Ekonoke is a knowledge-based startup aiming to ensure sustainable growth of crops with high climate risk, redefining the food value chain. Ekonoke combines the latest scientific knowledge in indoor farming with new technologies (IoT, automation, AI and robotics) to ensure climate-resilient hop farming.
Milestones
Key Data
Founders
Headquarters
Madrid,
Spain
Founded 2018
Partnered 2022
Inés Sagrario
Ana Saez
Javier Ramiro
Antonio Rojas
Partnered with Cosecha de Galicia (part of the Hijos de Rivera Group, brewers of the "Estrella Galicia" beer brand in Spain)
Why we love Ekonoke
Ekonoke is redefining the food value chains by ensuring the sustainable cultivation of climate-vulnerable crops. They combine groundbreaking knowledge in indoor farming with cutting-edge technologies. Ekonoke secured Estrella Galicia, one of Spain's biggest beer producers as one of their early investors and first customer.
Ekonoke's proprietary growing methods and technology can grow hops all year round, with up to four growing cycles per year (4 times higher production per m2 a year). The company ensures complete climate resiliency and reliable production with superior crop quality, optimized aromas and 30% higher ⍺-acid contents. The hops are grown sustainably with a 95% lower water footprint, using only renewable energy.
SDG Alignment
Industry, innovation and infrastructure:
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
Responsible consumption and production:
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Climate action:
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Life on land:
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
The Founders
Inés, Ana, Antonio, and Javi co-founded Ekonoke with the shared dream to redefine the food system by developing knowledge and technology for crops to be grown sustainably and locally.
Inés Sagrario is the CEO of Ekonoke. She is an economist with a broad international experience, having lived in 10 different countries, with Masters degrees from the University of Oxford and Paris IX-Dauphine, and having worked in over 20 in the past two and half decades, carrying out sustainable economic development projects with Competitiveness. Inés specialized in agriculture and food-related projects and has great strategic analysis skills.
Ana is the COO. She is an agricultural engineer with a master’s in organic agriculture from Wageningen University and has been obsessed with sustainability for the past 2 decades. Ana has an extensive international background (Mali, Benin, Togo, Panama, Turkey), where she has worked on rural agricultural development projects. Ana plans designs and sets up Ekonoke’s new operations.
Javier Ramiro is Co-Chief Scientific Officer at Ekonoke. With 20 years of experience in pharmaceutical and analytical research, the best practices acquired in leading R&D labs in Spain and abroad allow him to co-lead the research team at Ekonoke with great vision and rigor.
Antonio Rojas is also the Co-Chief Scientific Officer. Specialized in analytical chemistry and with extensive experience in pharmaceutical and university research centers. Antonio leads Ekonoke’s medium-term research projects using metabolomic analysis for plant development optimization and the breeding program.
