The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is partnering with EIT Food, Europe’s leading food innovation initiative, to launch a new agrifood accelerator hub for startups in the EBRD’s EU economies.

The accelerator hub, "Future Resilient Agriculture," was created for early-stage agrifood startups in the EBRD’s EU markets to receive tailored support with the scaling-up of innovative solutions and helping to address global food system challenges. The hub will be part of the EIT Food Accelerator Network, which includes innovation hubs in Helsinki, Munich, Paris, Bilbao, Haifa, and Campinas.

Startups will be selected for their innovative approaches to sustainable production and climate change mitigation. The selected companies will benefit from a robust capacity-building program, including workshops, mentorship, networking opportunities, and access to industry-leading corporations and investors.

The accelerator hub will primarily operate from Warsaw, Poland, and will run over three years.

With total climate-related investment needs in the agrifood sector estimated to be as high as US$ 1.3 trillion, this accelerator hub is a crucial step towards meeting those challenges. The initiative will not only provide much-needed support to startups but also facilitate the greening of corporate clients in EBRD economies by introducing them to frontier technologies.

The accelerator hub will support pre-Series startups that have successfully validated their technology and demonstrated traction in the market in different areas such as soil health and soil biodiversity, water management, crop innovation, bio inputs, carbon and nitrogen farming, and measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) “on farm”, smart farming and robotics.

A cohort of startups will be selected each year. They will receive personalized guidance that helps them connect with potential investors and gain exposure at international innovation and investment conferences.

Applications for the 2025 intake are now open, with a deadline of February 21, 2025. All startups that contribute to creating a healthier, more sustainable food system are encouraged to apply here.