EIT Food RisingFoodStar SwissDeCode commended at EIT Awards 

EIT Food RisingFoodStar SwissDecode took third place in the prestigious EIT Venture Award category at the EIT Awards. The award recipients were announced at the 2020 EIT Awards ceremony organised by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT), an independent EU body set up in 2008 to promote innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe. 

This year’s ceremony was held virtually on 8 and 9 December and has brought together the EIT Community to showcase some of the leading entrepreneurial talent, women innovators, startups, scaleups, innovative projects and entrepreneurial talent revolutionising Europe.  

With eight EIT Knowledge Innovation Communities (KICs) competing, five award categories and 28 nominees, SwissDeCode was recognised for its excellent achievements in the European food space. The Switzerland-based scaleup SwissDeCode, part of EIT Food’s RisingFoodStars Association, took third place for the EIT Venture Award, which showcases startups and scaleups that have benefited from business acceleration and creation support by the EIT Community. 

Dr. Andy Zynga, CEO of EIT Food, says: “We are so proud of SwissDeCode for its strong showing in the EIT Venture Award category at the EIT Awards this year. This is hugely significant for EIT Food – it shows how collaboration across our community is helping to deliver a meaningful transformation of the food system.” 

SwissDeCode was recognised for its work in food authentication, compliance and safety, providing a wide range of rapid DNA detection solutions. From farmers, to food manufacturers and food authorities, SwissDeCode is boosting trust and safety across the entire food supply chain with its pioneering technology.  

Brij Sahi, CEO & Co-founder of SwissDeCode, says: “We are very grateful for the support we’ve received and proud to be part of such an innovative community. It is an honour to be recognised with the EIT Venture Award and we look forward to carrying on our work to transform the food system onto a more sustainable path.”    

As a member of the RisingFoodStars Association, SwissDeCode has benefitted from access to EIT Food’s corporate and academic network, innovation and business creation support, as well as potential customers and distribution channels. This has significantly accelerated their international growth and increased their visibility.