How Ylenia Ciquera’s team won the Food Solutions EcoBite Delight challenge and used it as a launchpad for LOOOPS
Upcycling byproducts of broken rice using advanced fermentation technology, as a substitute for sugar and sweet additives. Preparing to go to market in 2028
A new generation of Food Innovators
Ylenia Ciquera is part of a new generation of food innovators turning sustainability into business opportunity. After participating in the Food Solutions programme, her team created their start-up LOOOPS. With their product BITELOOP, they are transforming discarded broken rice into a premium ingredient that addresses the growing demand for healthier and more environmentally conscious solutions.
Can you tell us about your academic background?
Ylenia Ciquera: ‘I‘ve studied International Relations at the University of Turin and Sciences Po Toulouse. Currently I am pursuing a Master’s degree in Business Administration at the Copenhagen Business School.’
What inspired you to apply for the Food Solutions programme?
Ylenia Ciquera: ‘During a gap year in Paris after my bachelor degree I was looking for more hands-on experience and moving from an academic and theoretic perspective to the business. I was eager to apply what I had learned in a real-life context. That’s why I applied for the Food Solutions programme in 2024. The University of Turin is associated with the programme, which is how I found out about it.
Fun fact, I’ve always wanted to become a nutritionist as a teenager but then decided that the business side was even more interesting to me. The Food Solutions Challenge was the perfect match to reconcile with my younger self, since it was combining healthy food innovation while asking the participants to build a business model around the innovation.’
Your team won the challenge that year – congratulations!
Ylenia Ciquera: ‘Thanks! Yes, competing against 13 teams, our team, LOOOPS, won first place in the Food Solutions - EcoBite Delight Challenge with our prototype, BITELOOP.
The challenge was to develop an innovative baked product that integrated sustainability, cost-effectiveness and health benefits.’
What happened afterwards? When did you decide to start your own company?
Ylenia Ciquera: ‘I think none of us was thinking of really building a startup during the competition, we didn’t have entrepreneurship in mind.
But while we were working on BITELOOP as a team, we got along so well and enjoyed the process that we couldn’t really end it there. We knew other wins would have been on our way for the team. The positive feedback we received, and the potential of our innovation and team, also motivated us to keep collaborating after the programme ended.’
How has the product evolved since then?
Ylenia Ciquera: ‘For the EcoBite Delight Challenge, we had to develop a final bakery product. The prototype we created was a cookie. However, BITELOOP today is a food ingredient that we used in those cookies as a substitute for sugar and sweet additives. The basic concept was initially developed by our team member Martina during her Master’s thesis. BITELOOP is made from upcycled broken rice using advanced fermentation technology.’
Tell us about the journey of LOOOPS so far - how are things going?
Ylenia Ciquera: ‘We are still a team of 4 people who met during the EcoBite Challenge. LOOOPS is based in Italy and is about to be legally constituted. We collaborate in a very flexible way, as the rest of the team is currently spread in different cities in Italy and myself in Copenhagen. We meet virtually at least once a week, but each of us has some areas of expertise and responsibility so the work never stops. We are growing very much together as individuals too, thanks to our complementarities in terms of personality and competencies.
We are a resident start-up at NOI Techpark in South Tyrol, where we will be using the laboratory facilities to standardise and refine our product starting from 2026’
When are you planning commercial launch and which markets will you target?
Ylenia Ciquera: ‘The plan is to launch BITELOOP on the market in 2028. We are signing the first LOIs with potential first customers and NDAs.
Our plan is to initially focus on the European market. Ultimately, we aim to make BITELOOP a reference ingredient for clean-label and circular food products by 2030.’
What is your vision and mission?
Ylenia Ciquera: ‘We want to play a role in the evolution towards a more sustainable and health-conscious food industry. Our final objective is that every byproduct finds a new purpose.
We envision a future where sustainability and health go hand in hand, creating value for both manufacturers and consumers while protecting our planet’s resources.’
LOOOPS' Impact on Society, Environment & Economy
People How is LOOOPS impacting our society?
‘BITELOOP is a sugar-free, additive-free, low-glycaemic ingredient, perfectly aligned with the rising demand for healthier, clean-label products that are also very tasty. The low glycaemic index helps maintain stable blood sugar levels.’
Planet How is LOOOPS impacting our Environment ?
‘Sustainability is one of our biggest ambitions and is central to our entire concept. We reduce food loss by valorising broken rice - and, in the future, other food byproducts - and upcycling it using fermentation-based technology.’
Profit How is LOOOPS impacting our Economy ?
‘At the moment, we still operate with our original LOOOPS team, but eventually we will need to hire more people. Our objective is to create several other ingredients, which is possible because our technology is versatile. At the moment, we focus on rice, but other types of byproducts could also be used in our innovative process to obtain similar results.’
In what ways did EIT Food support you?
Ylenia Ciquera: ‘The Food Solutions programme validated our idea within a network of industrial contacts.
EIT Food provided us with a structured approach and a great deal of visibility.
The mentoring, guidance and networking opportunities were of incredible value throughout our entrepreneurial journey.
The EIT Food network helped us get a foot in the door of the market.
After the programme, we stayed in contact with most of our mentors, who are always willing to offer guidance and advice. We have also been invited to several meetups to discuss our product and team.’
Would you recommend the Food Solutions Programme to aspiring entrepreneurs?
Ylenia Ciquera: ‘Yes, it is an excellent competition.
The programme connects science, entrepreneurship and sustainability in a very practical way.
As a start-up to be, you really benefit from the mentorship and the network.
My advice would be: always ask for feedback and don’t be discouraged when the road gets bumpy.’