2022 TeamUp cohort

In the 2022 TeamUp edition, 61 innovators from 16 countries in Southern and Eastern Europe were invited to participate in the Matchmaking phase of TeamUp. For over a month, participants identified their values and motivations, got to know each other, networked and tested their matches in different business scenarios.

After this intense and intensive phase, 15 matches between tech and business profiles were made. These 15 newly-formed teams are now taking part in the Exploration phase, during which they are exploring and testing their match. In addition, the teams will be supported with business building and team formation training, a stipend as well as business and team building coaching from 15 world-class experts.

Meet the 2022 TeamUp Exploration Phase teams:

Aitana Espirulina - Aitana is rediscovering Spirulina, and it’s potential to solve 3 big problems: people (poor nutrition and obesity), society (rural abandonment) & planet (CO2 emissions).

Team: Inés Carballo (Spain), Gastón Parise Giorgi (Italy)

Biolive is a biotechnology enterprise that developed the production process of bio-based plastics from olive industry wastes, also known as “waste pomace".

Team: Duygu Yilmaz (Turkey), Anil Kartal (Turkey), Antonio Raunelli (Spain)

CRISPy food testing: Simple and fast kits for foodborne pathogens, GMO's and species detection, reducing the frequency of the extremely adverse recall events.
Team: Giacomo Meneghetti (Italy), Margherita Peron (Italy), Andrea Lorenzin (Italy).

The Green Salt is the sustainable XXI st century answer to excessive salt consumption, regular nutrient supplementation and tackling of water scarcity in agricultural coastal regions.
Team: Hugo Mariano (Portugal), Carolina Pinto (Portugal), Mats Ridderström (Prague)

Magic Broth: Magic Broth is a 100% natural source of collagen proteins that is rich in nutritional value and easy to include in an everyday diet. It is a 21st-century product that combines an ancient tradition with the possibilities of today’s innovation.
Team: Milda Savickaite (Lithuania), Egidijus Skrodenis (Lithuania)

MAKABI - Small microcapsules for plant nutrition/protection for agroecological agriculture, functional food production, decreasing the usage of fertilizers and all in the service of nature/environment protection and reduction of climate change.
Team: Marko Vinceković (Croatia), Yana Horn (Vienna)

MILGOGI - Is developing whole-cut meat alternatives, containing high nutritional value, fibrous texture and good organoleptic properties made from various plant proteins. Our unique plant based products help people to change their diet without changing their eating habits.
Team: Giedre Kesiunaite (Lithuania), Beate Gintere (Poland), Carme Rayo (Spain)

MyPots is a startup that produces unique biodegradable plant pots from fungal mycelium and organic waste. The pots are specially designed for sustainable gardening practices - easy replanting, no damage for plant roots - and are 100% plastic free. MyPots is striving for less waste from horticultural activities.
Team: Zinta Zimele (Latvia), Stelios Papagrigoriou (Greece)

NanoDrip - Superb Nanobubble generating technology which boosts plants growth and health, increases fertilizers absorption efficiency and cleans irrigation systems by effective enrichment of water with billions of tiny oxygen bubbles.
Team: Zoltan Csipai (Hungary), Andrey Poltavets (Ukraine)

Noovi - Unique line of host marking pheromones for non-toxic, zero-residue crop protection against pests, with no health risk to farmers and the environment.
Team: Martina Drobna (Slovakia), Roman Korbacka (Slovakia), Aysegul Yilmaz (Turkey)

OG Sense project - Unique optical gas sensor is fully resistant against ammonia and other aggressive gases. There is a huge demand for that in chicken farming, to optimize ventilation costs and well-being of the livestock.
Team: Aleksejs Korabovskis (Latvia), Valters Slava (Latvia)

Proelefsis is transforming the food system by empowering food brands to promote the high-quality characteristics of their products, and to be traceable and transparent to the world through an innovative data-driven agricultural supply chain management system.

Team: Vasiliki Moschou (Greece), Kaija Kurme-Jansone (Latvia)

Puff-Go: brand focused on innovative way of food drying thereby also contributing to circular economy & sustainability: additive-chemical - free, highly valued variety, long- shelflife, environmentally friendly.

Team: Begüm Önal (Turkey)

Simpler Aquaponics - solution for a sustainable farming technique that allows to reduce costs of launch and electricity consumption during the operation of the system.

Team: Alessandro Balbo (Italy), Rui Alexandre Goncalves (Spain), Natalia Zakharova (Portugal)

SmartBerries: Certification tool based on polyphenol (special type of antioxidant beneficial for our cardiovascular system) content to confirm functional properties of the fruits and fruit products. Producers guarantee the functional properties of each batch of products and share it with the final clients, and final clients could verify claimed information.

Team: Katerina Makarova (Poland), Olga Stefaniak (Poland)

On November 14 and 15, the EIT Food TeamUp programme concluded with the Pitching Days in which 15 teams competed for the prizes of €40,000, €25,000, €15,000, and €10,000.

The competition was judged by a panel comprised of top agrifood experts: Katja Häkkä (Vice President (Food Technology) at High Metal Ltd.), Yulia Bodnar (Expert in business creation and startup support), Joe Lake (CEO of Canada Food Innovation Network) and Zoe Cowley (R&D Ecosystems manager at Ekaterra).

The jury had the difficult task of choosing four winners among 15 excellent teams. In the end, the jury awarded the prizes to startups with the most impactful agrifood solutions and the most promising teams.

1st Prize – €40,000

Noovi, Slovakia

Led by Martina Drobna, Roman Korbacka and Aysegul Yilmaz, Noovi is a unique line of host marking pheromones for non-toxic, zero-residue crop protection against pests, with no health risk to farmers and the environment.

2nd Prize – €25,000

MAKABI, Croatia

Develops small microcapsules for plant nutrition/protection for agroecological agriculture, functional food production. The startup, led by Marko Vinceković and Yana Horn, seeks to decrease the usage of fertilizers, reduce environmental pollution, mitigates climate change and increases the biopotential of produced food.

3rd Prize – €15,000

OG Sense, Latvia

OG Sense is the future of ammonia gas detection sensors. Aleksejs Korabovskis and Valters Slava aim to optimize ventilation costs and well-being of the poultry, with a unique optical gas sensor, fully resistant against ammonia and other aggressive gases in the very demanding space of chicken farming.

4th Prize – €10,000

NanoDrip, Poland

Zoltan Csipai and Andrey Poltavets work on a superb Nanobubble generating technology which boosts plants growth and health, increases fertilizers absorption efficiency and cleans irrigation systems by effective enrichment of water with billions of tiny oxygen bubbles.