EIT Jumpstarter is on a mission to support impactful innovation in the Central-Eastern and Southern European regions. This year’s competition saw over 100 innovators travel to Krakow, and it’s time to get ready for next year!
We are firmly in the age of impact innovation – and startups are driving the mission forward. From food and health care to energy, raw materials and manufacturing – and everything in between – we are seeing innovative startups come up with new tech-based solutions that are shaping a more sustainable future for Europe.
EIT Jumpstarter, which is organised by EIT Food and the wider EIT Community, is a programme with the goal of giving disruptive thinkers from Central Eastern Europe and Southern Europe a jumpstart – propelling them to global success. Not only is there cash up for grabs, but also a chance to learn and network.
Let’s find out more about it and see why we should be getting ready for 2023’s version.
EIT Jumpstarter: What’s it all about?
EIT Jumpstarter is committed to creating a sustainable impact by boosting innovation and entrepreneurship. It’s a selective, competitive programme, specially for early-stage startups – those which haven’t got funding yet, and perhaps are still at the idea stage.
It gives them a ‘jump start’.
Participating in EIT Jumpstarter opens doors toward the European markets and connects the best teams with the six EIT Communities’ large industrial partners. These companies include GE Healthcare, Siemens, Philips, Roche, Bosch, Nestlé, Pepsico and Maspex.
Thanks to best-in-class experts, a creative community and unique know-how, the programme transforms idea-holders into disruptive entrepreneurs. It helps innovators build a viable business model, validate it and ultimately get to market.
One of the aims is to direct innovative ideas to the growing demands in the agritech, agrifood and food industry solutions. This comes with backing from EIT Food – the world’s largest and most dynamic food innovation community that accelerates innovation to build a future-fit food system that produces healthy and sustainable food for all, supported by the European Union.
The 2022 Edition
The 2022 edition’s Grand Final brought together teams from 7 key domains: healthcare, agri-food, raw materials, energy, urban mobility, manufacturing and sustainable living sectors. They all had a chance to pitch their ideas at the live event before the jury picked their winners.
The finalists were then competing for the prizes worth a total of over €160k!
Future of food: The Finalists
The food sector is at a pivotal moment. From changing diets to supply chain issues, and that’s before we mention the impact of climate change on food production and cultivation, it’s an industry under immense pressure to become more and more sustainable.
Fortunately there are those who are coming up with game-changing ideas and if they have a chance to share their visions and embark on ventures, they will be shaping the positive future of the food sector. In 2022, the EIT Jumpstarter finalists were; Ribes Technologies, Digital Bites, Langes Gemüseglück, CIRCAL, LiFi4Food and Onco Diets.
And the winners!
In the hotly contested finale, the top three ventures taking home the glory were:
- LiFi4Food (Spain), which seeks to provide solutions for digital and precision agriculture and increase the sustainability of agri-food facilities
- Ribes Technologies (Poland), which is agro-tech start up, bringing automation to berry plantations.
- Digital Bites (Greece), which envisions an era where food and virtual reality will be bound to each other.
3,2,1..Jump!
EIT Jumpstarter is a special programme. It’s giving the innovative thinkers of our generation the chance to supercharge their business ambitions, and its backing those that have a chance to leave a lasting, positive impact on society as a whole.
Whether you take home the cash or not, it also provides the chance to become immersed in the wider EIT Community, picking up key contacts and know-how. Sound like it could be interesting to you? Find out more and get pre-registered today!
About EIT Food
EIT Food is the world’s largest and most dynamic food innovation community, which is accelerating innovation to build a future-fit food system that produces healthy and sustainable food for all. Supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, EIT Food invests in projects, organisations and individuals that share its goals for a healthy and sustainable food system. EIT Food unlocks innovation potential in businesses and universities and create and scale agrifood startups to bring new technologies and products to market. The EIT Food team also equips entrepreneurs with the skills needed to transform the food system and put consumers at the heart of our work, helping build trust by reconnecting them to the origins of their food.
Editor’s Note: This post has been created in collaboration with EIT Jumpstarter as a Media Partner. If you’re also interested in partnering with us, just reach out.
