transition to a sustainable food system and is at the heart of the European Green Deal. 

Applicants may range from aspiring entrepreneurs with new business ideas to early-stage start-ups and scale-ups wanting to expand internationally. 

“Today, we are calling for new ideas from experts, innovators and investors, right across the food system. We encourage anyone who has an idea or a business that can make a real difference, with potential to scale and grow, to apply for this once in a lifetime opportunity,” says Zynga.

EIT Food’s scaled programs
Three tiers of EIT Food programs welcome entrepreneurs at different stages of development:

EIT Food Seedbed 
For aspiring entrepreneurs who wish to launch their products, the EIT Food Seedbed program is a six-month pre-accelerator wher participants can access financial support, expert training and mentoring to develop tailored roadmaps.

Food Accelerator Network
For registered start-ups, pre-seed funding with traction indicators, the Food Accelerator Network is a four-month program. Registered start-ups build skills and gain exposure to their markets, customers, investors and media. Access to experts and partners with facilities such as labs, agricultural land and pilot sites are available. 

RisingFoodStars Association
Designed for early scale-ups with paying customers, this program introduces participants to corporates, research organizations and academics, increasing visibility and scale-up potential. Partners also benefit from joining the EIT Food community, gaining access to a vast network of agri-food businesses, start-ups, universities and research organizations.

2020 start-up success 
Several start-ups who have already worked with EIT Food will be appearing at the EIT Food Venture Summit, November 17-18, 2020, to showcase their ideas and pitch to new investors.

Among them is Swiss DeCode, an EIT Food RisingFoodStar, which helps farmers and food manufacturers produce safe and authentic food by providing rapid, on-site food safety tests. 

Brij Sahi, CEO and co-founder of Swiss DeCode says: “EIT Food has enabled us to tap into some of the largest corporations in the world and to establish proof of concepts with them. This opportunity means we can directly engage with corporates and discuss on a one-to-one basis what we could do together.”

Other start-ups active in the EIT Food’s business creation programs, among many others, are:

Crover: EIT Food Seedbed alumni and now member of the Food Accelerator Network, Crover helps grain-storekeepers reduce losses and maintain optimum storage conditions. The Scotland-based start-up has developed a small robotic device capable of swimming through bulk solids and measuring conditions.

TotalCtrl: based in Norway and part of the EIT Food Accelerator Network, TotalCtrl is a software start-up helping food businesses prevent food waste through control of inventories based on expiration dates.   

Spoontainable: Member of the EIT Food Accelerator Network, German start-up Spoontainable uses 100 percent natural resources to create edible cutlery and sustainable plastic alternatives for the catering industry.  

Novameat: Headquartered in Spain and part of the EIT Food Accelerator Network, Novameat is creating plant-based meat substitutes, such as what it calls the first 3D printed plant-based beefsteak.

Last month, Rabobank unveiled the 45 companies selected to participate in FoodBytes! Pitch 2020, its global agri-food start-up discovery program that helps entrepreneurs scale their impact.