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 founded Ekonoke, united by a dream to reshape the food system with new knowledge and technology for sustainable, local crop growth.
Inés Sagrario, the CEO, brings a wealth of international experience to Ekonoke. An economist with Masters degrees from the University of Oxford and Paris IX-Dauphine, Inés has lived in 10 different countries and worked in over 20, focusing on sustainable economic development in the agriculture and food sectors. Her strategic analysis skills have led to significant advancements in sustainable practices worldwide.
Ana, the COO, champions sustainability at Ekonoke. With a Master’s in Organic Agriculture from Wageningen University, she has devoted two decades to rural agricultural development projects in Mali, Benin, Togo, Panama, and Turkey. Ana's expertise is crucial in planning, designing, and setting up Ekonoke's operations to align with its current vision.
Javier Ramiro, Co-Chief Scientific Officer, brings twenty years of pharmaceutical and analytical research to Ekonoke. His work in Spain’s premier R&D labs equips him to co-lead Ekonoke's research team with precision and foresight.
Antonio Rojas, also Co-Chief Scientific Officer, applies his analytical chemistry expertise and experience in pharmaceutical and academic research centers to Ekonoke’s goals. Antonio leads the medium-term research initiatives in plant development optimization and breeding through metabolomic analysis, to enhance sustainable crop production.
