The Foodtech sector in the Community of Madrid
Madrid has a solid foodtech ecosystem with accelerators, hubs, large corporations, public institutions,
universities and modern logistics centres that favour the establishment of companies and the attraction of talent.
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Madrid: an attractive hub for the food industry
The Community of Madrid has become a nerve centre for the Foodtech industry in Spain and a benchmark in Europe. With a strategic location, which allows it to be an entry point to the European and Latin American markets, a diversified ecosystem and a commitment to technology and sustainability, Madrid is positioned as an attractive place for companies, investors and professionals interested in transforming the food industry globally.
The Community of Madrid has Mercamadrid, Europe's largest market for perishable food, and the presence of large leading companies in open innovation such as Campofrío, Mondelez, Ebro, Mahou San Miguel, IFA Group, Coca Cola, El Corte Inglés, Pascual or Cerealto Siro. These companies promote the development of advanced technologies, sustainability and new business models, relying on startups and innovative projects with corporate hubs such as Pascual Innoventures and Barlab de Mahou.
In addition, Madrid promotes public-private collaborative projects, through numerous institutions. The agri-food sector cluster Madrifood, brings together almost 100 sectoral partners and is undertaking projects for the development and improvement of the sector in the region, such as a pilot project for management and digital traceability with the Denomination of Origin of Aceite de Madrid, a project on packaging with IMIDRA, a project with the aim of promoting the digital internationalization of companies, or a project with Telefónica for the digitalization of the agricultural and livestock world, i.e. with sensors and blockchain.
Concerning associations and platforms, Biovegen is a national technology platform with 185 partners that seeks to improve the competitiveness of the agrifood sector by developing technologies based on Plant Biology. Other relevant plaforms are Food For Life Spain and Proveg.
Talent, Research and Public Action
The Community of Madrid leads the national scene and is one of the main international hubs in terms of research, talent and public actions, due to the large number of innovation and development centres in the sector, together with the capacity to generate talent in its numerous training offerings.
In terms of talent, the region stands out for being a magnet for international professionals, thanks to its culinary culture, a competitive environment and its powerful ecosystem of companies, institutions, organizations and initiatives in the Foodtech industry
The main sectoral Research Institutes are IMDEA Food, high-level research in food, nutrition and health, identifying nutritional strategies of economic and social value, and iMiDRA, dedicated to research and development in the agricultural, food and rural sectors. Students can choose from a variety of academic degrees such as Food and Nutrition Science and Technology, Agricultural Sciences, Food Science Research or General Organic Chemistry. Other relevant research entities in the sector based in Madrid are the Institute of Agricultural Sciences (ICA), the Food Science Research Institute (CSIC-CIAL), Institute of Food Science and Technology and Nutrition (CSIC-ICTAN) and the Institute of General Organic Chemistry (CSIC-IQOC).
Concerning accelerators and hubs for entrepreneurship and innovation, the Madrid Innovation Food Hub of the Madrid City Council promotes innovation and entrepreneurship through acceleration and incubation programs, Kitchen Lab and coworking facilities for startups. Ivoro Ventures is a venture builder specialized in the creation of technology-based companies in collaboration with universities and research centers in the area of agri-foodtech. In this area, La Vega Innova has agrolabs, acceleration programs and innovation challenges. Universities with specialised initiatives are the Autonoma University (UAM) which collaborates with institutions like the EIT Food and the Higher Technical School of Agronomic, Food and Biosystems Engineering of the Technical University of Madrid (UPM).
A consolidated startup ecosystem
Madrid is home to 296 Foodtech startups founded in recent years, 25% of the national total. Only in 2024 these companies have created 300 new jobs, with a total of 3.000 jobs, a growth of 10%.
Alga Energy, Natac, CrowdFarming, ZoomAgri and Ekonoke are some of the prominent Tech Companies in Madrid that have closed significant investment rounds in recent years. Relevant startups in the Dark Kitchens segment are Smart Kitchens properties and Cuyna. Some relevant investors in Foodtech startups are Eatable, Cardumen, Fellowfunders, Swanlaab, La Bolsa Social and The Food Tech Lab.
Foodtech Startups in Madrid
Prominent Foodtech Agents in Madrid
Main Foodtech Events in Madrid
Madrid Fusión International gastronomic congress addressing the future of food from science and technology
Food Design Festival An event that makes Madrid the capital of Food Design, Foodtech and Sustainability, focusing on Food innovation and design
Fruit Attraction The global framework for the marketing of fresh products and the great event for professionals in the world of Fruit and Vegetables
TAPASIONA MADRID An event that brings together the entire food community of Madrid.
Meet Attraction A benchmark international fair for all operators in the meat sector.
InterSICOP Specialized international fair for the entire value chain of the bakery, pastry and coffee sector.
Food Innovate Summit Building a global community that participates in the transformation of the food industry.
Industry Description
The Foodtech industry combines technology and innovation to transform the food value chain, from production to consumption. The market encompasses everything from agriculture and livestock, to the food industry, retail and catering services.
This sector makes use of solutions such as precision agriculture, alternative proteins, sustainability in packaging, traceability through blockchain, automation in industrial processes and digital platforms for distribution and consumption. In addition, it promotes advances in functional and sustainable foods, aligned with global health and environmental trends.
Foodtech is an emerging industry sector exploring how technological advances can be harnessed to improve sustainability and efficiency in the design, production, choice, delivery, and enjoyment of food.
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