EBRD and EIT Food launch a new accelerator Hub for agrifood startups
With EU support, early-stage startups will receive assistance to scale green, sustainable solutions in the agrifood sector.
- EBRD and EIT Food launch a new accelerator Hub for agrifood startups in EBRD’s EU markets, with InvestEU support
- Pre-series A startups will receive support to scale up their innovative green and sustainable solutions
- Applications are open and startups can apply on the EIT Food Accelerator Network webpage. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is partnering with EIT Food, the world’s largest food innovation community, to launch a new accelerator Hub for startups in the EBRD’s EU economies.
EIT Food is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.
Through this new accelerator Hub, titled “Future Resilient Agriculture”, early stage agrifood startups across the EBRD’s EU markets will receive tailored support to scale up their innovative solutions, helping to address global food system challenges.
Startups will be selected for their innovative approaches to sustainable agriculture and climate change mitigation and resilience. The selected companies will benefit from a robust capacity-building programme, including workshops, mentorship, networking opportunities, and access to industry-leading corporates and investors.
The new Hub will operate from Warsaw, Poland, and will run over a three-year period. The accelerator will be part of the EIT Food Accelerator Network, which includes innovation Hubs in Helsinki, Munich, Paris, Bilbao, Haifa and Brazil.
“The agrifood industry faces immense challenges, particularly from climate change. Our new partnership with EIT Food will bridge the gap between startups developing cutting-edge technologies and established corporates that need innovative solutions to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world. By bringing together startups, corporates, and investors, we aim to create a sustainable, inclusive agrifood system that accelerates the adoption of green technologies in the agrifood sector.”
“We are absolutely delighted to announce a high-level collaboration with the EBRD to bring the EIT Food Acceleration Network programme to life in Warsaw, creating a dynamic Hub for breakthrough innovation in sustainable and future-resilient agriculture.
The programme is set to attract pioneering European startups that are not only transforming agritech, but also accelerating the shift toward resilient and sustainable food systems. By joining the EIT Food Accelerator Network, startups will gain access to EIT Food’s extensive network of corporates, research institutions, and universities, as well as potential investments of up to €1.5 million per company through our investment vehicle, AgriFoodInvest. Locating the hub in Warsaw enables us to leverage our regional expertise in sustainable farming practices, and the region’s rich heritage in primary production. This initiative not only strengthens our global reach, with the newly launched hub in Brazil in 2024, but also provides startups with a platform to scale their innovations and create impact at both the European and international levels.”
With climate-related investment needs in the agrifood sector estimated to reach as much as $1.3 trillion, the accelerator Hub is a crucial step towards meeting these challenges. The initiative will not only provide much-needed support to startups but also facilitate the greening of corporate clients in EBRD countries by introducing them to frontier technologies.
The accelerator will support pre-series A startups that have successfully validated their technology and demonstrated traction in the market across but not limited to the following themes:
FUTURE RESILIENT AGRICULTURE
- Soil health and soil biodiversity
- Water management
- Crop innovation
- Bio inputs
- Carbon and nitrogen farming
- Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) "on farm", smart farming and robotics
A cohort of a minimum of 10 startups will be selected each year, with startups to receive personalised guidance to help them validate their technology, connect with corporates, and gain exposure at international innovation and investment conferences.
Applications are currently open to startups that contribute to creating a healthier, more sustainable food system. Startups can apply now on the EIT Food Accelerator Network webpage.
For more information and interview enquiries, please contact communication@eitfood.eu.
About EIT Food
EIT Food is the world’s largest and most dynamic food innovation community. We accelerate innovation to build a future-fit food system that produces healthy and sustainable food for all.
Supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, we invest in projects, organisations and individuals that share our goals for a healthy and sustainable food system. We unlock innovation potential in businesses and universities and create and scale agrifood startups to bring new technologies and products to market. We equip entrepreneurs and professionals with the skills needed to transform the food system and put consumers at the heart of our work, helping build trust by reconnecting them to the origins of their food.
We are one of nine innovation communities established by the European Institute for Innovation & Technology (EIT), an independent EU body set up in 2008 to drive innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe.
Find out more at www.eitfood.eu or follow us via social media: X(Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.
About EBRD
The EBRD is a multilateral bank that promotes the development of the private sector and entrepreneurial initiative in 36 economies across three continents. The Bank is owned by 73 countries as well as the EU and the EIB. EBRD investments are aimed at making the economies in its regions competitive, inclusive, well-governed, green, resilient and integrated. Follow us on the web, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, X and YouTube.
