The work started as Nano4Fresh, a research project at Instituto Superior Técnico looking at how to strip ethylene out of the air in post-harvest storage. The question underneath it was a practical one: the fruit sector already knows ethylene is what drives losses in cold rooms and containers, and the existing answers are either chemical, or require capital intensive infrastructure.
Two of us worked on the hands-on side — designing, assembling and testing the device through the project. Seeing it work at pilot scale changed our view. We are confident about our results and the positive impact it can generate in the market.
Ripenew was founded to take it out of the laboratory. Along the way the project won Lab2Market Técnico in 2024, took third place at the Santander X Portugal Awards in 2025, and was selected for the INNOV-ID programme by Portugal Ventures, which brought in €150,000 to fund early development and the route to market.
The device now removes more than 90% of the ethylene in a chamber under real storage conditions. What we are doing next is straightforward: putting it into working cold rooms and refrigerated transport, alongside operators willing to run it against their own numbers.
The founding team
Six co-founders.
Ripenew is driven by a diverse, collaborative team: senior professors and young researchers working side by side.
We combine decades of scientific expertise in heterogeneous catalysis and adsorption with fresh ideas, curiosity and hands-on innovation.
Built on strong scientific foundations, Ripenew is more than a technology — it is a shared vision to reshape Agritech and Foodtech through sustainable impact.
Dr. Ricardo Ferreira
Researcher on the device through Nano4Fresh. Leads the company, stakeholder outreach and fundraising.
Dr. Laura Esteves
Financial planning, funding programmes and the commercial model behind the pilots.
Lívia Valle
Market development with growers, distributors and retail cold-chain operators.
Prof. Filipa Ribeiro
Co-author of the research behind the capture material and its behaviour in storage air.
Prof. João Silva
Co-author of the research behind the device and its operating cycle.
Prof. Isabel João
Co-author of the research behind the device and its route from pilot to production.
Recognition
Where the company stands.
ethylene removal, measured at pilot scale under real storage conditions.
secured through the INNOV-ID programme, Portugal Ventures.
place, Lab2Market Técnico 2024.
place, Santander X Portugal Awards 2025.
Get in touch
We are looking for storage to test in.
If you run a cold room, a fleet or a packing operation and losses after harvest are costing you, we would like to hear what you are working with.