The European agrifood sector is witnessing a quiet revolution driven by female innovators who are often overlooked by traditional venture capital.
EIT Food has announced the expansion of its Empowering Women in Agrifood programme to bridge the critical gender gap in startup leadership. This initiative aims to connect female entrepreneurs with the mentorship and funding required to turn bold ideas into scalable businesses.
Tackling the Investment Gap in Agrifood
Women leading startups in the food and agriculture sectors face significant hurdles when seeking investment. Recent industry data suggests that female founders receive a small fraction of the total venture capital deployed in Europe. The EWA programme addresses this disparity head on by focusing on regions where this gap is most pronounced.
EIT Food has designed this programme specifically for women in 13 targeted countries.
The 2025 cohort focuses on nations including Albania, Estonia, Greece, Italy, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Türkiye, and Ukraine. These regions possess immense agricultural potential but often lack the robust support networks found in major western tech hubs.
Participants gain access to a six month curriculum that goes far beyond standard business advice. The schedule includes over 20 hours of dedicated one on one mentorship with industry experts.
female agrifood entrepreneur holding sustainable plant seedling
Key Stat: The EWA community now boasts over 500 mentors and female entrepreneurs, creating a powerful ecosystem for knowledge exchange.
This network allows founders to bypass common pitfalls. They learn how to navigate regulatory landscapes and secure early stage funding.
Real Funding for Real Solutions
The programme does not just offer advice. It puts capital directly into the hands of promising founders.
Each country hosts its own competition where participants pitch their refined business models. First place winners secure €10,000 in funding. Second place runners up receive €5,000.
This capital acts as a vital lifeline for early stage startups. It allows founders to build prototypes or validate their market research without giving up massive equity stakes too early.
The curriculum covers essential business pillars:
- Business Modeling: shifting from a scientific concept to a sellable product.
- Leadership: building the confidence to lead teams and negotiate with investors.
- Networking: direct access to corporate partners and venture capitalists.
Alicja Krakowska serves as the Project Manager at EIT Food North-East and emphasizes the transformative nature of this support. She notes that the combination of funding and mentorship creates a safety net that encourages women to take calculated risks.
Tech Innovations Leading the Charge
The true measure of the programme is found in the success of its alumni. Two founders stand out as prime examples of how EWA accelerates growth.
Débora Campos, CEO of AgroGrIN Tech, utilized the programme to tackle food waste.
Her company focuses on upcycling fruit side streams into clean label food ingredients. The technology takes what was once considered waste and extracts valuable enzymes and flours. This approach supports the circular economy while creating new revenue streams for fruit processors.
The mentorship she received helped her refine her pilot facility plans. She is now moving toward producing these sustainable ingredients at scale.
Greta Budreike, founder of TASTIK, took a different approach to sustainable nutrition.
Her startup addresses the protein needs of an aging population. TASTIK develops alternative protein products using crickets. While insect protein is a growing field, Budreike focuses specifically on the nutritional benefits for healthy aging.
The programme helped her navigate the complex consumer perception challenges associated with insect based foods. Her success highlights how diverse the agrifood sector has become. It is no longer just about farming crops but also about redefining what we eat and how we produce it.
Warsaw Event Set to Unite Innovators
The momentum from the programme will culminate in Warsaw at the upcoming Next Bite Satellite event.
This gathering serves as a physical meeting ground for the digital ecosystem. It will bring together 13 EWA innovators along with investors and corporate partners. The event prioritizes meaningful dialogue over standard presentations.
Attendees can expect three main tracks of engagement:
- Inspire Stage: Panel discussions on gender equity in tech.
- Empower Stage: Deep dives into sustainable innovation strategies.
- Networking Zones: Dedicated spaces for one on one investor meetings.
This in person format creates opportunities that remote work cannot match. Founders can shake hands with future backers. Peers can share war stories and solutions in real time.
The event underscores the commitment EIT Food has to not just starting businesses but sustaining them. By placing women at the center of the conversation, the organization ensures that the future of food is diverse and resilient.
The agricultural challenges facing Europe require every ounce of human ingenuity available. Programs like EWA ensure that half the population is not left on the sidelines.
