About

EIT Food Accelerator Network is a startup accelerator programme tailored to startups operating in the food industry. Startups are provided with skill sessions, training, activities with other EIT FAN hubs, connections to investors and researcher. The programme culminates in Demo Day.
Highlights of the programme 2022

The progamme consists of six thematic sprint weeks: 1) Kick-off week, 2) Business model & commercialization, 3) Corporate collaboration, 4) Product and technology, 5) Investment readiness and 6) Networking.

Highlights of 2022 programme:

  • 34 skills sessions providing over 46 hours of trainings and learning including 3 cross-hub activities with EIT FAN Paris and Munich Hub​
  • 31 content collaborators from across Europe including investors, startup business support professionals and associations, researchers, corporate representatives and entrepreneurs
  • participation of 3 EIT FAN Helsinki alumni companies from previous cohorts
  • mentoring with 10 industry leaders that together with our hub experts provided over 300 hours of coaching
  • 100+ relevant connections created
  • 20 pilots or innovations projects launched​
  • solutions in all 6 impact areas​ of EIT Food (alternative protein, targeted nutrition, sustainable aquaculture, sustainable agriculture, digital traceability, and circularity)
  • 50% female leaders and founders
  • startups from 7 European countries​
  • 3 official events bringing together and connecting our startups with over 200 relevant actors in the Nordic startup    ecosystem ( EIT Food Nordic-Baltic Startup Forum, Pitch to VTT R&D, and EIT FAN Demo Day)
  • 2 onsite weeks including 14 networking activities
  • a possibility to participate in 4 European industry events: Smart Agri-Food Summit (Malaga), EIT FAN Munich Demo Day, EIT Food Venture Summit (Lisbon), Food Ingredient Global (Paris)
  • 2 investor pitch sessions with 12 European investors from 10 different organizations
  • investment readiness module facilitated by Peak Bridge, Triple Chasm, and EIT Food Impact Fund in collaboration with the EIT Food Central Team
  • 3.9 M EUR raised throughout the program (including investments, grants, prizes, and other non-dilutive funds) for now

So far, 2020-2022 startups have raised altogether 35+ Million Euros during their participation in the Helsinki hub

 

EIT FAN Helsinki Hub - Nordic & Baltic Starup Forum
EIT FAN Helsinki Hub Demoday 2021
EIT Food Accelerator Network – Helsinki Hub Demo Day 2020