The Bulgarian Final of the EIT Food Innovation Prizes competition

The Bulgarian Final of the EIT Food Innovation Prizes competition will be one of the 17 Finals to award innovative agri-food startups.

About this Event

EIT Food Innovation Prizes is one of the largest startup competitions in the agrifood vertical in Southern and Eastern Europe. We award prizes to entrepreneurs and early stage startups developing innovative products and services that can transform our food system.

At the Bulgarian final of EIT Food Innovation Prizes our jury will choose three most innovative and promising startups and award them with €1,000, €3,000 and €5,000.

The audience will also have a chance to vote for their favourite startup and help them win the Audience Prize of €2,000!

This year, online final of the Innovation Prizes competition will take place in 17 countries in Southern and Eastern Europe: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Turkey.

The competition will conclude with the Grand Final during which the 1st prize winners from all 17 countries will compete for three main prizes: €10,000, €15,000 and €25,000.

Program of the Bulgarian final.

Startup pitches by Atlas Agro Science, Zero Wave, Bio Stopanstvo Lopyanko Ltd., Suprima, ETHEROPOLIS, AgroRegal – CAT, Gordost Na Fermera and Unmanned Systems Bulgaria.

Jury:

1) Milen Ivanov, VC and angel investor, founder of CEO Angels Club, co-director in the Founder Institute.

2) Rossi Mitova started the first online farmers market in Bulgaria farmhopping.com becoming the biggest online delivery business for organic food within 5 years. Rossi received national and international recognition with her work by being included in the list of Forbes Europe 30 under 30 for social entrepreneurship, Forbes 30 under 30 in Bulgaria. Rossi is now coaching young Startups in their journey ahead.

3) Dr. Velitchka Gotcheva is an Associate Professor at the Department of Biotechnology, UFT and the Centre for Food Quality and Safety at University of Food Technologies – Plovdiv. Her main fields of expertise include food biotechnology, food microbiology, molecular biology, functional foods, microbiological control of foods, food quality and safety management (incl. good manufacturing practice, HACCP systems and ISO standards), food authenticity, food legislation in the EU and food labeling.