Get in front of top investors, industry giants, and decision-makers who can take your startup to the next level.
400
6
60
1
Food Tech Challengers 2024 highligths
Epic pitch battle for agri-food tech startups
Food Tech Challengers is a global stage for startups and entrepreneurs transforming the food industry. It’s where bold founders gather to showcase technologies that create a more sustainable, efficient, and scalable food system.
Startups gain exclusive access to 1000+ top investors, industry leaders, and global partners – unlocking new opportunities at the Food Tech Congress.
The competition culminates in an exciting grand finale. Startups pitch their innovative solutions to a panel of esteemed judges, competing for recognition, investment, and a chance to make a lasting impact on the agrifood sector.
How does it work?
A panel of industry-leading experts from top corporations, venture capital firms, ecosystem builders, and media partners will handpick the top 10 companies from each of the six competition tracks.
These 60 standout startups will earn the exclusive chance to pitch live at Food Tech Congress on November 4-5, 2025 in Barcelona. As Europe’s premier food tech event, the platform offers unmatched media exposure and valuable networking opportunities with key players in the industry.
One company will be crowned the ultimate winner of the Food Tech Challengers, marking a significant milestone in their journey to revolutionise the agrifood sector.
Timeline
1
Application
deadline
Sep 3, 2025
2
Top 60
announced
Sep 17, 2025
Timeline
1
Application
deadline
Sep 3, 2025
2
Top 60
announced
Sep 17, 2025
3
Top 60
pitches
Nov 4 – 5, 2025 @ Food Tech Congress
4
Top 6 pitches & Winner
announced
Nov 4 – 5, 2025 @ Food Tech Congress
Why 400+ startups apply each year
Exclusive access to key industry players
As a finalist, you’ll gain exclusive access to over 1000+ top investors, industry leaders, and global partners at Food Tech Congress in Barcelona. This is your opportunity to skip the endless email chains and meet decision-makers face-to-face.
Big opportunities for funding and partnerships
Present your solutions to a distinguished jury of top venture capitalists and corporate representatives. This is your golden opportunity to secure funding, build long-term partnerships, and boost your startup’s credibility – setting the stage for future industry breakthroughs.
Global exposure at Food Tech Congress
Whether you’re seeking funding, strategic partnerships, or industry insights, this is where you connect with the right people. At Food Tech Congress, you’ll share your solutions with industry’s key players, leading corporations, and top media outlets, gaining exposure you won’t get anywhere else.
Startup applications are open
Each of the 60 finalist companies (10 per each track) are granted 1 complimentary ticket to Food Tech Congress 2025. It’s an event that you don’t want to miss!
Winners of 2024
Ultimate
Challenger
Koolboks provides a reliable and alternative long-term storage technique due to the superior insulation and ice battery technology employed in the design. It can function as a refrigerator or as a freezer, depending on the preference of the user.
TOP 6 Challengers
Perfat and their technology allows food producers to incorporate a healthier fat in applications where solid fats are needed. Low on saturated fats, fewer calories, loads of gut friendly dietary fiber, their solution is built on local plant oil-based sustainability.
EXOSOMM is a biotech-foodtech company, inspired by the virtues of mother milk and its unique health properties. It develops a variety of nutritional solutions based on natural milk derived exosomes.
inoqo is an innovative SaaS platform designed to help grocery retailers assess and manage the impact of their thousands of products across various dimensions in a scalable way.
Koolboks provides a reliable and alternative long-term storage technique due to the superior insulation and ice battery technology employed in the design. It can function as a refrigerator or as a freezer, depending on the preference of the user.
RootWave kills weeds using electricity to give better weed control at a lower cost than chemical herbicides whilst protecting health and helping nature restore its soils, water and biodiversity.
Meet the jury of 2024

Gil Horsky

Marta Laorden

Alexandre Bastos

Anne Marie Butler

Sneha Srikrishnan

Rachel Resek

Jelena Erker

Xin MA

Nityen Lal

Giancarlo Addario

Nadine Geiser

Piotr Grabowski

Andrew D Ive

David Brandes

Bart Van Hooland

Inbar Maymon-Pomeranchik

Michela Petronio

Dr. Roger Wyse

Mathilde Do Chi

Mika Kukkurainen

Patricia Larráyoz Lorea

Arik Kaufman

Marika King

Markus Linder

Shari Rana

Myriam Rouis

James Wilde

Peter Kruger

Kim Odhner

Zbigniew Lewicki

Adam Adamek

Martin Davalos

Robert Dupree

Diana Rucinschi

Peter Dorfner

Marcos Botta

Julia Martin

Katharina Burdorf

Antonio Iannone

Francesca Pedri

Eugene Wang

Robert Walker

Helen Lin

Conan Condon

Harley Green

Christian Gonzalez

Pawel Szczepaniak

Arnout Dijkhuizen

Jérôme Raudin

Andres Anton

Tilmann Petersen

Jonny Mauland

Brian P. Sylvester

Mridul Pareek

Nadim El Khazen

Peter Schmetz

Gabriela Alcat de Lima

Magdalena Olczak - Nowicka

Alex Shandrovsky

Bar Rubin

Elena Gascón Villacampa

Uwe Schröder

Grzegorz Kozieja

Charles Pontvianne
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