EIT Food will invest €5.4 million in 13 high-impact agrifood startups during the COVID-19 crisis, it has announced today. A total of €4.088M will come from the EIT’s Crisis Response Initiative, and €1.3M of additional funds has been provided by EIT Food to give much-needed extra support to ventures throughout the pandemic.
The aim of the investments is to help ventures adapt to COVID-19, to continue critical innovation to transform our food systems and to bridge the gap towards their next investment round. As part of the EIT’s Crisis Response Initiative, which has mobilised funding totalling €60m, the COVID-19 Bridge Fund directly contributes to the European Union’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The selected startups cover a range of sectors with vast potential to create positive change, including alternative proteins, sustainable agriculture, targeted nutrition and circular food systems.
A pipeline of 74 companies from 19 countries – including Spain, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Israel, the UK and Poland – were closely analysed, of which 13 were chosen to be part of EIT Food’s investment portfolio. The 13 selected startups are: Agritask (IL), Alberts (BE), Antofénol (FR), Consentio (ES), Eatch (NL), Epinutra (NL), Feltwood (ES), Foodpairing (BE), Food Sourcing Specialists (ES), Mimica Touch (UK), NapiFeryn (PL), Phytolon (IL) and Sencrop (FR).