EIT Food Accelerator Network Selects 65 Startups for 2025 Cohort

Key Takeaways

• 65 startups join the 2025 EIT Food Accelerator Network, co-funded by the European Union, to scale solutions for food sustainability and sovereignty.
• Focus areas include reducing €143B annual food waste, addressing Europe’s 70% reliance on imported plant proteins, and curbing agri-food emissions.
• The programme supports startups across six hubs, from circular food solutions to resilient agriculture and sustainable packaging.
• Since 2018, 348+ startups have been supported, resulting in impactful ventures like constellr and Holloid.
• Corporate partners include Bayer, Corteva, Unilever, Mondelēz, Mars Petcare, and more.

EIT Food Accelerator Network 2025 Cohort Targets Food System Transformation

EIT Food Accelerator Network, a leading innovation programme co-funded by the European Union, has selected 65 AgriFoodTech startups for its 2025 cohort. The programme aims to advance Europe’s goals for food sustainability, resilience, and sovereignty by scaling bold solutions from promising startups.

The 2025 cohort will address systemic challenges, including:

• €143 billion annual food waste
• 70% dependence on imported plant proteins
• Rising food inflation and traceability demands

According to Benoit Buntinx, Director of Business Creation at EIT Food: “The resilience and sustainability of Europe’s food future hinge on bold, early-stage innovation. EIT Food equips startups with resources, partnerships, and validation to turn vision into impact.”

Broad Startup Focus Across Six Innovation Hubs

The startups span various domains critical to the food value chain. These are aligned with the EIT Food Accelerator Network’s six hubs:

Notable Startups from the 2025 Cohort

These companies are creating practical solutions in AI agri-tech, microbiome health, sustainable packaging, robotics, and circular economy models.

Deep Ecosystem Support and Corporate Partnerships

The selected startups will engage with over 25 corporate partners, including major players like:

• Bayer AG
• Corteva Catalyst
• Unilever Foundry
• Mars Petcare
• Mondelēz International
• Paulig Incubator (PINC)

Participants will receive access to tailored mentorship, tech validation, and real-world pilots, supported additionally by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in the Warsaw hub.

EIT Food: Building Europe’s Climate-Resilient and Sovereign Food System

As Europe accelerates its transition under the European Green Deal and Farm to Fork Strategy, the 2025 cohort marks a critical inflection point for turning early-stage ideas into market-ready solutions.

The programme’s alumni success stories include ventures like constellr, which raised €33.5 million for crop water monitoring satellites, and Holloid, whose AI detectors reduce public health costs.

With food systems under global scrutiny following COP28, EIT Food Accelerator Network aims to position these startups as the vanguard of Europe’s sustainable food transformation.