While Ukraine has long been recognized as the breadbasket of Europe, the intersection of wartime disruption, climate shifts, and supply chain volatility is forcing a rapid evolution from traditional farming to deep-tech agrifood resilience. To accelerate this transition into scalable, globally competitive ventures, the Radar Tech and Civitta consortium – serving as the official EIT Food Country Representative Ukraine – has opened applications for the EIT Food Challenge Labs – AgriFood Innovation Camp.
Supported by EIT Food, the European Union-backed body and the world’s largest food innovation community, the initiative is designed to equip early-stage Ukrainian tech founders with the operational runway, cross-border network, and strategic mentorship required to integrate into the broader European market.
The programme offers early-traction teams a rigorous two-month intensive curriculum, ending with a live pitching showcase before top-tier corporate partners and venture investors in Kyiv, alongside a €1,000 equity-free prize for the winning venture.
Engineering Scalability: What the Programme Delivers
The AgriFood Innovation Camp addresses a crucial bottleneck facing regional founders: moving from functional engineering and local problem-solving to robust, export-ready business models.
Over the course of the two-month online sprint, selected cohorts will work closely with seasoned business mentors to address structural growth hurdles. Core focus areas include:
Business Model Hardening: Refining unit economics, defensibility, and commercial scalability.
Go-To-Market & International Expansion: Crafting viable pathways to enter and navigate European Union regulatory frameworks and consumer markets.
Capital Readiness: Structuring investment pitches and fundraising roadmaps for institutional seed-stage capital.
The programme will culminate in an exclusive pitching event in Kyiv, where founders will present their solutions directly to institutional investors and leading industry powerhouses, including MHP, Enzym Group, HD-group, Volia Innovation Kitchen, and Smart Farming. Beyond immediate venture feedback, the demo day serves as an active dealmaking and commercial partnership pipeline.
“Today, the Ukrainian agrifood sector demonstrates impressive resilience and innovative potential. Thanks to EIT Food’s support, we are creating a bridge for our startups to the European market. AgriFood Innovation Camp is not just an educational programme, but a real platform for attracting resources, strengthening business models, and scaling internationally. Our goal is to transform the technological ideas of Ukrainian developers into working businesses ready for global competition”.
– Mariia Romanova, CEO of Radar Tech
Target Verticals & Eligibility Criteria
The open call specifically targets early-stage Ukrainian startups with verifiable early traction or pilot clients, led by a dedicated team of at least two co-founders.
Organizers are scouting deep-tech, bio-tech, and software-driven innovations across key problem spaces:
Climate Adaptation & Soil Regeneration: Technologies enabling agricultural operators to maintain productivity amid changing climate conditions, alongside solutions restoring soil fertility.
War Mitigation & Supply Chain Continuity: Tech solutions designed to overcome the direct agricultural and operational consequences of war and eliminate food logistics breakdowns.
Resource Optimization & Sustainability: Next-gen approaches for higher input efficiency, lowered environmental footprint, and circular waste management in food production and hospitality.
Next-Generation Food Science: Processing innovations, alternative protein development, conscious consumption platforms, and forward-looking food and beverage products.
“Ukraine has traditionally been strong in the agricultural sector, but today significant growth potential lies precisely at the intersection of agriculture, the food industry, and technology. For Ukrainian companies today, it is essential not only to create such solutions but also to build scalable business models around them, find partners, and integrate into the European market. This is exactly what we want to focus on at AgriFood Innovation Camp”.
– Iurii Blavt, Partner at Civitta
Application Timeline and Deadlines
Given high ecosystem demand and a capped intake designed to preserve high-touch mentorship quality, the selection committee advises prospective founders to submit their materials early.
Application Deadline: 5 October, 9:00 AM (Kyiv time). (Note: Registration may close early if cohort capacity is reached).
Application Portal: agrifoodcamp.com
As European agrifood supply chains seek both sustainability and decentralized resilience, Ukrainian founders are uniquely positioned to turn stress-tested domestic solutions into high-value global enterprises. The AgriFood Innovation Camp stands as a vital springboard for those ready to make that leap.
