Founder of UPTEC startup among Europe’s most innovative women

Débora Campos, founder and CEO of AgroGrIN Tech, a startup incubated at UPTEC – Science and Technology Park of the University of Porto, was one of the winners of the European Award for Innovative Women, in the EIT Women Leadership Award category, aimed at members of the EIT community.

“This award represents significant recognition of the work and dedication of the AgroGrIN Tech team”, says the CEO. The startup, founded in 2017 by Débora Campos, Ana Vilas Boas, and Ricardo Gómez, has developed an innovative and ecological process to transform industrial fruit and vegetable waste into functional food ingredients.

“Consumers are increasingly aware that artificial additives can have an impact on their health, and the industry is looking for alternatives to replace them with natural ingredients that can act in a similar way (…)”, explains Débora Campos. AgroGrIN Tech’s technology makes it possible to extract enzymes and vitamins with a high degree of purification, through a transformation process that allows waste to be fully reused in new food products and ingredients with value for the food, nutraceutical and cosmetics industries. “We are witnessing a change in the consumption paradigm and AgroGrIN Tech offers the solution – ingredients of natural origin that are recognised by the consumer”, she adds.

In addition to the recognition at the awards ceremony on 3 April in Brussels, the founder also received a cash prize of 50,000 euros, which will serve to boost the company’s growth: “We are investing in Research and Development (R&D) to perfect our technological solutions, improve our infrastructure and expand our team with talent that will drive our growth”.

In 2024, AgroGrIN Tech joined the EIT Food Accelerator Network, a European accelerator programme focused on the agri-food industry, winning the Tech Validation Award at the end of the initiative. “For this year, the main objectives (…) include inaugurating our pilot plant, which could produce 30 tonnes of ingredients annually, a huge step in our scale-up, (…) expanding our customer and partner base both in the area of applications and establishing strategic partnerships at the beginning of the value chain”, reveals Débora Campos.

About the European Prize for Women Innovators

This joint initiative of the European Innovation Council (EIC) and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) seeks to highlight the role of women who promote innovation and growth in the European Union.

In eleven editions, more than 30 women innovators and entrepreneurs have been recognised, and more than 100 women selected as finalists.