ACCELERATE - EIT Food Accelerator Network
Are you an impactful agritech or food tech startup looking to boost your go-to-market readiness? Validate your technology and prepare for commercialisation to tackle the biggest challenges within our food system.
Join our next "Ask us anything" webinar
29 January 2025 - 12:00- 13:00 CET
Learn more about the EIT Food Accelerator Network programme and the application process or just drop in to ask your questions and discover if this opportunity is the perfect fit for your startup journey!
About the EIT Food Accelerator Network
EIT Food Accelerator Network is a 2-3 month, theme-based programme, delivered in a hybrid mode through six unique innovation Hubs in Europe:
- Circular solutions for food systems, Helsinki Hub
- Food as medicine, Haifa Hub
- Future-resilient agriculture, Warsaw Hub
- New ingredients and bioprocessing, Paris Hub
- Resilient supply chains & reducing scope 3 emissions, Munich Hub
- Sustainable food packaging, Bilbao Hub
The programme enables the most promising agrifoodtech startups to accelerate, further validate their technology and advance their investment and commercial readiness to achieve the ultimate goal: a successful market adoption.
Why join the programme?
- Accelerate your tech development and get up to €50,000 in funding
Identify your technology gaps and re-shape your product development roadmap with experts.
Access EIT Food’s network of facilities and equipment across Europe (universities, research centres etc.).
Pitch your tech validation case and get a chance to compete for funding of up to €50,000 to implement your project (awarded through a Simple Agreement For Future Equity (“SAFE”) instrument). - Prepare for commercialisation via exclusive access to corporates
Get exclusive exposure to up to 10 corporate programme partners to explore collaboration.
Attend top-notch master classes to further advance your corporate and investment readiness.
Receive guidance from top-notch mentors and advisors. - Extend your EU agrifood network and partner with key players
Get access and introductions to investors in the sector.
Benefit from exposure during Demo Days and major agrifood events, including EIT Food’s annual Next Bite event.
Get a grant of €3,000 for travelling to networking events and meetings.
Hear from our alumni
Our 2024 Cohort
Curious to see which startups EIT FAN supported in 2024?
Download the brochure to meet extraordinary entrepreneurs from the 2024 cohort.
Our Corporate Partners
Check out corporate partners that joined the EIT Food Accelerator Network programme in 2024. Stay tuned to see which corporates will join EIT FAN in 2025!
Are you eligible?
To apply for the EIT Food Accelerator Network programme:
- You must be a registered company established in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe-associated countries (NB; this includes the UK) in or after 2015
- Your business innovation must be underpinned by a technology with a prototype, or pilot project (paid or unpaid)
- It must also fall under one of EIT FAN’s themes
- Circular solutions for food systems, Helsinki Hub
- Food as medicine, Haifa Hub
- Resilient supply chains & reducing scope 3 emissions, Munich Hub
- Future-resilient agriculture, Warsaw Hub
- New ingredients and bioprocessing, Paris Hub
- Sustainable food packaging, Bilbao Hub
- Your company must be pre-series A, with revenues below €500,000 and a team no bigger than 20 people
- Ideally, you will have successfully completed customer validation
- Ideally, you will be able to demonstrate traction, for example through letters of support, sales, or signed letters of intent
Switzerland and UK-based companies are eligible to apply. However, eligibility for funding will be determined based on Switzerland’s and the UK’s eligibility status for EU funding at that time.
Application timeline
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21 November 2024 – 21 February 2025
Applications open
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March – April 2025
Evaluation & Selection
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May - October 2025 (part-time)
Programme
Successful applicants access master classes, mentoring and product tech development support, culminating in a Tech Validation Case pitch
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September - December 2025
Exposure at major agrifood events
Demo Days and EIT Food Next Bite event (15-16 October 2025)
Our Startups
Fabas
Gova
HappyGum
Ironic Biotech
Ittinsect
Kidemis
MakeGrowLab
MarinaTex
Mello
Melt & Marble
New Wave Biotech
Noovi
Outlander Materials
NuKoKo
Pacifico Biolabs
Pack2Earth
P-Agro Minerals
Papkot
PFxBiotech
Sea2Cell
Quas Drinks
Quest
Relicta
Senara
Senoptica Technologies
Uobo
ZeroImpack
ExSeed
Gaia Tech
Evanium Healthcare
Foreverland Food
E-Terry
FeJuice
Agcurate
Esencia Foods
Elaniti
iComplai
Clean Food Group
CinSOIL
The Good Pulse Company
Kokomodo
BOB FoodTech
Blue Ocean Closures
Fungit Biosolutions
Agricom
Amatera Biosciences
AgriFoodX
AlgaHealth
Esencia Foods
Primogene GmbH
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“The EIT Food Accelerator Network programme was the best fit for what we do. A great forum to validate our approach and a massive platform, which will be useful through our entire company journey. We chose EIT Food Accelerator Network programme for its credibility, useful connections, stamp of approval from the EU and fantastic network of people.”
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“The EIT Food Accelerator Network programme was a natural next step for us to grow and prepare for commercialisation journey. To test our business model and ideas in a safe pan-European space was extremely important to us before entering the market. Thanks to the programme we learned, adjusted our perceptions and developed accordingly. The mentors were just excellent, and I have learnt so much from them.”
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“For Fermentful's development taking part in the EIT Food Accelerator Network programme was a huge milestone to accelerate the business and create strong network around it. I'm grateful for the opportunity, the EIT Food Accelerator program is a very respectable in the food industry, being a part of it adds credibility for the new player in the market and it can help you massively in terms of fund-rising, R&D, commercialisation and high-end connection creation.”
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“Connections and contacts are so important in agri-food sector. EIT Food brings you the perfect ecosystem for you to connect and meet the perfect partners. Thanks to the EIT Food Accelerator Network programme we are now in touch with a massive community of experts, professionals, mentors, startups and investors for both commercial exchanges and business opportunities. Since taking part in the programme we have manage to double our revenue, create 2 new products and are now starting to scale-up the production.”
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“The EIT Food Accelerator Network programme gave us the tools to prepare our startup to find an investor and the funds needed to support the next steps. We chose this programme, because of its mentors, its AgriFoodTech ecosystem, connections and the visibility and exposure it offers to startups with possible investors.”
Our Programme Partners
ShakeUpFactory
University of Helsinki
Technical University of Munich
FAQs
Do I have to be located in the same country as one of the programme Hubs?
No, you don’t! EIT FAN operates in different locations across Europe, and the programme is delivered in a hybrid format (a combination of in-person and online events). Each startup team is asked to select a Hub and theme most appropriate for them as part of the programme application process.
What is the time commitment for startups taking part in this programme?
To take advantage of all that the EIT Food Accelerator Network has to offer, our Hubs facilitate the programme in person and online. Despite offering a hybrid and flexible approach, we DO expect at least one team member to remain active and to be fully engaged with the programme during its entire term (2-3months of programme spread between May and October). The mandatory events to attend are corporate-startup matchmaking, Tech Validation Pitch event, Demo Days and EIT Food Next Bite event.
How are applications assessed?
Applications are evaluated based on the understanding of the food system challenges, its commercial solution, and your company’s fit with our ecosystem and partners. Equally important is the potential impact of the innovation, its technology readiness, the business model, its USP, and the dynamics of the founding team. Please refer to our programme Terms & Conditions for more detailed information.
Who are the evaluators?
All evaluators engaged in different stages of the programme experienced entrepreneurs and experts from the agriculture, food and tech industries.
How much funding does this programme offer?
The EIT Food Accelerator Network programme offers a €3,000 grant for each startup to cover their travel expenses during the programme.
Additionally, each startup is offered an opportunity to compete for funding of up to €50,000 to implement their tech validation project. Closer to the end of the programme, each Hub will organise a Tech Validation pitch event to determine three startups that will receive funding of 50,000, € 30,000 or € 20,000. This funding will be awarded through a Simple Agreement For Future Equity (“SAFE”) instrument.
What makes EIT Food Accelerator Network unique compared to other accelerator programmes?
Supported by the European Union, we provide direct access to experts who fundamentally understand the commercial potential of science and technology in the agrifood sector. You will be joining the world’s largest agrifood startup community and receive continuous support from other like-minded entrepreneurs, with endless opportunities to share knowledge and work closely with our world-leading industry partners whilst getting attention from investors.
How do you support EIT FAN Alumni?
At the end of the programme, each cohort team is automatically enrolled as EIT FAN Alumni and then invited to pursue opportunities for pilot projects and follow-on funding. There is also the possibility of becoming a member of the EIT Food RisingFoodStars programme which supports the scaling of impactful agrifood startups to enter international markets.
Do you require more detailed information?
For more detailed information about the EIT Food Accelerator Network, please refer to the programme Terms and Conditions.
