In 2021 EIT Food (European Institute of Innovation and Technology) launched a new programme to support team formation in impactful agrifood startups – TeamUp.
TeamUp matches startup founders who have an innovative agrifood solution with entrepreneurial business professionals and supports them on their journey to co-create truly impactful agrifood ventures. The programme provides important tools and support to build your startup, including expert guidance, world-class training, coaching, networking and funding.
TeamUp – who can join the programme?
TeamUp is available for applicants from selected countries in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe (see the eligible countries on the programme webpage).
The programme is designed for two types of applicants:
Tech founders/startups with impactful agrifood solutions who:
- Have a technology that can transform the food system
- Want to bring their innovative solution to the market but struggle to commercialize it
- Want to partner up with the right co-founder or team member who would help with the business side of growing a startup
You can apply as a tech founder before April 21, 2022, here.
Business professionals who want to build an agrifood startup who:
- Have the skills and experience to build a successful agrifood startup
- Want to apply their entrepreneurship/business development skills to commercialise an impactful agrifood solution
- Want to partner up with a brilliant technologist/startup and become a co-founder or team member of an innovative agrifood startup
You can apply as a business professional before June 3, 2022, here.
See the full list of eligibility criteria on TeamUp’s website.
How will you benefit from joining TeamUp?
By joining the TeamUp programme you will:
- Find the right business or tech co-founder: Meet diverse and experienced innovators who can help you build and grow an impactful agrifood startup. Get guidance to select the right co-founder with the relevant skills, connections and expertise;
- Commercialize your solution and build an impactful agrifood startup: Together with your co-founder, you will define, test and validate the business model of your startup during a 3-month exploration phase;
- Receive training, coaching and access to a wide network: Receive business training and support from coaches 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 (up to €40,000).
TeamUp 2021 Alumni
“TeamUp has been a great experience, not only for all the sessions and coaches but also for the amazing community of people involved in the programme. It has helped me identify which type of co-founder could be suitable for the company. The assignments were extremely useful to really define your business idea. Totally worth it!” Sira Mogas Díez, KOA Biotech (Spain)
“Such a great way to find the right people to grow your company! This is really exciting and helpful programme for startups and I am grateful that I could be a part of it and found somebody with the same goals and motivation”. Darina Štyriaková, Ekolive (Slovakia)
“TeamUp is the right place to take your project to the next level, while you grow during the path. Our business proposition was enriched thanks to the excellent feedback given by our coaches and the other participants. Furthermore, we learnt how important is having an aligned team to succeed. Highly recommended!” Antonio Fenoll Candela, FreeShakes (Spain).
EIT Food is Europe’s leading food innovation initiative, working to make the food system more sustainable, healthy and trusted. Supported by the EU, it invests in projects, organisations and individuals that share the same goals for a healthy and sustainable food system. EIT Food equips entrepreneurs and professionals with the skills needed to transform the food system and educate and inspire the next generation.
