EIT Food announces newest agrifood tech scaleups to join the RisingFoodStars Association
14 promising companies have been selected to join Europe’s largest agrifood startup community
EIT Food’s RisingFoodStars Association is set to welcome 14 new agrifood tech scaleups from across Europe, following a meticulous selection process with applications from over 130 companies. EIT Food is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.
As part of the RisingFoodStars network, these fledgling companies will receive guidance and support from established leaders in the industry, as well as access to additional investment to help them grow and scale. The scaleups will have the opportunity to network with major agrifood companies, educational and research institutions within the EIT Food community.
Former RisingFoodStars include the 3D-printed plant-based ‘meat’ company Redefine Meat, which recently raised $135 million in what is said to be one of the largest financing rounds by an Israeli alternative meat company. Redefine Meat steaks are already available at several high-end restaurants in Israel, the UK, Germany and the Netherlands, and the company has planned to expand globally.
“We are delighted to officially welcome the RisingFoodStars cohort of 2022 and be the trusted partner in their scaling journey. As we return to in-person events, making meaningful connections and raising the profiles of the members at an international scale will be our main priorities this year. I am looking forward to working together to build more stories of success and impact in the agrifood space.”
These are the newest startups to join the RisingFoodStars Association, organised according to EIT Food’s focus areas:
Targeted nutrition
- Verdify (The Netherlands) – its AI engine powers a personalised recipe platform to match consumers’ nutrition profiles based on their needs and preferences.
- Complete Organics (Germany) – this scaleup brings fermented vegetables to a new level without the use of preservatives, colouring or other flavourings.
Circular food systems
- Kern Tec GmbH (Austria) – a unique upcycling company that focuses on bringing plant-based ingredients and products to the global food market. These products are created using pits from apricots, cherries, and plums.
- Circular Food Technology ApS (Denmark) – transforms the spent grains from beer production into a versatile super flour, rich in protein and fibre.
Sustainable agriculture
- Farm21 (The Netherlands) - its data-driven insights enable farmers to optimise their farming practices and become more efficient with water, crop protection, fertiliser, fuel and labour, helping them to cut costs.
- Bee Smart Technologies AD (Bulgaria) – its main goal is to help beekeepers take better care of their bees through IoT (Internet of Things) solutions.
- Seed-X (Israel) – it has developed AI driven image analysis technology systems for seed and grain quality prediction to maximize seed quality.
- Ace Aquatec (United Kingdom) – this company partners with world leading experts in different scientific fields to apply their breakthrough technology developments to aquaculture and marine industries.
Protein diversification
- Aliga Aps (Denmark) – this scaleup’s focus lies in developing, cultivating and producing premium-quality functional and protein-rich Chlorella algae ingredients for food, feed and dietary supplement applications.
- Happy Ocean Foods GmbH (Germany) – its plant-based Happy Shrymps are both tasty and good for our oceans.
- Mushlabs GmbH (Germany) – its mission is to produce nutritious and sustainable foods that appeal to both meat-eaters and vegetarians, by growing mushroom mycelium to create delicious and healthy raw ingredients for meat alternative products.
- CUBIQ FOODS S.L. (Spain) – it is on a mission to improve the nutritional profile of food and make Omega-3 consumption more accessible.
Digital Traceability
- NEMIS Technologies AG (Switzerland) – it is committed to empower food producers to minimise microbiological risk by providing a unique lab-free detection system that is simple to use.
- Delicious Data (Germany) - its forecast solution uses machine learning to combine historical data of catering businesses with additional external factors to calculate future sales figures, helping businesses to reduce food waste.
In addition to the 14 new members, the RisingFoodStars Association has renewed the memberships of 32 startups who are existing or former members of the cohort. You can see the full list of members here.
EIT Food Open Innovation Call 2023
Have you got an idea for an innovative project that will create positive change in the food system? We want to hear from you!
“Being a RisingFoodStar is a solid recognition of the business we do. In Agrain by Circular Food Technology, our hope and ambition is to be introduced to the right international community of food producers and to be able to grow our business internationally in strong commercial partnerships with this community.”
“We at Aliga Microalgae are thrilled to have been chosen as a RisingFoodStar member. Over the last few years have we been working very hard in developing our proprietary white Chlorella ingredient as we see new sources of protein-rich and plant-based crops being a game changer when disrupting the global food industry. As an EIT Food community member we are looking forward to being supported in scaling our operations and connecting to new partners and opportunities as we expand our business internationally.”
For more information, please contact: communication@eitfood.eu
About RisingFoodStars Association
RisingFoodStars is a programme aimed at early scaleups that already have paying customers or a paid pilot project and are ready to expand globally on a significant scale. The RisingFoodStars Association aims to help the scaleups grow even faster by testing new ideas in the marketplace, providing expert support, connecting the scaleups with leading corporate partners in the food industry and facilitating access to investors.
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 eight 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: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.