10 finalists for the Startup Days at the Grüne Woche
Meat from mycelium, proteins from mushrooms, potato harvesting with AI and vertical farming software - the 10 finalists of the Startup Days at Grüne Woche 2025 have been announced.
Almost 30 startups have applied for the Startup Days at Grüne Woche 2025. A jury of experts has selected the 10 most exciting and innovative startups from all the applications, which will present themselves at the Grüne Woche on January 21st and 22nd, 2025 and pitch for victory. Artificial intelligence is also playing an increasingly important role in agriculture.
The winner of Startup Days 2024: Vanozza. The company has developed a vegan mozzarella. Image: Messe Berlin
The 10 finalists are:
AGAi has developed a platform for farmers, companies and agronomists to provide them with targeted support using artificial intelligence. “Frag den Bodenpapst” can understand spoken language and provides answers to agronomic questions with references, for example on soil health, nutrient analysis or sustainable practices.
AI.Land GmbH focuses on robotics, automation and AI solutions in agriculture. With the help of innovative technologies, AI.Land aims to make agriculture more efficient and resource-friendly. The start-up's vision: sustainable agriculture that harmonizes technology and nature.
Esencia Foods UG uses mycelium - mushrooms - to produce vegan meat and vegan fish. According to the founders Hendrik and Bruno, they want nothing less than to revolutionize the food industry, focusing on science and good food.
Greenhub has developed vertical farming software. With the help of real-time data, the first step is to accelerate cultivation research in order to optimize vertical farming in the next step. The company focuses on a plant-oriented approach to vertical farming.
Karevo GmbH has asked itself whether potatoes still need to be sorted by hand. No, says the start-up and uses artificial intelligence. The AI recognizes possible damaged areas on the potato and automatically sorts them out on the conveyor belt.
Nosh.bio GmbH produces proteins from GMO-free mushrooms. Proteins are an important part of our diet. However, if you want to do without animal proteins, you need a good alternative - which the start-up wants to provide based on mushrooms. The big goal is a better future for people, animals and the planet.
Plances wants to save the lives of countless balcony plants with the help of automatic irrigation. Without a power socket or water connection, balcony plants can be watered self-sufficiently for up to two weeks with the “Gießfried” irrigation system.
SAFIA has developed a rapid mycotoxin test. The test can be used to detect molds in food or raw materials such as grain in a very short time. Multiplexing enables several measurements to be carried out in parallel, which saves work steps and therefore time.
Tunen Agronomy supports farmers with a digital co-pilot and artificial intelligence. From digital documentation of work to office management, the co-pilot is always there on the cell phone via voice, chat or image recognition. The AI learns workflows, operating processes and the needs of users.
ValueGrain converts the side streams from breweries into proteins. The so-called “spent grains” are produced as by-products during beer brewing and are processed into a liquid flour. According to the start-up, the advantage is that it is more environmentally friendly, cheaper and richer in nutrients.
The final pitches at Startup Days 2025 on January 22nd will reveal which innovative product will win over the jury the most.