BFFood presents 12 innovative solutions for the food sector at the Demo Day of the 5th and 6th editions

• The event was held on November 29 at the City of Culture of Galicia.

• Startups took part with a focus on digitalisation, sustainability and the development of new food products.

• Juanjo de la Cerda, CEO of Clusaga, announced the continuation of the programme with three new editions and presented the “Best Startup 2024” award.”

Business Factory Food (BFFood), the vertical accelerator for the Galician food sector promoted by the Xunta de Galicia and driven by the Galician Food Cluster (Clusaga) and leading companies in the Galician food industry, held today the Demo Day of the 5th and 6th editions, bringing together startups that presented innovative solutions to the challenges of the food sector in areas such as digitalisation, sustainability and the development of new products.

In his opening remarks, the CEO of Clusaga, Juanjo de la Cerda, stated: “Today we celebrate the talent and responsiveness of the Galician food sector in the face of today’s challenges. At Clusaga, we work to create an ecosystem that promotes innovation and collaboration, which are key to sustainable growth.”

A day of innovation and collaboration

The twelve startups selected by Business Factory Food that presented their projects at the event were ACUIOT, Logicmelt, Gradhoc, Agro4Impact, Amarela Leaf Whey, Empromar, Impact Upcycled Foods, Remolonas, Dairypet, Fruiwa, Perusiñas and Salmoira. These startups stood out for their ability to tackle key challenges for the food sector.

During the event, the startups presented projects grouped into three thematic rounds that illustrated the major transformations the food sector is undergoing. In the first round, focused on digitalisation and automation, solutions were presented such as smart monitoring of aquaculture production or the application of artificial intelligence to optimise refrigeration processes. The second round addressed sustainability, with projects exploring new sustainable packaging made from dairy by-products and systems to repurpose food surpluses through alternative distribution channels. Finally, in the round dedicated to the development of new products, proposals stood out such as dairy products adapted for pets or innovative beverages aimed at people with specific dietary needs.

Keys to collaboration and investment in the food sector.

The day also featured two panels bringing together leading business professionals, investors and experts in food innovation. The first panel, moderated by Noelia Dosil, Head of BFFood, focused on the keys to establishing successful collaborations between startups and large companies. During the session, fundamental aspects were discussed such as the need to adapt collaboration models to the flexibility of startups, the importance of efficient management to overcome initial challenges, and the decisive role of mentoring. The panel featured Chini Porro (Grupo Nueva Pescanova), Elena Vitoria (Salmoira), Pablo Gómez (Dairypet) and Rubén Hidalgo (CAPSA Vida).

The second panel, moderated by Noelia Vilar, Director of Innovation and Technology Transfer at FEUGA, addressed the investment opportunities in the food sector, offering startups a strategic view on how to secure funding and consolidate their position in the market. The session served as a guide to better understand investors’ expectations and the strategies needed to attract long-term funding. During their contributions, the experts highlighted the importance of having strong teams capable of adapting to challenges, as well as the importance of business flexibility and perseverance in capital-raising processes. This panel included Jacobo Wirz (Encomenda Capital), Juan Cividanes (theFoodTechLab) and Tomás Pérez (Noso Capital).

“Best Startup 2024” award and institutional closing

During the presentation rounds, attendees had the opportunity to vote for the best startup, choosing from the 12 companies that took part in the event. At the institutional closing, Juanjo de la Cerda announced that the “Best Startup 2024” award went to Empromar, for its innovative solution to predict toxic episodes in the mussel industry. Covadonga Toca Carús, Director General of IGAPE, presented the award to Sergio Ferrol, who thanked them for the recognition and highlighted the importance of initiatives such as BFFood in supporting innovation in the food sector.

At the close of the event, Juanjo de la Cerda reaffirmed the commitment to continue supporting entrepreneurship and innovation in the sector, announcing that “we are committed to developing three more editions of Business Factory Food, with the support of IGAPE and XesGalicia. The call for the 7th edition will open in the first quarter of 2025.”