Ripenew, Driving Innovation in Post-Harvest Fruit and Vegetables Preservation!
Members of the CQE have recently co-founded Ripenew, a technology startup dedicated to tackling post-harvest waste in the fruit and vegetable value chain.
Ripenew develops solutions that prolong the shelf life of produce, maintain quality and reduce waste, responding to a key sustainability challenge in the agri-food sector. Its approach centres on a compact, reusable device that removes ethylene – a ripening hormone that accelerates spoilage – under typical storage and transport conditions, helping to preserve freshness without chemicals.
The company was founded by members of the CQE:
- Ricardo Fernandes (CQE) – PhD student, CEO and Co-founder
- Laura Esteves (CQE) – Researcher, CFO and Co-founder
- Lívia Valle Dias (CQE) – PhD student and Co-founder
- Filipa Ribeiro (CQE) – Full Professor and Co-founder
- João Miguel Silva (CQE) – Associate Professor and Co-founder
- Isabel João (CEGIST) – Associate Professor and Co-founder
Ripenew represents a strong example of knowledge transfer and innovation emerging from the CQE, translating scientific expertise into applied solutions with potential impact in food supply chains.
Learn more: www.freshist.org
