2025 has been a year that forces us to pause and reflect.
Spanish Agrifoodtech has demonstrated an admirable ability to hold its ground in a challenging environment, marked by a significant 31.3% drop in investment and by a global ecosystem that has reshuffled its priorities toward technologies with more immediate adoption. However, the resilience we have shown should not be interpreted as a destination, but rather as a starting point.
Spain has talent, science, and a generation of startups building solutions with an increasingly solid technological foundation. In fact, the number of Agrifoodtech startups in Spain grew by 5%, and nearly half of them (48%) integrate Artificial Intelligence into their solutions. Many operate in areas that require time, validation, infrastructure, and active engagement from industry. And yet, they move forward. They grow. They persist. This ability to withstand adverse contexts says a great deal about the health of our ecosystem.
But if we want to secure a relevant position on the international stage, resilience alone is not enough. We need to activate the next level: to turn all this potential into real leadership. This means understanding that the future of Spain’s food system will depend on our ability to mobilize resources, accelerate technology transfer, and create the necessary conditions for innovation to reach the market with impact.
The 2025 report makes it clear: we are at a turning point.
Science is advancing rapidly; Deeptech technologies are gaining traction; artificial intelligence and critical technologies are beginning to integrate into productive processes; and industry—still the central pillar of our food system—needs new tools to improve efficiency, sustainability, and competitiveness.
However, these transformations will only be possible if we succeed in articulating a collective response. We need strategic investment that looks beyond the short term and understands that the food sector operates on long timelines, and that many of the technologies that will transform the next decade are still in early stages. We need infrastructures that allow these technologies to be tested, validated, and scaled in real-world environments. We need an industry that is more open to experimentation, capable of adopting solutions that, while still emerging, can address some of the most complex challenges across its value chain. And we need greater international ambition, because the future of Agrifoodtech will be global—or it will not be.
In short, 2026 must be the year in which we turn clarity into direction, resilience into action, and potential into results. We cannot afford to wait for the system to change on its own. Innovation in food requires intention, vision, and a firm commitment from all actors across the ecosystem.
From Eatable Adventures, we will continue to work to drive this path forward: supporting startups, connecting science and industry, promoting critical technologies, and collaborating with institutions, corporates, and funds that share our goal. We firmly believe that Spain has the capacity to become an international benchmark in food innovation. What is needed now is to take the step.
The full report on The State of Agrifoodtech in Spain 2025 explores these data and the levers needed to activate the sector’s industrial leadership in greater depth.Download the report.
By Mila Valcárcel Pato
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