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BettaF!sh and Kern Tec Among the Winners of EIT Food’s Marketed Innovation Prize 2024

EU-supported food innovation community EIT Food has announced the winners of its Marketed Innovation Prize, which recognises food startups that have successfully brought products or services to market.

The prize grants €10,000 to the best-marketed innovations in each of three regions (North-East, West, and South), and €5,000 to the best-marketed innovation in five subcategories. It aims to reward startups that are supporting the transition to a more healthy, sustainable, and resilient food system.

The winners

BettaF!sh, a producer of fish alternatives made from regeneratively cultivated seaweed, has received the prize for Best Alternative Protein-based Solution. Meanwhile, the company’s Managing Director and co-founder Deniz Ficicioglu has received the Woman in Innovation award.

Deniz Ficicioglu among winners of EIT Food Marketed Innovation Prize
Deniz Ficicioglu. © BettaF!sh

Kern Tec GmbH, which upcycles waste fruit pits into high-value ingredients, was named Best Food Waste Reduction Solution. The company’s products are used in the food and beverage industry, as well as for cosmetic and industrial applications.

The remaining winners are:

  • Best Marketed Innovation for the North-East region: ULLMANNA, a nonchemical, in-row farming solution powered by artificial intelligence.
  • Best Marketed Innovation for the West region and Best Regenerative Agriculture Solution: SAM-DIMENSION GmbH, a drone-based weed mapping solution that helps identify and target upcoming weed problems.
  • Best Marketed Innovation for the South region: farmAIr, a plant stress management company specialising in crop protection and the early and accurate detection of biotic and abiotic plant stress.

All startups recognised in the awards have been involved with EIT Food and subsequently developed a product or service that successfully reached the market.

Berger-Schinken, a German firm with over 130 years of history in ham and sausage processing, and the Austrian upcycling and food tech company Kern Tech have partnered to launch a 100% cheese plant-based sausages.
© Kern Tec

“Incredibly honoured”

Last year, Kern Tec raised €12 million in funding to scale up the production of milk alternatives and confectionery made from upcycled apricot, plum, and cherry pits. Since then, the startup has partnered with companies such as Bauer and Coop Switzerland to launch its apricot-based milk alternatives. Kern Tec has also developed a cheese alternative, which has been used to produce plant-based cheese sausages in collaboration with Germany’s Berger-Schinken.

“We are incredibly honoured to receive the ‘Best Food Waste Reduction Solution’ award,” said Luca Fichtinger of Kern Tec GmbH. “This recognition reinforces our mission to transform food waste into valuable, sustainable products. By upcycling apricot seeds into nutritious snacking options, we aim to reduce waste while promoting a more circular and sustainable food system. This prize not only validates our efforts but also inspires us to continue innovating and scaling solutions that contribute to a better food system for everyone.”

BettaF!sh launches SAL Nom
© BettaF!sh

“A new ocean economy”

BettaF!sh has also had a busy year, announcing its participation in an EU-wide seaweed research initiative called FunSea earlier this year. The project aims to develop sustainable food products using state-of-the-art processing technologies and residual biomass from the biomarine industry. It will allow BettaF!sh to optimise and refine its current and future seafood alternatives.

In June, the company launched SAL-NOM, a plant-based alternative to hot-smoked salmon, following the success of its flagship TU-NAH product.

“We are beyond honoured to receive the ‘Best Alternative Protein-based Solution’ and ‘Woman in Innovation’ awards from EIT Food,” said Deniz Ficicioglu of BettaFish. “These accolades fuel our mission to build a new ocean economy — one that eases the burden on overused land-based agriculture and preserves precious resources for future generations. With EIT Food’s incredible network amplifying our message and the financial support these awards provide, we’re empowered to create the awareness that our oceans so urgently deserve.”

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