Italian Demo Day 2024 celebrates women-led agrifood innovations

The ten finalists presented their projects to a distinguished panel of judges, including Antonio Iannone of TheFoodCons, Nicola Mei of Hi!Founders, and Valeria Gangemi of Angels4Women. Their pitches reflected a strong commitment to innovation and sustainability, highlighting solutions designed to create a positive impact in the agrifood industry.

Sara Roversi, President of the Future Food Institute, expressed her pride in this year’s cohort: “For the third year, we are thrilled to collaborate with EIT Food on this essential initiative. These ten participants inspired us with their passion, vision, and environmental awareness, demonstrating that women’s entrepreneurship is a powerful driver for a sustainable future. This award is for all of them, to continue giving voice and value to women in a sector that nourishes our planet and generates positive impacts for everyone.”

The top two projects were recognised with financial awards. Ira Sulejmeni won the €10,000 first prize for her startup Clearchain, which leverages advanced technology to revolutionise food traceability. Clearchain-BOX monitors key parameters such as temperature, humidity, and vibrations during food transportation, ensuring quality and reducing waste. Data is stored on a blockchain, offering full transparency throughout the supply chain.

The €5,000 second prize, sponsored by Nestlé Group in Italy, was awarded to Antonella Bellina for her project Alma Serum, which upcycles whey into low-impact cosmetic and biomedical products using advanced electrospinning technology. This approach embraces a circular economy, reducing both carbon and water footprints in the supply chain.

In addition, Ira Sulejmeni received this year’s "Visibility Pack" honourable mention, which will bring her to the EWA Women in Agrifood Stories gathering in Lisbon, where she will represent Italy alongside top talents from across Europe.

Marta Schiraldi, Head of Sustainability at Nestlé Group in Italy, remarked, “We are proud to grant this award, recognising our commitment to fostering and empowering women-led entrepreneurship. Supporting young agrifood entrepreneurs who bring innovative solutions to this crucial sector enriches it with fresh ideas. Investing in their talent is an investment in a more sustainable and inclusive future.”

The Italian Demo Day highlighted the vital role of initiatives such as EWA in driving innovation and sustainability within the agrifood sector. While marking the end of an intensive six-month programme, it also opened doors to new opportunities for these women entrepreneurs to create lasting impacts both in Italy and across Europe.