I’m thrilled to announce the launch of the Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator. It’s our first program focused on the tech/digital side of food and agriculture. As the name implies, we’re looking for the best entrepreneurs across the entire food value chain, from AgTech, manufacturing and supply chains, to food safety, waste reduction and traceability. We will be based in the Twin Cities and are partnering with Cargill and Ecolab for this program.
Personally, I have been an entrepreneur and investor for most of my career. I’ve bootstrapped, raised venture capital, taken three companies to exit and have had at least one fail along the way. Entrepreneurship is my passion. I can’t think of a better platform to help fellow entrepreneurs succeed than as the Managing Director of the Farm to Fork Accelerator combining the Techstars worldwide network with these two powerhouse organizations in food and agriculture.
Our new mentorship-driven accelerator program will be located in the center of the food and ag tech world, The Twin Cities. The program will run in Q3 2018; applications will be open on January 8, 2018.
Opportunity for Disruption
The food value chain continues to grow as an area of focus for entrepreneurs and tech investors. Why? Because the time is right for disruption! Globally, food spoilage is rampant; food safety is a growing concern, yet we don’t have the solutions to create more land or enough fresh water needed to feed the growing population. Now is the time to change the way things get done. Great entrepreneurs tackle big problems and the Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator is thinking huge.
The Perfect Vertical for the Techstars Process
While there is growing interest in using technology to disrupt the space, food and ag entrepreneurs lack the attention and resources that benefit other verticals. But big players are now ready to move. Cargill and Ecolab are working with Techstars to see the global challenges and possible solutions through the eyes of entrepreneurs. They want to work closely with these innovators and help develop technologies that take advantage of opportunities and solve big problems.
Entrepreneurs shouldn’t go it alone! Both Cargill and Ecolab have broad knowledge and deep industry expertise — we leverage their resources to help entrepreneurs navigate a path from idea to impact? The Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator is the perfect platform to connect these global giants in food processing, food safety and agriculture with innovators who have ideas and technical knowledge.
Everyone wins. Because at Techstars and with our partners, we share a give-first mentality, we’re going to help entrepreneurs do more faster.
A Food and Ag Hub That’s Ready for Innovation
Choosing the Twin Cities location was strategic. Minnesota was built by food and agriculture innovators over 150 years ago along the banks of the Mississippi and it continues to be a thriving, supportive place to build a company. Today we house many of the largest food and ag companies in the world, a renowned land grant university and an ecosystem full of top talent that specializes in this vertical. Our history is food and agriculture and with programs like this food and ag tech will play a big part in the region’s future.
As the managing director of the Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator program, I’m excited to work with Cargill, Ecolab, Techstars and the best entrepreneurs in the world to disrupt food and agriculture.
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