TeamUp matches leading technologists with entrepreneurial business professionals and supports them on their journey to co-create truly impactful agrifood ventures.
In Southern and Eastern Europe, there is a worrying gap between the number of innovative agrifood technologies developed at universities and the number of such technologies reaching the market. Our research shows that impactful startups with strong teams are better placed to commercialise promising agrifood solutions and transform our food system.
TeamUp is a 7-month programme that finds and matches up brilliant innovators with compatible and complementary profiles. TeamUp provides important tools and support to build your startup including expert guidance, world-class training, mentorship, networking and funding. These new teams will be nurtured to create strong co-founder relationships with aligned purpose and values.
The programme is run by EIT Food in collaboration with Naked Innovations and supported by Bühler, Danone, Döhler, Givaudan and PepsiCo.
Programme benefits
For technologists with agrifood solutions
- Find the right business co-founder: Meet diverse and experienced business professionals who can help you build and grow an impactful agrifood startup. Get guidance to select the right business co-founder with the relevant skills, connections and expertise.
- Commercialize your solution: Together with your co-founder, develop, test and validate the business model of your startup during a 3-month exploration phase.
- Get access to expert training and industry network: Receive business training and support from mentors and industry experts. Joining the EIT Food programme also means getting access to a network of top agrifood universities, corporates and successful startups.
- Get funding: Each new team will be supported with a €2,000 monthly stipend (per team) during a 3-month exploration phase. At the end of the program, all teams will get a chance to compete for further funding from EIT Food.
- Benefit from personalized coaching: Get a psychometric analysis of your profile, strengths and opportunities, values, behavioural preferences, teamwork style, soft skills and co-founder preferences
For entrepreneurial-minded business and startup professionals
- Find the right tech co-founder: Meet brilliant technologists who are developing innovative agrifood solutions. Receive guidance to team up with the right tech co-founder and build a promising startup
- Build and grow an impactful startup: Apply your business acumen and experience to commercialise a solution that can improve the food system. Work closely with your new co-founder
- Receive training and access to industry network: Receive business training and support from mentors and industry experts. Joining the EIT Food programme also means getting access to a network of top agrifood universities, producers and scaleups.
- Get funding: Each new team will be supported with a €2,000 monthly stipend (per team) during a 3-month exploration phase. At the end of the program, all teams will get a chance to compete for further funding from EIT Food
- Benefit from personalized coaching: Get a deep psychometric analysis of your profile, strengths and opportunities, values, behavioural preferences, teamwork style, soft skills and co-founder preferences
The detailed description of the application process, selection criteria as well as programme structure and schedule are available in a Terms and Conditions document. Please make sure to read Terms and Conditions before applying for the programme.
Focus Areas
With the mission to drive change in the agrifood industry, TeamUp will support solutions in the following focus areas: sustainable agriculture, sustainable aquaculture, alternative proteins, circular food systems, digital traceability and targeted nutrition.
Based on our in-depth research, we identified and prioritised specific challenges that lack solutions and have the potential for impact within these six focus areas. We believe tackling these challenges through technological solutions could bring significant impact for both the planet and people and could convert Southern and Eastern Europe into one of the leading agrifood innovation hubs.
Have a read through the challenges below and if you either have a solution or are passionate about one or more of them, go ahead and apply for the programme!
Alternative Proteins - Going beyond the burger
Transforming alternative proteins into more nutritional (clean labels, better nutritional profile), scalable (awareness and education, priced reasonably, availability), and sustainable driving solutions.
Sustainable Aquaculture - Promoting sea-life and health
Promoting health (harmful antibiotics, fish waste and pesticide management) and sustainability (climate change resistance, sea-life regeneration, circular systems) across fishing and farming while driving a more balanced consumption.
Targeted Nutrition - Making nutrition more precise and effective
Promoting a safer, more convenient and scalable personalised nutrition that tackles challenges around obesity, malnutrition, gut health and immunity. Considering factors such as age, lifestyle, gender, genetics, food intolerances and tastes.
Circular Food Systems - Reduce, reuse, recycle
Shifting to a circular food system that promotes environmental health by reducing green gas emissions, allowing for nutrient recycling, preventing food and water waste.
Digital Traceability - Delivering trust and empowerment
Improving the safety, transparency, efficiency and sustainability of the agri-food system with digital solutions that promotes consumer trust and shorter supply chains.
Sustainable Agriculture - Doing more with less
Transforming agriculture to meet the growing global food demand by increasing productivity and reducing waste in a sustainable and regenerative manner.
Apply now!
Apply for TeamUp and find a brilliant co-founder for your agrifood startup!
Before applying, please make sure to check if you fit the eligibility criteria listed below and read Terms and Conditions of the programme.
TeamUp is open for the applicants who meet the following eligibility criteria:
- You are a citizen/resident of one of the following RIS (Regional Innovation Scheme) countries: Albania*, Armenia*, Bosnia and Herzegovina*, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Faroe Islands*, Georgia*, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova*, Montenegro*, North Macedonia*, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia*, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey*, Ukraine*.
- You have received less than €60,000 in funding from EIT Food in 2021
- You have submitted a complete application in English and have a proficient level of English to participate in the TeamUp programme fully (approximately C1 level)
- Have an innovative agrifood technology/solution or have experience in business development/entrepreneurship
- You are not participating in the 2021 edition of FAN (Food Accelerator Network) or RisingFoodStars programmes of EIT Food
*Applicants from these countries will be considered eligible as RIS applicants only if the country of origin of the applicant signs the Association Agreement for Horizon Europe before the end of the application deadline of April 18, 2021.
