In 2022, inoqo joined the EIT Community New European Bauhaus Accelerator (precursor of Catalyse NEB) just after a major pivot: from a consumer-facing app to a B2B SaaS platform empowering food retailers to decarbonize their supply chains. We checked in with Helene Saurais, Co-Founder & CMO, to hear how the program helped shape their journey, what milestones they’ve hit since, and what’s next as they drive the food industry toward greater climate transparency.
What inspired you to join the NEB Accelerator, and what challenge were you tackling?
“We joined the NEB Accelerator program in 2022, right after pivoting from a consumer-focused app to a B2B SaaS solution. Initially, we developed an app that allowed consumers to calculate the CO₂ impact of their grocery shopping. However, we quickly realized that to drive large-scale impact, we needed to empower food retailers who have far greater influence over supply chains and product sourcing.”
“By shifting our focus to helping retailers decarbonize, we saw an opportunity to create meaningful change at scale, and the NEB Accelerator provided the perfect environment to refine and accelerate this vision.”
What’s the biggest milestone your startup has achieved since the program?
“Since joining the NEB Accelerator in 2022, inoqo has become a leading sustainability intelligence platform tailored specifically for food retailers. Our powerful assessment engine has gained significant traction among major European grocery retailers, helping them measure and optimize the CO₂ impact of their products.”
“A key milestone was enabling the first European grocery retailer to transparently communicate the Product Carbon Footprint of their products directly to consumers, setting a new industry standard for sustainability transparency.”
How did the NEB Accelerator contribute to your success?
“The partnership with EIT Food and NEB Accelerator have been instrumental in increasing our visibility within the food industry. Through their events and network, we’ve had the opportunity to connect with key stakeholders, including investors, industry experts, and major food retailers.”
“These connections not only opened doors for potential collaborations but also gave us deeper insights into the specific decarbonization challenges that retailers face. The support and exposure provided by the NEB Accelerator have played a crucial role in shaping our strategy and accelerating our growth.”
What impact has your startup made on the market or society?
“We have already assessed a vast number of food and beverage products for major European retailers, providing them with granular, product-specific CO₂ impact data. This detailed assessment is a critical first step in any effective decarbonization strategy. Beyond measurement, we are now seeing retailers take meaningful action: identifying supply chain hotspots, reducing emissions, and even engaging consumers in more sustainable choices.”
“Our work is not only helping retailers lower their environmental footprint but also driving a broader industry shift toward greater transparency and sustainability in food production and consumption.”
What exciting things are coming next?
“There’s a lot ahead for inoqo! As a co-initiator of the European Sustainable Food Coalition, we’re actively working with our partners & members to advance a standardized methodology for PCF in Europe, an essential step for industry-wide standardization. On the tech side, our team is continuously enhancing the usability of our platform and developing new features to provide even greater value to our clients.”
“We are committed to making sustainability intelligence more actionable, helping food retailers not only measure their impact but also take meaningful steps toward decarbonization.”
