The EWA program Demo Day was held.
The EWA (Empowering Women in Agrifood) program concluded with a successful Demo Day on November 21, 2024. The event began with an introduction to EIT Food and the EWA program, giving the attendees, who filled the entire venue, an overview of the program that spanned the past six months.
In the program, ten selected entrepreneurs from the agrifood sector developed their ventures with the guidance of mentors and expert workshops.
The Empowering Women in Agrifood (EWA) program was carried out in partnership with the EIT Food Knowledge and Innovation Community.
Panel discussions
The final event of the program was also marked by two panel discussions. In the panel discussion “Innovation and Support for the Development of the Agrifood Sector”, the speakers included Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jana Šic Žlabur from the Faculty of Agriculture; Blanka Kovač Walaitis from the Velika Gorica Development Agency and an EU project professional; and Lana Bačura, Head of Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, with the session moderated by Mato Mrkalj, Executive Director at RDP Technology.
After gaining insight into various perspectives on the development of the agrifood sector as a whole, we turned our focus to startups. In the second panel, “Investments and Startup Development in the Agrifood Sector”, participants were able to get a positive impression of the startup trajectory in the food and agriculture industries. The discussion featured Stevica Kuharski, a partner at the venture capital fund Fil Rouge Capital, and Manuela Panić, the director of the startup NADESdesign and the winner of the 2022 EWA program, with moderation by Petar Starčević, an associate on the EWA program at Smion.
Pitch presentations of the participants.
Tomislava Vukušić Pavičić developed the idea of plasma-activated water (RONSense) in the program, Ekaterina Šprajc presented her innovative edible thread, and Valentina Merz and Ivona Blažević showcased microgreens cultivation. Marinka Franulović’s idea was to establish a fruit processing plant. Alina Jantol worked on sensory tourism in Kupalni Garden, and Jelena Jakus formed the business of OPG Plamea Vita on the island of Hvar through the program. Ana Matekalo produced freeze-dried fruit, and Jelena Abramović connected gestalt therapy with the White Mulberry Garden.
Before announcing the winners, Petra Mlinarić, the second-place winner of the 2022 EWA program, shared her inspiring story of opening OPG Mlinarić at the age of 22.
The expert jury, consisting of Stevica Kuharski, partner at the venture capital fund Fil Rouge Capital; Krešo Gotovac, partner and director of operations at the venture capital fund Silicon Gardens; Božidar Pavlović, partner at the venture capital fund AYMO Ventures; and Tajana Barančić, founder and CEO of Astra Business Engineering, made the final decision on selecting the winner.
And the winner is…
Ekaterina Šprajc! With her innovative edible thread, sales potential, creativity, and market research data, Ekaterina impressed the jury. As a prize, she received 10,000 euros.
Second place was awarded to Ana Matekalo, who is already producing and selling freeze-dried fruit, with a focus on B2B sales. Her business plan, product, and idea also met the jury’s criteria, earning her a 5,000 euro prize to encourage further business development.
Would you like to organize a similar program?
If you would like to organize a similar project, contact us for a free consultation so that we can work together to build a stronger startup ecosystem for entrepreneurs in the food and agriculture industry.
For more information about the EWA program, visit the Empowering Women in Agrifood project website.
