Discover EWA Bulgaria 2024’s Winners: Women Revolutionizing Agrifood Innovation

The top prize of €10,000 was awarded to Ivelina Lyubomirova, founder of Gram za kilogram, a producer of gluten-free and keto foods without stabilizers or emulsifiers. Her dedication to creating healthy and innovative food products captured the jury's attention and secured her the first-place honor.

The second prize of €5,000 went to Iva Kalinova for Wholenest, her startup specializing in the production of preservative-free nut milks. Her commitment to providing sustainable and healthy dairy alternatives was a standout among the pitches.

In addition to the main prizes, several participants received special recognition:

• Theodora Georgieva, founder of The Good Club, a digital platform for corporate social responsibility, received both a special prize from First Investment Bank and the Beyond pre-accelerator award presented by Elena Nikolova.

• Kristina Kostova of Roseberry.farm, a farm cultivating American blueberries and damascena roses, was honored with a special prize from First Investment Bank.

• Darina Sotirova of Chewing Gum Shen, Bulgaria's first natural chewing gum company, also earned a special prize from First Investment Bank.

• Iva Kalinova of Wholenest received two additional accolades: the AgriVentures special award, presented by Maria Hristova, and a recognition from the Bulgarian Angels Club chapter in Varna.

The ten EWA mentees each had four minutes to present their business ideas to a panel of expert judges, followed by a seven-minute Q&A session. This format mirrored a real-world investor pitch, challenging the participants to clearly articulate their value propositions, business models, and growth strategies.

The second part of the EWA Bulgaria 2024 Pitching Event highlighted the wider ecosystem supporting agrifood innovation. EIT Food Hub Bulgaria – RAPIV presented various funding opportunities, including services from the Digital Innovation Hub for Agriculture (AgroHub.BG), pre-seed startup programmes, and European funding initiatives like AgriVentures. Participants also learned about financial support from the Agro division of DSK Bank and the Smart Lady programme from First Investment Bank, giving them more resources to grow their businesses.

The EWA Bulgaria Pitching Event showed the positive impact of the EIT Food EWA programme on women entrepreneurs in agrifood. While the winners were celebrated, all the participants demonstrated their ability to refine their ideas, improve their business strategies, and bring sustainable solutions to the industry.

This event highlighted EWA’s commitment to supporting female entrepreneurs, giving them the tools and recognition they need to drive innovation and success in agrifood. With the opportunities and insights gained, these startups are well on their way to making a real impact in the agrifood sector.

Regional Agency for Entrepreneurship and Innovations - Varna (RAPIV) is a non -governmental non-for-profit organization established in 2002 aiming to stimulate regional economy through the development of entrepreneurship and innovations. Its members include representatives of 4 types of organizations: central and local government, academic and scientific institutions, NGOs and businesses as well as physical persons.

Learn more about Regional Agency for Entrepreneurship and Innovations - Varna (RAPIV) on their web page.