EIT Food Accelerator Network – Helsinki Hub

The programme enables the most promising agrifoodtech startups to accelerate, further validate their technology, connect with corporate partners and advance their investment and commercial readiness to achieve the ultimate goal: a successful market adoption.  

Since 2025, Viikki Food Design Factory at University of Helsinki runs the Helsinki Hub, with a programme designed for startups developing circular solutions for food systems. The circular economy is a key driver of truly sustainable food systems, yet circular solutions often face barriers to market entry. Advancing these innovations is crucial for sustainability and new business creation while also offering exciting research and development opportunities, as upcycling technologies and circular business models in the bioeconomy are rapidly evolving. By supporting the pioneers behind circular solutions, we aim to accelerate the transition to a more resilient and resource-efficient food system.

More specifically, our hub supports teams working on:  

• By-product and waste stream valorisation: Extracting nutrients, compounds, or functional value from agricultural, foodprocessing, or manufacturing side streams.  
• Upcycled food and feed ingredients: Creating market-ready ingredients whose value proposition is upcycling and circular sourcing.  
• Upstream process and feedstock optimisation: Optimising pre-processing and extraction steps to maximise yield, quality, and circular efficiency.  
• Circular and sustainable food packaging: Developing packaging materials and systems designed for circularity.

Our next call for startups is now open until April 8.