Editor’s Be aware: This publish was created in collaboration and with monetary help from EIT Food.
On 11 November, the Empowering Women in Agrifood (EWA) 2025 Demo Day programme passed off in Seville, an initiative that helps ladies entrepreneurs working to create a extra sustainable and progressive meals system.
Now in its sixth version, EWA 2025 is a six-month entrepreneurial programme designed to help aspiring and early-stage feminine entrepreneurs throughout 13 international locations: Albania, Estonia, Greece, Italy, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Türkiye, and Ukraine.
Backed by EIT Meals and the European Institute of Innovation and Expertise (EIT), a physique of the European Union, EWA helps individuals construct the talents, confidence and networks wanted to develop and scale their concepts. Though ladies play a significant function in agriculture and rural innovation, their work usually goes underrecognised. The programme helps tackle this hole by providing sensible help, tailor-made coaching and entry to a powerful, long-lasting neighborhood.
This yr’s version introduced collectively proficient founders from throughout the area, every engaged on options that sort out actual challenges in agriculture, sustainability and meals manufacturing. On that notice, in the present day we begin the primary of a collection of three interviews highlighting standout individuals from this yr’s EWA programme. We start with a exceptional lady entrepreneur, whose work brings scientific experience and sensible innovation collectively to handle key challenges within the agrifood sector.
Interview with Anabel Millán Leiva, Co-founder of Cucare Diagnostics
Are you able to begin by sharing the inspiration behind Cucare Diagnostics and the way your journey into insect science and agrifood innovation started?
The Cucare founding group are scientists specialising in insect genetics, pathogens, and pesticide resistance. Our journey started on the College of Valencia, the place now we have spent over 30 years learning how bugs work together with microorganisms and pesticidal compounds.
Via shut work with farmers and beekeepers, we began receiving pressing calls aboutpests destroying crops and ailments wiping out hives. Present diagnostic instruments had been usually unavailable or impractical in real-world circumstances.
As insect farming started to develop as a supply of different proteins, a brand new drawback emerged. Producers had been dealing with severe well being points of their colonies, however had no technique to detect or perceive the ailments affecting them. Many of those threats had been nonetheless unknown, and no diagnostic instruments existed to information decision-making.
We realised we had the experience to assist, however our laboratory strategies weren’t accessible to those that wanted them most. That’s once we determined to maneuver past academia. By working immediately with beekeepers and farmers, we developed and validated sensible diagnostic instruments in actual manufacturing environments.
In 2025, we based Cucare Diagnostics as a spin-off from the College of Valencia, with the aim of bringing quick, dependable, and usable diagnostics to insect manufacturing and agrifood programs.
What motivated you to deal with insect well being, pest resistance and pathogen detection, and the way do you see this work contributing to a extra sustainable and resilient meals system?
Our motivation comes from understanding the essential function bugs play in meals programs. They are often each a problem and an answer: bugs trigger main losses in agriculture and livestock manufacturing, however they’re additionally important as organic management brokers and as one of the sustainable protein sources out there.
Via our shut work with farmers, insect producers, and different stakeholders, we see firsthand the true challenges dealing with the agrifood sector and the dearth of sensible instruments to handle them. We now have the scientific information to assist, and we felt a powerful accountability to show that information into options that work in the true world. On the identical time, we all know meals manufacturing should improve, however not on the expense of the surroundings.
Pesticide resistance is a transparent instance. As resistance grows, pest management turns into much less efficient and pesticide use will increase, usually with out realizing whether or not remedies will work. By detecting resistance on the genetic degree earlier than remedies are utilized, we allow extra focused pest management, lowering chemical use and environmental affect whereas bettering crop and livestock well being.
Insect farming is one other essential a part of the answer, providing a sustainable technique to meet the rising demand for protein. Nevertheless, this younger trade faces severe well being challenges. By enabling early illness detection and preventive well being administration, we assist make insect manufacturing extra resilient, environment friendly, and sustainable.
Finally, our work helps a extra resilient meals system by enabling smarter pest management, lowering environmental strain, and strengthening sustainable protein manufacturing.
Cucare Diagnostics applies superior genetic and molecular instruments to insect administration and large-scale insect manufacturing. Are you able to stroll us by means of your strategy and clarify what units your options aside from extra conventional strategies?
Our strategy combines superior genetic and molecular applied sciences with bioinformatics and proprietary databases to help insect administration and large-scale insect manufacturing.
These instruments permit us to detect pathogens in insect colonies at very early levels, lengthy earlier than seen signs seem. Early detection is essential, because it offers producers time to intervene and forestall outbreaks, reasonably than reacting as soon as losses are unavoidable. Importantly, our strategies usually are not restricted to identified pathogens. We are able to analyse the whole microbial neighborhood inside a colony, together with unknown or sudden illness brokers, which is very essential in insect farming, the place many pathogens are nonetheless poorly understood.
Conventional diagnostics rely primarily on visible inspection, microbiological cultures, or focused PCR exams. These strategies normally require greater pathogen ranges, are reactive reasonably than preventive, and might solely detect what’s already identified, usually resulting in delayed or inconclusive outcomes.
The identical applies to pesticide resistance detection. Whereas laboratory strategies exist, they’re usually complicated, sluggish, costly, and never accessible to farmers or beekeepers. Our resistance detection companies are designed to be quick, scalable, and cost-effective. By figuring out resistance on the genetic degree earlier than remedies are utilized, we help higher decision-making, scale back pointless chemical use, decrease prices, and minimise environmental affect.
What really units Cucare aside is our means to show superior molecular science into sensible, actionable options that work in actual manufacturing environments.
What had been a few of the largest challenges you confronted whereas creating Cucare Diagnostics, notably when translating scientific analysis into sensible options for the agrifood trade?
One in all our largest challenges has been shifting our mindset from educational researchers to folks constructing sensible options and a viable firm. Within the lab, complexity and lengthy timelines are acceptable, however in actual manufacturing environments, they don’t seem to be. Farmers and producers want dependable solutions rapidly, not excellent outcomes weeks later.
From a scientific perspective, this meant adapting very superior molecular methods to make them quick, sensible, and reasonably priced. One other problem was studying to steadiness scientific rigour with the urgency of the agrifood sector. Our purchasers don’t simply need knowledge; they want clear steering on what to do subsequent. That pushed us to translate complicated genetic outcomes into easy, actionable suggestions.
Constructing belief outdoors academia was additionally important. We needed to present that molecular diagnostics might ship actual, tangible worth within the area. On high of that got here the realities of constructing an organization: securing early-stage funding, coping with forms, and studying the enterprise facet of issues. It has been a steep studying curve, however one we’re dedicated to, as a result of we really consider within the affect this work can have.
When did you first hear in regards to the EWA programme, and what motivated you to take part?
I first got here throughout EIT Meals just a few years in the past, even earlier than founding Cucare Diagnostics, by means of totally different coaching actions and programmes. I used to be drawn to its sturdy deal with sensible innovation within the agrifood sector, which aligned intently with my scientific background and pursuits.
I later found the EWA Spain programme by means of EIT Meals bulletins on social media. After wanting into it, it was clear how priceless it may very well be, each for me as an entrepreneur and for Cucare, notably by way of enterprise improvement and mentorship.
Wanting again, participating in EWA Spain has exceeded my expectations. It has helped us sharpen Cucare’s technique and market focus, whereas additionally supporting my private progress as an entrepreneur and serving to me construct priceless connections. It has been a genuinely transformative expertise, and becoming a member of the programme was completely the best choice.
How did the mentorship and coaching throughout the EWA programme affect your strategy to constructing Cucare Diagnostics? What would you say are the three most beneficial takeaways from the programme?
The coaching and mentorship we acquired by means of the EWA programme have had a powerful affect on how we’re constructing Cucare Diagnostics.
The coaching periods had been properly structured and coated all the important thing points an early-stage startup wants, from thought validation and enterprise fashions to authorized subjects, finance, advertising and marketing, management, and communication. I appreciated that every matter was addressed with the best degree of depth and clearly tailored to the true wants of the individuals.
If I needed to spotlight the three most beneficial takeaways, the primary could be mentorship. The mentors had been extremely skilled, and the programme did a superb job of matching mentor and mentee. I used to be paired with an distinctive mentor, somebody with deep trade expertise and robust human perception. She understood Cucare’s strategic route, the best timing for choices, and the private pressures of main an early-stage firm. That mixture {of professional} steering and emotional intelligence was particularly priceless throughout difficult moments, and I’m very grateful for her help, in addition to for the assistance of different mentors alongside the way in which.
The second key takeaway was the neighborhood. The opposite individuals and the EWA group created a supportive and collaborative surroundings the place we shared challenges, exchanged recommendation, and celebrated progress collectively. Constructing a startup can really feel isolating, and being a part of such a neighborhood made the journey really feel a lot much less solitary.
Lastly, the coaching and visibility offered by the programme had been extraordinarily priceless. Past sensible abilities like pitching, market validation, and strategic planning, EWA gave Cucare visibility and credibility inside the EIT Meals ecosystem. Entry to those networks and alternatives helps us develop a lot sooner than we might have on our personal.
Sustainability is a core factor of Cucare’s mission. How do your companies assist scale back the usage of pesticides whereas defending crops, ecosystems and bug well being?
Sustainability is on the core of Cucare Diagnostics as a result of we deal with prevention and knowledgeable decision-making, reasonably than reacting as soon as issues have already escalated.
In agriculture, uncertainty usually results in pesticide overuse. Farmers ceaselessly apply remedies with out realizing whether or not they are going to truly work in opposition to the pests current. When resistance goes undetected and a remedy fails, extra pesticides are utilized to keep away from crop losses, growing prices and environmental affect.
Our molecular resistance diagnostics take away that uncertainty. By figuring out resistance genes earlier than remedies are utilized, we assist farmers select the best resolution from the beginning. This results in extra focused pest management, fewer purposes, and decrease chemical use. Because of this, environmental strain is lowered, residues on crops are minimised, and the effectiveness of current pesticides is preserved for longer, whereas defending ecosystems and helpful bugs.
How do you see advances in insect science and biotechnology shaping the way forward for agriculture, pest administration and sustainable protein manufacturing?
I consider advances in insect science will play a serious function in reworking meals manufacturing, serving to it turn into extra sustainable and higher managed. This implies transferring away from reacting to issues as soon as they happen and in the direction of preventive methods that scale back losses and restrict environmental affect from the beginning.
In pest management, we’re shifting in the direction of extra exact, data-driven approaches. As a substitute of broad, one-size-fits-all remedies, pest administration is turning into extra focused, efficient, and environmentally accountable. On the identical time, the insect manufacturing sector remains to be studying how one can totally help insect well being and welfare, however progress is clearly being made. Rising analysis into insect diet, well being, and illness helps make large-scale insect farming extra dependable and resilient.
Total, I see large potential to enhance how meals is produced, and I’m assured we’re transferring in the best route in the direction of programs which might be extra sustainable, resilient, and environmentally pleasant.
To conclude this interview, what recommendation would you give to different ladies entrepreneurs contemplating beginning a science-based enterprise within the agrifood sector?
My recommendation is to deal with fixing actual issues, keep adaptable, and validate your concepts early. Belief your experience and don’t underestimate your information and capabilities. Keep in mind that being totally different and having a scientific background will not be a limitation; it’s a highly effective aggressive benefit.
Most significantly, don’t do it alone. Hunt down mentorship, peer networks, and programmes like EWA that mix technical, enterprise, and private help. Constructing an organization is demanding, particularly within the early levels, and having the best neighborhood makes an enormous distinction.
Extra on the programme
As a part of EWA 2025, Anabel joined a rising #EWAProgramme neighborhood of greater than 600 alumnae throughout Europe. This community continues to help and unlock the potential of early-stage feminine founders properly past the length of the programme.
She additionally had the chance to pitch her thought on the Next Bite Satellite occasion, Accelerating Innovation Via Girls Management, held on 4 December in Warsaw. The occasion introduced collectively practically 350 innovators, founders, and buyers to rethink the way forward for meals and spotlight women-led innovation throughout the agrifood ecosystem.
Registration for EWA 2026 opens quickly! Keep tuned and assist construct a way forward for meals powered by ladies. More information is available here
About EIT Meals
EIT Meals is the world’s largest and most dynamic meals innovation neighborhood. Backed by the European Institute of Innovation and Expertise, it really works throughout the meals worth chain to speed up innovation and entrepreneurship, equipping changemakers with the talents, instruments, and help they should reshape the way forward for meals.
EIT Meals is one among 9 innovation communities established by the European Institute of Innovation and Expertise (EIT), an impartial EU physique arrange in 2008 to drive innovation and entrepreneurship throughout Europe.
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