The future of the Polish agri-food industry... is a woman. And not just one. 10 female innovation leaders have been selected for the EWA programme in Poland

• Katarzyna Bocheńska, SoilSolar – the combination of photovoltaic farms and regenerative agriculture for sustainable energy and agricultural production while improving soil quality.

• Monika Gaszyńska, SERio – plant-based cheese – a project for a plant-based alternative to cheese made from lupine, characterized by a balanced composition of nutrients.

• Karolina Gębka, Slow Painting – extracting colors from edible plant waste (as a substitute for industrially produced dyes and pigments) for use in artistic materials such as crayons, paints, and papers.

• Urszula Gielniowska, UFB in the agri-food sector – mobile water treatment devices utilizing UFB (ultrafiltration and biofiltration) technologies, used in industrial applications, including the agri-food industry.

• Paulina Grabowska, saltwater hydroponic farms – the development of saltwater hydroponic cultivation technologies, enabling the growth of edible plants along with the cultivation of selected algae that purify water and air, also serving as a source of organic fertilizer for crops.

• Zofia Jędruszczak, Do(nic)zka – an idea for biodegradable seedling pots that decompose in the soil and provide fertilizer for acid-loving plants.

• Renata Krysiak, VegeLIO – a vision for better, healthier food – a mixture of 9 freeze-dried vegetables, 3 freeze-dried herbs, turmeric, pepper, and salt. This is a versatile product packaged in a jar made entirely of recycled plastic.

• Lidia Moroń-Morawska – an idea for the production of 100% honey-based candies as an alternative to sweets with a predominantly refined sugar content.

• Małgorzata Osiecka-Ciuhak, BIO Ice Cream Dots – the idea promotes new cryogenic freezing technologies for ice cream. The end product is certified organic ice cream dots.

• Magdalena Trusińska, plant-based fish alternative – a full-value substitute for fish fingers that will resemble its traditional counterpart in taste, texture, and nutritional value.

• Aleksandra Niżyńska, Partner,Gender Solution

• Karolina Wilk-Tryjanowska, Co-Founder, see.comunity

• Prof. Elwira Gross-Gołacka, Warsaw University

• Magdalena Adamczuk-Rysiak, Head of Grants, G1ANT

• Maciej Sadowski, Co-Founder, Startup Hub Poland

• Ewa Geresz, Partnership Director, Venture Cafe

• Monika Borowiecka, Managing Partner, Tangent Line VC

• Paweł Przybyszewski, CTO, Startup Academy

• Noemi Malska, General Manager, Findings

• Paulina Brym-Ciuba, CEO, Startup Hub Poland

The mentoring process between Mentors and Mentees has started and will be continued until the end of November.

During upcoming months the Masterclass event and online trainings for the Mentees will be organized. The final local event – Pitching, will be organized as an open event and will take place in Warsaw in November. The final date is still to be confirmed.

The international final event of the EWA programme "Women in Agrifood Summit 2023" will be organized on December 1, in Vilnius, Lithuania. The event will be open to a big audience and online participation will be possible. The details of the event are currently being prepared.

More information about the EWA programme are available on the official EIT Food webpage and at the Startup Hub Poland website.

Startup Hub Poland (SHP) as a non-for-profit startup support NGO has 11 years of experience in the area of identifying, developing and linking valuable high-tech projects from CEE with angels, investors and corporations. SHP supports founders from Poland, that are heavily under-recognized by international stakeholders in developing their ideas, building up the team and it's business competences, and protecting IP. SHP also facilitates startups’ access to the fast-growing financial market, modern laboratories, vivid start-up community and professional network in European and global markets.

Learn more about Startup Hub Poland on their web page.