Founder Institute Food Ecosystems Accelerator Launches Global Virtual 2022 Program to Help Pre-Seed FoodTech & AgTech Entrepreneurs Build Impactful, Global Companies
In early 2022, food prices around the world began to rise sharply as commodities markets reacted to the new conflict in the heart of Europe's 'bread basket' producing region. An increasingly wealthy world is ever-hungrier for more expensive diets and foodstuffs, and there is a dire need to halt agricultural deforestation in order to mitigate effects of climate change—though sometimes overlooked, food and agriculture are perhaps the world's most critical broad economic sector(s) in building a more sustainable future. Whether we choose to pay attention or not, the innovation landscape in currently emerging food and agricultural technologies is already rapidly reshaping the globe: and, it is food- and agri-tech founders who are the leaders at the forefront, driving these changemaking efforts.
That is why we are excited to announce we have teamed up with leading industry partners to launch the next global Founder Institute Food Ecosystems Virtual 2022 accelerator program!
Founder Institute is the world’s most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses. Partners for the Food Ecosystems Virtual 2022 accelerator include Thought For Food, Crowdfoods, FoodHack, Arpegio Ventures, Viikki Food Design Factory and more.
The goal of the program is to help launch more than 20 promising food and agricultural technology companies in 2022, and help further establish Founder Institute as a global startup ecosystem leader for early-stage food- and agri-tech founders.
Previous Founder Institute Alumni in the food and agricultural technology space include TotalCtrl, Oddbox, Rebels 0.0%, Zowasel, Resistomap and GrowForMe, to name just a few.
Applications to the Food Ecosystems 2022 Founder Institute are now open, and anyone building a food or agricultural tech company can apply at FI.co/apply/food.
To celebrate, the Founder Institute will host several free online food and agritech events in the coming weeks, where you can learn from top industry entrepreneurs and investors:
- Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
The experts that have been critical in launching the Food Ecosystems Virtual 2022 Founder Institute include program leaders Janne Saarikko, Daniel Boehi, Ingeborg Gasser-Kriss, and Tasha Tolmacheva.
Opportunities are flourishing today in food tech. There's an increasingly connected global ecosystem to support even pre-seed stage founders across the industry - and Founder Institute can increase any aspiring technology entrepreneur's chances of success, by providing the necessary founder mindset and key network connections!
In addition, many top industry founders, CEOs, advisors, and investors have signed on to mentor participating entrepreneurs in the Food Ecosystems 2022 Founder Institute program, including:
- Ali Omar: Co-Founder & Board Member, Med Group Oy | Growth-Entrepreneur, Med Group Oy
- Aline De Santa Izabel: Founder, YOGUT ME
- Andrew Ive: Founder / Managing General Partner, Big Idea Ventures
- Ane Nordahl Carlsen: Chief Investment officer , Grafo AS
- Berg Moe: Chairman, EntraHouse Holding AS
- Carlo Rivis: CEO & Founder, Innovation Discovery
- Charlotte Aschim: CEO and Co-Founder, TotalCtrl
- Christine Gould: Founder & CEO, Thought For Food
- Christof Tremp: Founder and CEO, REBELS 0.0%
- Darko Mandich: CEO, MeliBio
- Eero Laaksonen: CEO, Valohai
- Ella Rauen Prestes: Founder and CEO, Fitbakes
- Estefania Simon Sasyk: Regional Development project lead, Basque Culinary Center
- Fabian Geyrhalter: Founder and Principal, Finien
- Fernanda Vanoni Matta: Business Development & Innovation , Tradal Brazil / Pura Vida
- Fernando Goldman: Director of Expansion, Bairro Shop
- Gonzalo Pérez Taiman, Arpegio
- Guillermo Guzmán: GP, Indio VC
- Gunter Pauli: Founder / Director, ZERI
- Hans Joerg Ill: Chief Procurement Officer, Bühler Group
- Hans Kristian Westrum: Founder and CGO, Soil Steam International AS
- Ifat Peled Dinstag: CPA, IPD - Finance Strategy
- Imran Afzal: Research and Development, PepsiCo
- Jan Fülscher: Owner, jan.fuelscher.ch
- Janne Aaltonen: CEO, Moosedog
- Joaquim Macedo De Sousa: Executive Director, Smart Rural HIESE
- Justine Reichman: Founder, NextGenChef
- Katharina Breme: Head Innovation & Technology and Quality, Migros Industries Segment 2 / Groupe ELSA-Mifroma
- Laine Clark: Innovation and Entrepreneurship Manager, Good Food Institute
- Laura Forsman: Viikki Food Design Factory Manager, University of Helsinki
- Lauri Reuter: Founder & Partner, Nordic FoodTech VC
- Leo Groenewegen: CEO and Co-Founder , CellulaREvolution
- Leonie Evans: Attorney al Law , Meisterernst Rechtsanwälte
- Mar Eroles Navarro: Founder, Mandarina Capital
- Mar Serra: Regional Applications and Manufacturing manager Beverages, Nestle
- Marcel Vargaeštok: CEO, Chefparade
- Marie Brueser: Entrepreneurship Leader, Thought For Food
- Marisol Giacomelli: Global Category Leader, Nestle
- Mark Leinemann: Founder & President, Crowdfoods.com - the 1st AgriFood/-Tech Startup Association in DACHLI
- Marko Suksi: CEO, Founder , Poppamies
- Martin Sohr: Strategy Director, Nestle
- Mike Bradshaw: Head Coach, Sampo Accelerator
- Mikko Koskinen: Co-founder, Kyrö Distillery
- Nancy Brito: Partner - Investor, Semeia Ventures
- Nathan Evans: Co-Founder, fulfin - financing ecommerce
- Nicholas Watts: Founder, Chedda Burger
- Nicolas Breitburd: Head of Investment Strategy, Angel Hub
- Paolo Borella: EIT Food Accelerator Helsinki Program Coordination , VTT
- Paolo Mazzatorta: R&D, Nestle
- Petri Lehmuskoski: Co-Founder, Gorilla Ventures Oy
- Piotr Grabowski: Co-founder, foodtech.ac
- Pouria Kay: Founder, Grib
- Ramkumar Nair: Founder & CEO, Mycorena AB
- Reetta Kivela, Chief Science Officer, Nordic Umami - Professor of Practise, University of Helsinki
- Ricardo Monagas: CTO, TotalCtrl
- Richard Brion: CEO, Revolution Agriculture
- Risto Rautakorpi: Co-dounder, Gorilla Ventures Oy
- Russell Cole: Partner, AGXactly
- Rusty Schwartz: CEO, KitchenTown
- Ryan Bethencourt: CEO, Wild Earth
- Saga Forss: Board Member, Co-owner, Soppakeittiö (Soup&More Oy)
- Sam Waterfall: Co-Founder & Marketing Director, PROBLIFE - Pioneering Probiotic Solutions
- Stefan Petersson: Partner, Investor & Company Builder, Xplorico
- Tania Villares Balsa: Investment Director, Cambridge Enterprise
- Thuong Tan: Founder & CEO, Noodelist
- Tugce Ergun: Partner & Chief of Innovation, SAF Nutrition
- Udi Klier: CEO, Nicevend
- Vesa Lindroos: Independent Consultant, Self employed
- William Laratta: Global R&D and Open Innovation Leader, Barry Callebaut
- Windi Muziasari
- Yasemin Sharityar: Head of Impact Platforms, Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley
- And many more to be announced.
The Founder Institute's structured program results speak for themselves: FI Alumni have raised over $1.85BN in funding, and are building impactful businesses across 200+ cities and 100+ countries all across the globe. (see the FI 50 Report here).
Join the next FI Global Food Ecosystems accelerator in 2022.
Apply to the Food Ecosystems 2022 Founder Institute today, or learn more at FI.co/food.
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