EWA Portugal 2025 Demo Day Highlights Women-Led Innovation in Agrifood
The EWA Portugal 2025 Demo Day showcased the progress achieved by ten entrepreneurs who developed and refined their agrifood solutions throughout the programme.
The EWA Portugal 2025 Demo Day took place on 24 November during the Agrifood Open Day, organised with the involvement of Food4Sustainability CoLAB and Unicorn Factory Lisboa. Ten women entrepreneurs presented the agrifood solutions they have developed throughout six months of mentoring, training and business support.
Held as part of EIT Food’s Empowering Women in Agrifood (EWA) programme, the 2025 edition in Portugal has been implemented throughout the year by BGI Sustainable Ventures, supporting women entrepreneurs in advancing early-stage agrifood innovations.
Inspiration and Learning at the Agrifood Open Day
Alongside the pitching session, the EWA programme hosted a dedicated learning track featuring two guest speakers who shared insights on leadership, entrepreneurship and personal development.
- Susana Ribeiro, Team Developer, Well-being Facilitator and Mentor at Nova SBE Voice Leadership, delivered a session on leadership, self-leadership and life-balance leadership, encouraging participants to align professional ambition with personal wellbeing.
- Fernanda Vasconcelos, Co-founder and General Manager of Nolita, discussed the essential questions to address before launching a business, offering practical guidance drawn from her entrepreneurial experience.
These sessions provided the participants with tools to further strengthen their projects and navigate the early stages of building a business in agrifood.
Recognising the 2025 EWA Portugal Winners
At the end of the pitching session, three entrepreneurs were recognised for the innovation, feasibility and impact of their solutions:
First Prize (€10,000) – Viviana Ribeiro (AgriDerma)
A sustainable dermal matrix derived from agro-industrial by-products for biomedical applications.
Second Prize (€5,000) – Ana Cristina Vítor (RumiPep)
A functional additive for ruminants made from industrial by-products, designed to reduce reliance on antibiotics.
Visibility Award – Ana Martins Vilas-Boas (BioUpCycle)
High-value biostimulants produced through the upcycling of agro-industrial residues.
Jury and Mentoring Support
The pitches were evaluated by a jury composed of:
- Margarida Palma, Technical and Scientific Director at Food4Sustainability CoLAB
- Simone Siebra, Angel Investor at EA Angels and Women in Tech Ambassador
- Bárbara Leão de Carvalho, Impact Innovation Fund Director at 3xP Global
Ten mentors accompanied the participants throughout the programme, providing continuous guidance on business development, market validation and strategic planning.
Celebrating Women Shaping Portugal’s Agrifood Future
The Demo Day highlighted the resilience, creativity and technical expertise of the EWA Portugal cohort, underscoring the programme’s role in strengthening women’s leadership in the agrifood sector. All participants demonstrated significant progress across the six months, refining their business models, expanding their networks and developing the confidence needed to advance their ventures.
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