EIT Food has selected 18 agrifood companies for its 2026 RisingFoodStars cohort, introducing a verification-led model intended to identify ventures that are commercially and operationally prepared to scale.

The selected businesses have received the RisingFoodStars Scaleup Verification Badge following an independent assessment of their leadership, commercial model, operational readiness and growth potential.

RisingFoodStars, previously operated primarily as a scaleup support programme, has been repositioned as a selective recognition within EIT Food’s renewed Entrepreneurship Pathway. The badge is intended to give investors, corporate partners and other industry stakeholders an external indication of a company’s maturity and readiness for further expansion.

The 2026 programme will place greater emphasis on international growth. EIT Food said the selected companies will receive support with market-entry strategies, regulatory requirements and the development of commercial partnerships outside Europe.

The initiative comes amid wider efforts to improve the conditions for scaling innovative businesses in Europe. European Union policy documents show that nearly 30% of European unicorns relocated outside the EU between 2008 and 2021, while Europe is home to only 8% of the world’s scaleups.

Richard Zaltzman, CEO of EIT Food, said stronger links between research, industry, finance and government would be required to help more European innovations reach commercial scale.

“Europe has the science, the talent and the entrepreneurial ambition. What we need now is the courage to move faster, scale bigger and work together more effectively. Europe won’t close the scaleup gap through individual breakthroughs alone. We need stronger innovation ecosystems that connect researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, industry and policymakers, creating the conditions for ideas to move from the lab to the market and deliver real-world impact,” Zaltzman said.

Companies receiving the verification badge will gain priority access to EIT Food funding mechanisms and its investor network. The organisation will also facilitate introductions to corporate partners operating across the agrifood value chain.

Additional support will include coaching, mentorship, commercial and investment-readiness assistance, media exposure and participation in industry events. Internationalisation support will focus on helping businesses evaluate new markets and establish partnerships beyond Europe.

EIT Food said the assessment process was designed to identify companies that combine commercial traction with leadership capability, operational maturity and the potential to deliver measurable improvements across the food system.

Since RisingFoodStars was established, the initiative has supported 178 scaleups. According to EIT Food, participating companies have collectively raised more than EUR930 million, commercialised 43 innovations, completed seven successful exits and created more than 1,233 jobs in Europe.

Previous participants include alternative-protein companies Redefine Meat and Mosa Meat, precision-fermentation business Verley, biotechnology company Infinite Roots and palm-oil alternative producer NoPalm Ingredients.

The 2026 cohort includes companies developing technologies and business models addressing areas such as climate resilience, resource efficiency, healthier food products and more sustainable agricultural and food production systems.