EWA 2025 Estonia: Introducing Ten Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs
Organised by EIT Food and implemented in Estonia by Tartu Biotechnology Park, the Empowering Women in Agrifood (EWA) programme has officially launched its 2025 edition. This year, ten aspiring women entrepreneurs from across Estonia will begin a six-month journey to develop and refine their agrifood business ideas.
The EWA programme 2025 in Estonia officially launched on June 13th with a dynamic Matchmaking event held in Tartu, bringing together this year’s selected mentees and experienced mentors. The event was opened by Maris Väli-Täht, Project Manager at Tartu Biotechnology Park, who welcomed participants and presented an overview of the programme's upcoming activities. Participants received an overview of the programme’s mission, the training framework, and the schedule for the following six months.
A special workshop on intellectual property (IP) protection and commercialisation was led by Siim Kinnas, Head of the Technology Transfer Unit at Enterprise Estonia. He emphasised the importance of addressing IP early in the business journey. Protecting IP helps companies stay competitive, supports pricing, and safeguards business ideas from being copied. Kinnas warned that many small businesses share ideas too soon, risking their use by others before proper protection is in place.
Following the workshop, EWA 2025 mentors were introduced, each sharing their background and experience in the agrifood sector. Mentees then presented their business ideas to the group. Prior to the event, Tartu Biotechnology Park had carefully matched each mentee with a mentor based on their needs and mentor expertise. The event concluded with informal networking, giving participants a chance to connect and build relationships for the journey ahead.
Meet the 10 women entrepreneurs selected for the EWA programme in Estonia:
- Marge Tava is developing a unique, preservative-free vegan product that emphasizes health, eco-friendliness, and social impact through charitable initiatives.
- Kristi Seppa offers aesthetically appealing, ready-to-use ice cubes crafted from natural ingredients, combining convenience with purity.
- Maris Arulepp creates functional health shots and beverages designed to support physical and nervous system balance.
- Janika Aan is building a digital food passport and traceability platform that tracks products from raw materials all the way to the end consumer.
- Katrin Jürimäe focuses on novel, healthy products made from local asparagus, alongside promoting food tourism in the region.
- Kairi Randmer is innovating with new-generation fermented drinks aimed at enhancing health and well-being.
- Mari Aasmäe develops science-based, nutritious ready-to-eat meals specifically designed for crisis areas.
- Ebe Meitern-Vare introduces an AI-powered assistant to help households prevent and reduce food waste effectively.
- Merlyn Peters has designed a hydroponic salad shelf that enables fresh food production directly at the point of consumption.
- Kadri Just provides a soil biota analysis service that supports regenerative farming practices, promoting sustainable agriculture.
Mentors in EWA 2025 Estonia:
- Alo Lilles – Investor at Fstage.vc; Project Manager at Guardtime OÜ
- Anastasiia Shevchenko –CDO at Ragn-Sells AS
- Rain Kuldjärv – Food Scientist, Functional Foods Lead at TFTAK AS
- Triin Kõrgmaa – Deputy Secretary General, Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture
- Viljam Viljasoo – Business Advisor at Tartu Business Advisory Services
- Karin Repp – Founder and COO at FoodDocs OÜ
- Triin Remmelgas – CEO at Mati Foods OÜ
- Rode Luhaäär – CEO at Procommerce OÜ
- Kirti Kooser – CEO at Be More Superfoods OÜ
- Olivier de Schaetzen – CEO at Gens LLC
What’s Next for EWA Estonian Participants?
Personal mentoring between the mentors and mentees has now begun and will continue until the end of November. Throughout the programme, additional training sessions and a Masterclass event will be offered to the mentees. The pitching competition will be held as an open Demo Day event in Tartu on November 21st.
The final event of the EWA programme, titled “Next Bite: Accelerating Innovation Through Female Leadership,” is scheduled to take place on December 4th in Warsaw.
About Tartu BT Park
Tartu Biotechnology Park (TBP) is a leading hub for innovation in Estonia’s biotechnology sector, providing office and laboratory spaces alongside business development and consultancy services. With 20 years of experience, TBP supports startups and established companies in health, foodtech, biotech, and cosmetics through networking, technology transfer, and market analysis. It fosters collaboration between research institutions, businesses, and international partners while organizing events like hackathons and seminars to drive innovation. TBP plays a key role in strengthening Estonia’s biotech ecosystem and supporting foreign companies entering the market.
Learn more about Tartu BT Park on their webpage.
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