10 HUNGARIAN WOMEN STARTUPS IN THE EIT FOOD EWA 2022 EUROPEAN PROGRAM

EIT Food is supported by the European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.

10 women entrepreneurs will participate in a 5-month pre-incubation program to help them create solutions to the specific challenges of the agri-food sector. This program supports women entrepreneurs in the early stages of their business development, usually before they start their own businesses.

25 JULY 2022.

EWA Programme for the first time in Hungary

Now in its third year, EIT-food has gathered more than 250 applications from 8 European countries. Now in its third season, EWA has been extended to 11 more countries, offering opportunities for growth to young agri-entrepreneurs in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, and Croatia.

Last week, 10 entrepreneurs and 10 mentors met each other in an online matchmaking program, officially launching the Empowering Women in Agrifood project in Hungary. The program was also attended by Aleksandra Bara from EIT Food North-East, who welcomed the audience and gave a short presentation of the EIT Food initiative.

The program started with networking and an introductory presentation by Tamás Müller (Pozi.io) about the EWA program, what mentoring means, and how it helps entrepreneurs. Some of the ladies who have applied for the program have moved from Ireland, where the geographical conditions are ideal for growing saffron, and she plans to make the benefits of the herb widely known. Another exciting question is whether urban mushroom growing will become a new hobby for Hungarians. Still, research by one of the applicants suggests that there is a future for easy-to-grow food production alongside urban gardens.

Several reforestation projects also made it into the top 10, including indoor composting and bio-intensive gardening, which advocate solutions that reduce environmental impact and are free of chemicals and fertilizers. It is particularly interesting to see how a company that is also rethinking the use of traditional raw materials is turning wine vinegar into super healthy soft drinks, or how the healthy ‘smoothie’ of the future will be lactose and all-free, delicious, and nutritious.

After the introductory part of the matchmaking event, 10 selected participants presented their business ideas: 



• TÜNDE UDVARNOKI - COMPOT - Clay indoor composter  
• ÉVA KOVÁCS - VEGENDÁS - Plant-based lotions, products 
• CSILLA KÁDÁR - STELLA SAFFRON - Growing, processing, and marketing of high-quality saffron - crocus sativus. 
• DOROTTYA SZÁM - NETWORK MEDICINE FOR AGRICULTURE (NWMA) - Software that can help pesticide manufacturers develop more effective fungicides 
• KATALIN RÉTHY - SZEZONKERT - Chemical-free, organic cultivation of traditional landscape varieties, rare and underutilized plants 
• ERZSÉBET BOROS - SUDAR BIRTOK FERTILIZER AND HERB FARM - Herbs and medicinal plants, community garden 
• OLIVIA GAZSÓ - ORGANIC HORTICULTURE - Bio-intensive methods to produce chemical-free products 
• CSILLA HÓDI - ADOPT A MUSHROOM! - Indoor mushroom cultivation in ceramic pots through a rental system 
• ANITA KÉPÍRÓ - BOERECET MŰVEK / CIDER VINEGAR DRINKS - Fruit and vinegar-based healthy soft drink. 
• SZANDRA NYEMECZ - SUPERFOOD BREAKFAST- SMOOTHIE DRINKS with sprinkles for food sensitives, health-conscious - Production of food powder for gluten and lactose-intolerant people. 

At a meeting of mentors and teams organized by POZI.io, most of the entrepreneurs found the help they needed and will be guided through the thematically arranged program in the coming months.  

Throughout their 6-month entrepreneurial journey, 10 mentors will support them, providing them with knowledge and experience: 

• PÉTER TAMÁS TURCSÁN - customer development, business development. 
• VIKTOR BORBÉLY - Business modeling and business development 
• BALÁZS HORVÁTH - Startup Grind representative, Digital Content Lead at Vodafone, also building the startup community and helping founders and entrepreneurs to launch their dream businesses. 
• ANDREA KURUCZ - A multi-award-winning, freelance business development consultant and executive coach. She was writing an EIC Accelerator grant application (won the maximum amount). She was holding more than 50 business development - and pitch training meanwhile forecasting trends for different markets. She built up a 3D printing hub as a sales and marketing manager.
• VÖRÖSS LEVENTE - Geolocation app development, farmers, food shop owner, 30km.hu őstermelői net app founder, startupper, location base expert 
• DÓRA NAGY - IT and Art Project manager, Women Startup Competition, Tenshibag, Tago Arc Crowdfunding, CEO at Doresz Ltd, startup mentor, gallery manager  
• GYÖRGY KÁLI - Co-founder of Humanize Studio, service designer, communication expert 
• RITA SZERENCSÉS - Social designer, design manager, researcher, and lecturer at MOME Innovation Centre on socially engaged design 
• ÉVA TORNYÁNSZKI - Design manager, service designer - one of the founders of Kultúrgorilla (sustainable design studio), business development, mentoring specialist 
• NIKOLETTA TAKÁCS - She is an independent creative mastermind with an original, modern journalist approach and smart working attitude, having 15+ years experience in international project management, PR & PA activities, and media.

At the final event of the program in November, the teams will report on their progress and hopefully, soon new female entrepreneurs will join the pool of domestic agricultural start-ups.

For more information, please contact: Tamás Müller, at tamasmuller@pozi.io

The EWA Programme is a project under the support of EIT Food. 

EIT Food is the world’s largest and most dynamic food innovation community. We accelerate innovation to build a future-fit food system that produces healthy and sustainable food for all.

Supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, we invest in projects, organizations, and individuals that share our goals for a healthy and sustainable food system. We unlock innovation potential in businesses and universities and create and scale agrifood startups to bring new technologies and products to market. We equip entrepreneurs and professionals with the skills needed to transform the food system and put consumers at the heart of our work, helping build trust by reconnecting them to the origins of their food.

We are one of nine innovation communities established by the European Institute for Innovation & Technology (EIT), an independent EU body set up in 2008 to drive innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe.

Find out more at www.eitfood.eu or follow us via social media: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.