Alumni Spotlight – Biotico

Jan 28, 2022

BIOTICO have received a Star Alumni award for the amount of positive progress they made during the course of Seedbed Incubator programme!

SEEDBED STAR ALUMNI 2021 BIOTICO

Biotico operates in food and beverage processing to produce organic waste such as spent coffee ground and malt pulp after the manufacturing processes.

What is your innovation, and who does this help?

BIOTICO is a biotechnology startup that focused on converting industrial organic wastes that pollute the nature into enzymes needed by the industry. We have innovated the biotechnology to produce enzymes from organic wastes without more extraction and expensive steps instead of regular enzyme production protocols. By this way, we achieved to prevent more environmental pollution due to organic wastes.

What is the problem you are solving?

The disposal of waste is closely related to the world economy issues, especially with our human health. The most important way to reduce waste is to reduce our usage of the planet’s resources.

Resource reduction is achieved with changes in food production, and in our product purchases – how we consume. We can reduce the quantity or toxicity of waste before it becomes municipal waste. The re-use of products is also another means of resource reduction. Through these actions we can minimize climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and indirectly saving energy.

The decomposition of organic wastes in nature requires a large amount of oxygen and their storage poses a risk due to their decay. The most important problem encountered in the production processes of enzymes is the production cost. The most important cost of bioprocesses is the carbon resources used. Therefore, processes in which bioengineering principles and green production technologies are used together have gained great importance.

The development of sustainable and economical processes depends on lowering operational costs.

To solve these problems, we transform coffee waste into high value-added enzymes. Converting coffee waste with high oil, sugar and nitrogen content into imported enzymes prevents environmental pollution, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and plays a major role in reducing the import burden. Thanks to the green technology we use, the organic components of the coffee waste are converted into high value-added enzymes by our microorganisms without using an extraction step.

How does this help to make the food system more healthy, sustainable and trusted?

Worldwide, 1.5 billion tons of organic waste are generated every year. One of them is coffee waste. Cultivated in 80+ countries, coffee is also one of the largest commodities on the global market. According to the National Coffee Organization, annual coffee consumption in the world is approximately 10 million tons, while it is 250 thousand tons in Turkey. Therefore, the coffee industry generates a large amount of waste every year. This waste is thrown away due to the high disposal cost, and when it decomposes, it causes serious greenhouse gas emissions. Each ton of coffee waste causes 340 m3 CH4 emission and 2470 m3 CO2 emission. In addition, coffee waste pollutes the soil and groundwater due to its rich oil content.

Our world is under a growing threat every day. Unfortunately, we are insufficient to produce as much as we consume. We have consumed a year’s resource that nature has given us in just 7 months. The disposal of the wastes generated as a result of this consumption and even their reuse is essential for a strong economy and a sustainable life. We expect that the awareness on this issue will increase with the effects of the European Green Deal and the shaping of the regulations.

What makes you passionate about your startup?

In industrial uses, enzymes are vital for the biodegradation of polymeric compounds. The demand for enzymes will increase day by day by companies that want to dispose of and recycle their wastes or by-products without harming the environment.

We aim to alleviate the import burden of companies in the enzyme market where there are not enough domestic players. The fact that these scientific studies are intended to directly or indirectly serve the United Nations’ Global Development Goals, especially the zero waste project, is our biggest motivation for wanting to commercialize our scientific studies.

Currently, what are your biggest challenges, and how has the Seedbed Incubator programme helped you to overcome these?

As a startup with a B2B business model, getting insights from the sectors we aim to enter, learning the technical details and usage rates of equivalent products was very important to verify the product-market fit. The EIT Food Seedbed Incubator Program is a key incubation centre that can bridge the gap between industry, academia and non-governmental organisations. As a startup, we have developed our business model and product performance towards the market, thanks to the network and mentoring support of this programmes. At the end of the Seedbed Incubator trainings, we also learned more about measuring our social impact and market entry strategies.

What were the highlights of the programme?

We had the chance to meet and discuss food problems with people from different countries. Having the same concerns made us more hopeful about being able to develop a more liveable world for the next generation. Through the trainings, we could understand the gaps of our project and their possible solutions. Also, peer-to-peer meetings were very efficient to develop the idea across all aspects.

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Hub Locations

Aarhus, DENMARK

Belfast, UK

Bilbao, SPAIN

Quakenbrück, GERMANY

Warsaw, POLAND

Hub Locations

Bilbao, SPAIN

Haifa, ISRAEL

Helsinki, FINLAND

Munich, GERMANY

Paris, FRANCE

Member States & Associated Countries

Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Cyprus, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom

Privacy Policy

1. WHO WE ARE

We”, “us” or “our” means EIT Food and its affiliated companies. The controller of your data is the EIT Food branch that initially collected your data and decided the purposes and means for using your data. Please find information about all our branches via https://www.eitfood.eu/contact.

This Privacy Policy is solely intended to provide you with information in relation to the processing of personal data through your use of the website. For our privacy practices in relation to our services, we refer you to the agreement as may be concluded between us.

Your privacy is important to us, so we’ve developed this Privacy Policy that sets out how we collect, disclose, transfer and use (“process”) the personal data that you share with us, and which rights you have. Please take a moment to read through this policy.

If you have any questions, concerns or complaints regarding this Privacy Policy or our processing of your personal data or you wish to submit a request to exercise your rights as set out in article 4, you can contact us:

Via email: privacy@eitfood.eu
By post: EIT Food iVZW Ubicenter A Philipssite 5 bus 34, Belgium

This Privacy Policy was revised last on 17.09.2020.

2. HOW WE USE AND COLLECT YOUR PERSONAL DATA

Personal data is defined as any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. Identifiable refers to identifiers (such as name, identification number, location data, etc.), that can be used to directly or indirectly identify a natural person.

The personal data we collect, is collected and used for the purposes as listed hereunder:

In the event you use the contact form on our website, we will use your personal data in order to reply to your query, via email or telephone.
In the event you register for our newsletter, your email address will be used in order to send you our newsletters, which may include invites to events, seminars, etc. organised by us.
We process your personal data for the purpose of supporting the website and enhancing your user experience, which includes ensuring the security, availability, performance, capacity and health of the website.
We process your personal data to enforce or exercise any rights that are available to us based on the applicable law, such as use for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims.
We may also use your personal data to fulfil our obligations as set out by the applicable law.

The following categories of personal data can be distinguished:

Contact data: in the event you make use of the contact form, you will be asked to provide the following information: name, address, email address, phone number, and any personal data that you choose to put in the designated blank field (please do not provide us with any sensitive information, such as health information, information pertaining to criminal convictions, or credit card/account numbers). This is information that is provided directly by you.
Newsletter: if you register for our newsletter, you will be asked to provide your email address. This is information provided directly by you
Usage data: we collect personal data regarding your activities on our website: IP address, device ID and type, referral source, language settings, browser type, operating system, geographical location, length of visit, page views, or information about the timing, frequency and pattern of your service use. This information may be aggregated and used to help us provide more useful information regarding the use of our website. In the event the usage data is completely anonymised (and can therefore not be traced back to you as an individual), this will not be considered personal data for the purpose of this Privacy Policy. This is personal data that is automatically collected through your use of the website.
Transaction data: we collect personal data relating to transactions that you make through the website, including your “contact data”, payment information and the goods and/or services purchased. This is personal data provided directly by you.

The legal basis for the processing of your personal data is based on consent. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. This will, however, not affect the lawfulness of any processing done prior to the withdrawal of consent.

Your personal data will solely be used for the purposes as set out in this article.

3. RETENTION OF YOUR DATA AND DELETION

Your personal data will be retained for a period of 3 years.

In the event you withdraw your consent or you object to our use of your personal data, and such objection is successful, we will remove your personal data from our databases. Please note that we will retain the personal data necessary to ensure your preferences are respected in the future.

The foregoing will, however, not prevent us from retaining any personal data if this is necessary to comply with our legal obligations, in order to file a legal claim or defend ourselves against a legal claim, or for evidential purposes.

4. YOUR RIGHTS

This article lists your principal rights under data protection law. We have tried to summarise them for you in a clear and legible way.

To exercise any of your rights, please send us a written request in accordance with article 1 of this Privacy Policy. We will respond to your request without undue delay, but in any event within one month of the receipt of the request. In the event of an extension of the term to respond or in the event we do not take action on your request, we will notify you.

The right to access

You have the right to confirmation as to whether or not we process your personal data and, in the event we do so, you have the right to access such personal data, together with certain additional information that you also find listed in this Privacy Policy.

You have the right to receive from us a copy of your personal data we have in our possession, provided that this does not adversely affect the rights and freedoms of others. The first copy will be provided free of charge, but we reserve the right to charge a reasonable fee if you request further copies.

The right to rectification

If the personal data we hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete, you have the right to have this information rectified or, taking into account the purposes of the processing, completed.

The right to erasure (right to be forgotten)

In some circumstances, you have the right to the erasure of your personal data without undue delay. Those circumstances include:

The personal data are no longer needed in relation to the purposes for which they were collected or otherwise processed;
You withdraw your consent, and no other lawful ground exists;
The processing is for direct marketing purposes;
The personal data have been unlawfully processed; or,
Erasure is necessary for compliance with EU law or Belgian law.

There are certain exclusions to the right to erasure. Those exclusions include where processing is necessary,

for exercising the right of freedom of expression and information;
for compliance with a legal obligation; or,
for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims.

The right to restrict processing

You have the right to restrict the processing of your personal data (meaning that the personal data may only be stored by us and may only be used for limited purposes), if:

You contest the accuracy of the personal data (and only for as long as it takes to verify that accuracy);
The processing is unlawful and you request restriction (as opposed to exercising the right to erasure);
We no longer need the personal data for the purposes of our processing, but you require personal data for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims; or,
You have objected to processing, pending the verification of that objection.

In addition to our right to store your personal data, we may still otherwise process it but only:

with your consent;
for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims;
for the protection of the rights of another natural or legal person; or,
for reasons of important public interest.

We will inform you before we lift the restriction of processing.

The right to data portability

To the extent that the legal basis for our processing of your personal data is consent, and such processing is carried out by automated means, you have the right to receive your personal data from us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format. However, this right does not apply where it would adversely affect the rights and freedoms of others.

You also have the right to have your personal data transferred directly to another company, if this is technically possible, and/or to store your personal data for further personal use on a private device.

The right to object to processing

You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data on grounds relating to your particular situation, but only to the extent that the legal basis for the processing is that the processing is necessary for:

The performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of any official authority vested in us;
The purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by us or by a third party.

If you make such an objection, we will cease to process the personal information unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override your interests, rights and freedoms, or the processing is for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims.

You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes (including profiling for direct marketing purposes). If you make such an objection, we will cease to process your personal data for this purpose.

The right to complain to a supervisory authority

If you consider that our processing of your personal information infringes data protection laws, you have a legal right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority responsible for data protection. You may do so in the EU member state of your habitual residence, your place of work or the place of the alleged infringement. In Belgium, you can submit a complaint to the Authority for the protection of personal data (Privacy Commission), Drukpersstraat 35, 1000 Brussel (Contact@apd-gba.be)

5. DISCLOSURE TO THIRD PARTIES

To the extent necessary or appropriate, EIT Food may disclose your Personal Information to external 3rd Parties, such as IT consultants carrying out testing and development work on our IT systems and other service and software providers who we may appoint as data processors such as e.g. for CRM purposes.

Where applicable, we will impose appropriate contractual, security, confidentiality and other obligations on to 3rd party providers and processors we have appointed, based on the nature of the services they provide to us. We will only permit them to process your Personal Information in accordance with the law and our instructions. We do not allow them to use your Personal Information for their own purposes and when our relationship ends we will ensure your Personal Information is securely returned or destroyed.

The above mentioned third parties may be located both within and outside the EEA. In the latter case, we will take the necessary measures to ensure that your Personal Information is adequately protected, secure, kept confidential and that we have a lawful basis for the transfer.

In addition, we may disclose your personal data in the event such disclosure is required or necessary in order to fulfil a legal obligation. We may also disclose personal data in order to protect your vital interests or the vital interest of another natural person.

As such, we do not disclose your personal data to our social media partners. We do, however, make use of social media plugins to direct you to our social media channels and to allow you to interact with our content. These social media channels are Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. In the event you click such link, such social media service provider may collect personal data about you and may link this information to your existing profile on such social media.

We are not responsible for the use of your personal data by such social media service provider. In such case, the social media service provider will act as controller and we refer to the privacy policies of those social media channels for information about the use of your personal data.

6. SECURITY

We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your Personal Information from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorized way, altered or disclosed. In addition, we limit access to your Personal Information to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need to do so.

We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected Personal Information breaches and we will notify you and the applicable supervisory authority of a breach where we are legally required to do so.

7. INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS

We will ensure that any transfer of personal data to countries outside of the European Economic Area will take place pursuant to the appropriate safeguards.

8. COOKIES

Our website makes use of cookies. For further information relating to our use of cookies, we refer you to our Cookie Policy

9. AMENDMENTS TO THE PRIVACY POLICY

From time to time, we have the right to modify this Privacy Policy. You will always be able to consult the most recent version of the Privacy Policy on the website

The RisingFoodStars (RFS) addresses early scaleups that are past the ideation phase with a solid customer base, and ready for global market expansion. During this programme, we help companies to grow and scale their impact faster – through market testing new ideas, support from experts in the food industry, tailored networking with our world-class corporate partners, and privileged access to our investors community. Programme members are also invited to join a consortium of leading industry and academia to co-create in part-funded agrifood projects

The EIT Food Accelerator Network (EIT FAN) is a four-month programme that aims to fast-track science and technology-based innovations that are helping to solve global food system challenges. The programme is managed by our leading EIT Food partner organisations, operating from different regional hub locations in Europe. Each hub connects impactful agrifood startups with industry-leading corporate and research partners, to pilot innovative technology, and drive the ultimate goal of every business: a successful market adoption.

This is your opportunity to move your startup beyond acceleration – to become part of a rich ecosystem of business and research institutions, setup to help you transition from an early-stage company to a global scale up, disrupting our food system to make it more sustainable, healthy, and trusted.

So, what are you waiting for? Apply to EIT FAN to pursue pilot projects, investments, and benefit from expert coaching and mentorship. You will also have access to specialist facilities such as labs, pilot sites, maker spaces, and agricultural land, as well as financial support to help you raise your seed or series A investment round.

The Seedbed Incubator is a six month programme that aims to transform science and technology based innovations, that can help solve global food system challenges, into market-validated businesses. The programme is delivered by world class EIT Food partner organisations, operating from different regional hub locations in Europe.

All entrepreneurial teams and newly-formed startups accepted onto the Seedbed Incubator receive equity-free grant funding and access to our network to facilitate market testing activities with potential customers or end-users. Each cohort team is supported by business coaches and sector experts to prepare you for a successful business launch.

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Alumni Spotlight – Biotico

BIOTICO have received a Star Alumni award for the amount of positive progress they made during the course of Seedbed Incubator programme!