In the international entrepreneurship support program "Empowering Women in Agrifood" (EWA), Kristīne Štikāne from Sigulda, the founder of the fermented plant-based product brand Gutopia, secured the top prize of €10,000. The second-place award of €5,000 was won by Elīna Zandere from Jūrmala, the founder of the plant-based ready-meal brand Legomo. EWA is an initiative by EIT Food, supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a structure of the European Union (EU). The program in Latvia is organized by the Science and Innovation Center at Riga Technical University (RTU).
Innovating with Gutopia
K. Štikāne's company produces healthy, eco-friendly fermented plant-based kefir products made from cashews, hazelnuts, and soybeans. As the company grows, it is developing new alternatives to animal-based products, such as plant-based cottage cheese and cream cheese. With the support of EWA mentors and experts, she expanded her production facilities, established new partnerships, registered and developed her business, and expanded her team within six months. She plans to use the cash prize to acquire industrial equipment that will double production volumes. Additionally, she received an invitation to present her business idea at the global EWA closing event, "Women in Agrifood Stories 2024".
Legomo’s Plant-Based Meals
Second-place winner E. Zandere offers plant-based ready meals that meet the daily vegetable intake requirement, providing high nutritional value and supporting health through targeted dietary planning, including sufficient daily protein. The product range includes meals for various occasions. She plans to use the prize money to automate the production process.
Sustainability and Innovation
The program’s other participants focused on creating sustainable and innovative food products, additives, fiber and protein alternatives, and utilizing advanced technologies. Projects included leveraging Baltic Sea algae for agriculture and producing high-quality raw materials for agriculture, cosmetics, and household chemical products using organic residues, such as antioxidant extracts from potato peels.
Judging and Recognition
Winners were selected by a jury based on participants' progress during the program and the future potential of their ideas. The jury included Elīna Miķelsone (RTU ZIC Design Factory), Agnese Radžele-Šulce (Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Center), Ilze Laukalēja-Broka (EIT Food HUB Latvia), and Liene Kravala (Rimi Baltic). The final event, "EWA Demo Day", took place at the Baltic Sustainability Forum 2024, attracting participants, mentors, and representatives from agriculture, food industries, and innovation enthusiasts.
About EIT Food
EIT Food is the world's largest and most dynamic food innovation community, aiming to create a future-fit food system that produces healthy, sustainable food for all. With EIT’s support, EIT Food invests in projects, organizations, and individuals aligned with its mission, fostering innovation in businesses and universities and scaling up agri-food startups to bring new technologies and products to market. EIT Food also provides entrepreneurs and professionals with the skills needed to transform the food system, prioritizing consumers to restore trust and reconnect them with the origins of their food.
For more information, visit the EIT Food website. Photo: RTU
