Impact Sips opens new pathways for functional beverage innovation
The first Impact Sips Demo Day celebrated in 2025.
Corporación Hijos de Rivera — the independent European beverage company behind Estrella Galicia and Cabreiroá — has launched the second edition of Impact Sips, an open‑innovation programme created with EIT Food to accelerate the development of science‑backed functional beverage solutions.
The initiative returns after a strong first edition that drew nearly 90 start-up applications from 39 countries, with 73% of entrants already holding scientific validation for their ingredients or technologies. The new round aims to build on that momentum by identifying the next wave of functional ingredients capable of shaping the future of health‑focused drinks.
Impact Sips is designed not as a traditional start-up competition but as a direct collaboration engine, giving selected innovators access to Hijos de Rivera’s teams across open innovation, R&D, marketing and business development. The goal is to turn scouting into real pilot projects and commercial opportunities.
Following last year’s Demo Day, Hijos de Rivera is already progressing toward a pilot collaboration with the winning start-up — a signal of the programme’s intent to convert innovation into market‑ready applications.
Yago Campos, director of R&D&I at Corporación Hijos de Rivera, said: “At Hijos de Rivera, we see functional products as part of a profound shift in consumer expectations. It is no longer enough to choose healthy options or avoid certain ingredients, consumers are looking for products that deliver specific, measurable benefits.”
Belén Moscoso, senior corporate venturing manager Europe at EIT Food, added: “Europe is home to an exceptional ecosystem of start-ups tackling some of today’s most pressing health challenges. Through Impact Sips, we help connect this innovation with a leading beverage company committed to exploring real collaboration opportunities.”
The 2026 edition focuses on three fast‑growing areas of functional innovation:
- Healthy ageing — longevity, skin health and age‑related wellbeing
- Mental wellbeing — mood, focus, stress management and emotional health
- Metabolic health — satiety, digestive health and GLP‑1‑complementary solutions.
All selected solutions must demonstrate evidence‑based functional benefits and clear commercial potential. Innovations may be developed in liquid formats or other beverage‑related consumption formats.
The programme launches at a time when European consumers are increasingly seeking products that go beyond basic nutrition. EIT Food’s Consumer Observatory reports that six in ten Europeans now define health in terms of mental wellbeing, while more than half are open to trying food and drink products that support emotional health. Nearly one in two already incorporate supplements into their daily routines.
Applications for Impact Sips 2026 are open until 10 July 2026, with up to six finalists invited to pitch at the Demo Day in A Coruña, Spain.
