SconeLabs wins Startup Days at Grüne Woche 2026

How can you compare ready-to-drink matcha from a can, an e-tractor and artificial intelligence that predicts the spoilage of fruit and vegetables? Or a fermented, sugar-free and vegan instant meal made from 100 per cent natural ingredients with an autonomous field robot and protein production from microorganisms and agricultural by-products?

So diverse that one prize is hardly enough: ten start-ups in the competition

The judges of the Start-up Award are now in their eighth year of tackling this task. On Tuesday and Wednesday, ten start-ups from the agtech and food industry presented their innovative ideas for nutrition and agriculture in three-minute pitches on the Grüne Woche stage. The award ceremony took place on Wednesday evening as part of the partners' networking evening on the stage of the ErlebnisBauernhof (adventure farm). The Start-up Award is presented in cooperation with the Andreas Hermes Academy and the Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank. It includes coaching prize money of €1,000, participation in an accelerator programme run by the Rentenbank and a free presentation area at Grüne Woche 2027.

‘Start-ups bring fresh courage, speed and flexibility to the industry, and the projects I have seen here during the Start-up Days all have tangible added value,’ said Alois Rainer, Federal Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. ‘We saw ten pitches. It was a wide world of surprises, and we see potential in all of the companies,’ said jury spokesman Gerald Dohme from the German Farmers' Association.

AI-supported sensor technology reduces losses in the food chain

In the end, SconeLabs, which takes an innovative approach to food waste, won the day: founder Nishit Agrawal and his team identified conditions in warehouses as one of the biggest problems. ‘Everyone knows the problem of not knowing when an avocado is ripe and when it's bad,’ he said in his pitch. The problem also exists in warehouses, only it has a far greater effect than having to throw away a single avocado at home. The Berlin-based technology company has combined sensor technology with artificial intelligence to transform real-time data from the storage and production of fresh food into actionable insights. This allows risks, quality losses and spoilage to be identified at an early stage, reducing food waste and optimising shelf life.

‘I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want this for their warehouse, or why it doesn't already exist,’ said jury member Jana Moritz from the Schwarz Group.

Healthy ready meals and new protein sources impress the jury

The same applies to Miss Mineva's modern, healthy alternative to conventional ready meals. MicroHarvest also made an impression. The biotechnology company has developed a new type of protein production based on natural microorganisms.

‘I would love it if we could award three prizes,’ said jury member Clement Tischer from the Rewe Group before the award ceremony. Fortunately, the start-up prize is not about pursuing just one idea. ‘We face complex challenges in the agricultural and food industry, so we need lots of ideas,’ said Nikola Steinbock from Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank. During the networking evening, she once again explicitly invited participants to exchange ideas: for better networking between start-ups and agriculture.