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Areas Selects Winning Startups for the Second Edition of ‘Areas for Change Challenge’

Areas for a Change Challenge

Areas have chosen four projects to develop real solutions to sector challenges regarding sustainability.

 

Areas, the international leader in food & beverage and travel retail, headquartered in Barcelona, has selected the 4 winning startups of the second edition of ‘Areas for Change Challenge’, developed in collaboration with Eatable Adventures, one of the world’s leading Foodtech accelerators. This challenge is part of the company’s global ESG strategy, ‘Areas for Change’, which focuses on people, the planet, and the future of travel. Specifically, the company aims to provide sustainable and innovative solutions to reduce its environmental footprint and thus contribute to the fight against climate change and guide the company’s activity towards greater sustainability.

This second edition of ‘Areas for Change Challenge’, launched by Areas in November for the international entrepreneurial community, aims to find concrete and feasible solutions to the company’s challenges for the coming years and those of the Food & Beverage and Travel Retail sector, this time focusing on sustainability.

From the numerous applications received from startups in the United States, Europe, and Asia, Areas, and Eatable Adventures have selected 4 winning projects (one for each of the categories: recycling, water management, returnable packaging, and circularity in uniforms):

 

  • The Utrecht-based startup, Orbisk, is in the ‘recycling’ category, for helping the hospitality industry significantly reduce food waste. Its innovative solution automatically records and recognizes discarded food, detailing the type, quantity, and time of day. Its technology allows teams to immediately engage in waste reduction initiatives without the need for training. Furthermore, information capture and data collection require no manual intervention by the user.
  • Shayp, a Belgian startup, in the ‘water management’ category, for implementing intelligent algorithms to enable its users to address the issue of water scarcity, achieving a 21% reduction in water consumption. Its patented IoT technology is versatile, as it adapts to any type of water meter without requiring complicated installations and guarantees a 10-year battery life.
  • The Paris-based Bibak, in the ‘returnable packaging’ category, for revolutionizing the takeaway food sector and addressing the issue of single-use packaging through an innovative sustainable system that includes food containers, connected kiosks, and a highly efficient operational process. The company implements terminals that facilitate the return process for consumers, providing an automated solution that integrates refunds, cashback, and gamification. Through this comprehensive system, customers enjoy detailed inventory tracking, precise return rate measurements, refund flow control, as well as quantification of environmental impact and generation of real-time personalized reports.
  • Areas have also awarded the Barcelona-based startup ‘Circoolar’ for providing solutions in fashion, textiles, and their applications related to employee uniforms. In this regard, Circoolar specializes in the ethical and sustainable production of work uniforms, as well as in the creation of textile merchandising under the principles of circular economy and social impact.

 

These companies will have the opportunity to work with Areas, access its international network, and develop a pilot program at one of the points of sale. 

The selected startups were received by Areas at an event held at the company’s global headquarters in Barcelona, during which the entrepreneurs were able to explain their proposal in detail, meet, and present their products to the project’s driving team and the Areas global management team.

Video Areas for Change Challenge 2024

 

About Areas

International leader in food and beverage and travel retail. With a presence in 10 countries, the company manages more than 2,000 restaurants and stores in Europe and America.

With a team of 20,000 people and locations in the main transport hubs in the world (airports, train stations, travel plazas on highways), as well as leisure parks, Areas provides service to more than 350 million customers every year.

Founded in 1968 in Barcelona, Areas is committed to offering high-quality services to travelers. Since then, Areas has become a global benchmark operator in the industry, with a deep knowledge of travelers’ needs and the widest range of restaurant concepts in the market.

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A new opportunity for sustainability in the Food Industry: “Mylkcubator: More than Mylk”

 

  • Mylkcubator’s third edition accelerates cutting-edge startups focused on revolutionizing the food industry, spanning Alternative Dairy, Alt. Egg, Coffee, Lipids, Cocoa, Sodium & Sweetener Replacements, and Functional Ingredients.
  • The Mylkcubator ecosystem has generated a total value of over $107M. The selected startups have raised a total of $14.4M in investment since inception, reflecting the success of the program.
  • Pascual Innoventures currently invested $1.6M in four international startups: Novo Dairy, Zero Cow Factory, Ergo BioScience, and Maolac.

 

Madrid, 19 September 2023 – In a constantly changing world with pressing environmental concerns, the food industry is facing numerous challenges. The need to adopt more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices is undeniable. In this context, Pascual Innoventures, the Corporate Venture unit of the leading Spanish manufacturer of dairy products and beverages, Pascual, is proud to announce, in collaboration with the leading Foodtech accelerator Eatable Adventures, the launch of Mylkcubator: More Than Mylk. Mylkcubator is the first global program dedicated to advancing cellular agriculture technologies and fermentation techniques in the alternative food industry. 

After two successful editions of the program, which accelerated the most disruptive startups in the global dairy sector, the company has decided to pursue an ambitious approach for this third edition. This involves expanding the scope of the program to explore new technologies related to Pascual’s strategic business areas and creating a more significant impact within the alternative food industry sector. 

Mylkcubator: More than Mylk not only focuses on disruptive technologies for the generation of biosynthetic dairy products but also explores new technologies with an impact on tangential areas for Pascual such as Alt. Egg, Alt. Coffee, Alt. Lipids, Alt. Cocoa, Sodium & Sweetener Replacements, and Functional Ingredients.

 

A journey of success up to this point, creating a $107 million ecosystem

The program’s first cohort was successfully launched in 2021, followed by the second edition in 2022, which featured the selection of startups Miruku, Maolac, Ergo Bioscience, and PFx Biotech. These selected startups have since emerged as international leaders in their respective segments, attracting interest from investors worldwide and establishing successful collaborations with Pascual Innoventures. Pascual Innoventures has invested $1.6 million in four international startups to develop the milk of the future: Novo Dairy, Zero Cow Factory, Ergo BioScience, and Maolac. All four were participants in the first and second editions of Mylkcubator.

The Mylkcubator startup ecosystem (first and second cohorts) has generated a total value of over $107M. Mylkcubator startups have raised a total of $14.4M in investment since inception, reflecting the success of this incubation programme.

In the words of Gabriel Pascual, Director of Pascual Innoventures “The growth of investment in this sector has already surpassed five billion euros, according to Dealroom data. Additionally, Mylkcubator’s startup ecosystem from the first and second editions has generated a total value of over 100 million euros. The participating startups have raised over 12 million euros in investment since their inception, reflecting the success of this incubation program”

On the other hand, José Luis Cabañero, Founder and CEO of Eatable Adventures, remarked “In 2020, when we first conceived this project, the landscape was vastly different with only a handful of startups operating in this space. Despite limited investment traction, we sensed the growth potential in the alternative dairy ecosystem. This inspired Mylkcubator’s creation, and today, two years later, we’ve witnessed our predictions materialize in a more mature market, with some of the emerging players being startups from our program and a large interest from investors worldwide. We’re thrilled to partner once again with Pascual Innoventures for this new ambitious version, taking the technological revolution in alternative food to the next level.”

The call officially opens today, and interested startups can submit their applications by applying on the program’s website at www.mylkcubator.com

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Eatable Adventures joins forces with the German government to boost agri-food innovation in northwest Cambodia

Eatable Adventures une fuerzas con el Gobierno Alemán para impulsar la innovación del sector agroalimentario en el noroeste de Camboya

The Foodtech accelerator has been selected by the German Agency for International Cooperation to increase agri-food productivity and promote sustainable practices in the region.

 

ICONE, a project of GIZ (the German Agency for International Cooperation), which promotes sustainable and innovative business practices in Cambodia, has selected Eatable Adventures to drive innovation in the agri-food sector in the northwest of the country. This partnership seeks to integrate sustainable practices and develop innovative solutions to increase the agri-food productivity of local businesses, contributing to the country’s economic progress.

Agriculture stands as one of the foremost economic pillars of the country, contributing around 22% to its gross domestic product (GDP) and encompassing 30% of the nation’s total employment. Alas, a mere 10% to 13% of agricultural produce is subject to processing, resulting in the majority of exported items being in their raw form. It is noteworthy that a significant portion of these products undergoes value-added products in Thailand and Vietnam before being exported back to Cambodia (1). Therefore, there is a need for the country to focus on developing its processing and value-addition capabilities in the agricultural sector to improve its economic growth and competitiveness in the global market.

With this partnership, ICONE and Eatable Adventures will launch a two-year program that aims to analyze the current state of the agri-food industry in the northwest region of Cambodia, encourage investment in the sector’s businesses, and identify the best proposals through innovation challenges and incubation programs.
This initiative is crucial to boosting the agri-food industry on a global scale and responding to some of the sector’s most pressing challenges in terms of sustainability, efficiency, and food security. With the world’s population set to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, the need for sustainable and innovative food solutions is more pressing than ever.
“We are excited to partner with Eatable Adventures to promote innovation in the agri-food sector,” said Dr. Stefan Hanselmann, ICONE Program Director. “Our goal is to identify and support the most promising innovations, embed innovative practices in companies, and help drive investment in this strategic sector.”

Eatable Adventures is recognized for its innovative approach applied to the sustainable transition of the global agri-food sector. “We are committed to building the food system of the future by promoting more innovative, sustainable, and efficient business models. This partnership with ICONE is a key milestone for us, as it is fully aligned with our mission to develop and democratize technologies in the agri-food sector, thus contributing to global food security,” said Paula Giser, Director of Corporate Programs at Eatable Adventures. With this same objective in mind, Eatable Adventures has already forged several strategic alliances with governments and international institutions in Colombia, Spain, and Italy.

Over the next two years, the two entities will work together with the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the northwest region of Cambodia to identify and promote the most promising innovations in the agri-food industry, offering a unique growth opportunity for companies seeking to address these pressing challenges and meet the growing demand for food in a responsible and ethical manner.

 

1. Fuente: FAO, 2021 & World Development Indicators 2021 (WDI) by the World Bank

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Eatable Adventures joins the national network of Italian accelerators

The food technology accelerator has been chosen by CDP Venture Capital Sgr, Fondazione Cariverona, and UniCredit to lead the national Agrifoodtech program in Italy

FoodSeed will have an investment of €15 million to support startups during its acceleration program and subsequent growth

The Italian agrifood system represents 25% of the national GDP and has historically been a driving force for the country’s growth and development. Currently, this market faces several pressures that question the resilience, efficiency, and sustainability of the industry compared to other international markets. For the development of Italian companies in this sector, which have always been global symbols of excellence and quality in “Made in Italy” products, there is an urgent need to adopt new business models incorporating sustainability and technology as strategic pillars.

In this context, Eatable Adventures, one of the world’s leading Foodtech accelerators, has been chosen by CDP Venture Capital’s national network of accelerators to lead FoodSeed, the national Agrifoodtech acceleration programme. FoodSeed will join the national network of accelerators of the Italian public venture capital, which already has nearly 20 verticalized programmes, to support the development of the most disruptive agrifood Italian startups.

FoodSeed has received support from promoters and main investor partners CDP Venture Capital, Fondazione Cariverona, UniCredit, and Eatable Adventures, with a funding of more than €15 million (€12 million allocated by CDP Venture Capital, Fondazione Cariverona, and UniCredit, and €3.24 million in additional resources from Eatable Adventures). For three years, the programme will select up to ten startups per year to boost one of Italy’s most important innovation ecosystems, specifically in Sustainable Agriculture, Food and Beverages, and Circular Economy.

Thus, Eatable Adventures begins its commercial activity in Italy, where it has already established offices in the city of Verona, a manufacturing hub in northern Italy, and home to some of the most prominent Italian food companies.

The accelerator has appointed Riccardo Fisogni, Vice President and General Manager of Eatable Adventures Italia, to lead the project. Fisogni is an investment banker, advisor, and business angel with a decade of experience in strategic financial consulting for SMEs and startups. He will promote the company’s 2023 agenda, which includes significant initiatives aimed at renewing the local agrifood ecosystem through the development of new models of collaboration with global ambitions.

“Italy is a strategic market on the global stage, and it is now critical to accelerate the food system transition,” said Riccardo Fisogni, Vice President and General Manager of Eatable Adventures Italy. “The FoodSeed programme will power a new generation of Foodtech startups in Italy, assisting in the global transition of the food system. It is an excellent opportunity for both startups and Italian agrifood companies facing significant economic and environmental challenges. Innovation is the solution to our industry’s major challenges and a key driver of its competitiveness.”

In addition to the FoodSeed program, Eatable Adventures Italy will also promote local ecosystem development initiatives and open innovation projects aimed at fostering the Italian industry’s economic progress and competitiveness, focusing on collaborations among key players in the agrifood value chain, including companies, startups, universities, and R&D centres.

“The Italian food industry is undeniably a strategic market on a global scale, and its emerging ecosystem provides a fantastic opportunity to accelerate the implementation of new technologies in the sector,” says José Luis Cabañero, Founder and CEO of Eatable Adventures. “We are excited to take on this new challenge and build synergies with a market that has very similar characteristics to Spain’s, which will undoubtedly help us structure the European agrifoodtech ecosystem.”

The new FoodSeed programme joins Eatable Adventures’ more than 10 incubation and acceleration programmes for businesses, governments, and projects developed by the accelerator itself. Eatable Adventures connects the most innovative startups with industry, investors, and institutions on four continents to build a solid and competitive agrifoodtech ecosystem on a global scale.

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Eatex Food Innovation Hub launches its second call to promote technology transfer in the agri-food sector.

  • The Hub has opened the application period for Exponential projects to participate in its innovation and technology transfer program.

  • The program promotes and finances collaborative R&D projects to develop innovative technological solutions that can be transferred from R&D centers to the agri-food industry.

Eatex Food Innovation Hub, the collaborative innovation hub for the transfer and implementation of technology in the agri-food industry has opened the deadline for receiving applications for exponential projects for the Innovation and Technology Transfer Development Program. The program is part of the main activities developed by the hub to promote and finance collaborative R&D&I projects for the development of innovative technological solutions that can be transferred from R&D centers to the agri-food industry.
Created a few months ago, Eatex Food Innovation Hub is a project driven by CNTA (National Center for Food Technology and Safety), with the support of the Government of Navarra and the collaboration of more than 10 R&D centers of the Navarra R&D&I System (SINAI), which promotes technology transfer in the agri-food sector to improve business competitiveness and find solutions to the industrial challenges of today and the future. This open and applied innovation ecosystem adopts a holistic approach, based on the implementation of agile and advanced research dynamics and models.
The program is addressed to companies and startups from any geographical location and SINAI R&D centers operating in the agri-food sector seeking collaborative projects based on consortia between companies and R&D centers. The companies are the promoters and are responsible for defining the technological challenge and the R&D centers are the main executors of the research activities.
In addition, the program contemplates two different modalities: Express projects, with fast execution (maximum duration of 6 months projects), and Exponential projects (with R&D&I activities that address complex problems with a variable execution period (from several months up to 2 years)). Pre-application for both modalities is open continuously from December 2022 and upon approval, the application phase will start. For Express projects the call will be open continuously, while for Exponential projects the call will remain open until May 22, 2023.

The projects will address new proposals and solutions in six key research areas for the agri-food industry: Promotion of the Agriculture and Livestock of the Future, Search for New Ingredients and Production Models, Development of New Food and Beverages for a Healthy Diet, and Implementation of the 4.0 Industry and Hyperconnected Processes.
According to Silvia García de la Torre, director of Eatex Food Innovation Hub, “The Program for the development of innovation and technology transfer is a unique opportunity for companies in the agri-food sector to solve their industrial challenges in an agile way, optimizing their resources and minimizing innovation risk.”
More information about Eatex Food Innovation Hub at www.eatexfoodinnovationhub.com

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Eatable Adventures presents the data of its annual report “The State of Open Innovation in the Agrifood Industry”

Big companies are betting on open innovation to lead the transformation of the agrifood industry

  • 78% of the companies consulted already use external sources to innovate, and 100% have invested in innovation in the last two years.
  • According to the study, most innovation efforts are concentrated on the Product area (92%), followed by Technologies (57%), Processes (53%), and Business Models (46%).
  • 78% of companies identify the General Management as the main decision-maker, although the Innovation Departments with 57% and the Business Development and Marketing Departments with 28% in both cases are gaining more weight.
  • 93% of surveyed companies prefer collaborating with technology centers, while 71% prefer co-developing with external entities as open innovation tools.

 

 “Innovate or die” is the motto of almost every company today. Demographic and sustainability challenges, socioeconomic uncertainty and changing consumer trends are some of the key factors that have driven a major technological transformation in the agri-food sector. A transition that has become an opportunity to promote the competitiveness and progress of companies.

Eatable Adventures, one of the world’s leading accelerators, has today presented the data of its first study “The State of Open Innovation”, a report that dives into the need for companies in the food and beverage industry to innovate, as well as the keys to make this innovation as successful as possible.

When it comes to collaborating with external agents to create new products or services or transform existing ones, Mila Valcárcel, Managing Partner of Eatable Adventures, highlighted the change in mentality of companies. “We are in a changing and dynamic environment. Companies need to generate innovation at all levels to improve their competitiveness, but in many cases, they do not have the structure or capacity to do so efficiently internally. Collaborative environments with startups, R&D centers, or universities provide a great advantage, as they allow companies to innovate in a disruptive, agile, and efficient manner, with much more efficient risk management. From Eatable Adventures, we are witnessing how companies are adopting open innovation models more frequently, allowing them to take their productivity and efficiency to another level. The sector is undergoing a transformation process very similar to the one the technology industry went through.” This trend, according to the study, is being established among the Food and Beverage sector leaders in Spain such as Mahou, Pascual, or Europastry, but is also spreading in more emerging markets in the Latin America region, with companies that are leading the transformation of the sector, such as Sigma or Alianza Team.

 

Innovation is a strategic priority for companies

According to the study, 100% of the surveyed companies said they have invested in innovation in the last two years, during the analyzed period (2020- 2022). Positively, this indicates a great deal of maturity in this area, which makes it easier to establish win-win partnerships with external agents. This fact extends to all types of companies in the sector, regardless of their revenue volume and size, as well as their geographical area.

Among the areas of innovation that are prioritized, Products takes the lead (92%), followed by Technologies (57%), Processes (53%), and Business Models (46%).

 

Which department is responsible for the innovation decisions within your company?

78% of the surveyed companies identify General Management as the most responsible party when it comes to decision-making. However, 57% of surveyed companies cite the need for innovation and adaptation as the reason for creating Innovation Departments to handle these decisions. In terms of launching R&D projects, this is highly positive, since it confirms that organizations are changing their cultural mindsets. Finally, the Business Development and Marketing departments also have a very significant weight in establishing these decisions and coordinating innovation flows, making the correlation between innovation and the expansion potential of the companies evident.

 

2022, the year of open innovation

Open innovation is the process by which companies implement innovative opportunities to their existing business models through corporate partnerships with external agents, as well as the acquisition of social capital through investments. As the food sector faces enormous pressures and shoppers demand healthier, more functional, and more sustainably produced products, this sector presents a very favorable environment for the development of these valuable partnerships.

According to the survey, 89% of companies prioritize their internal resources for generating innovation. However, 78% of the surveyed companies state that they turn to external sources to transform their company, making collaboration a key way to generate synergies and new business opportunities.

 

From where does innovation in your company originate?

Respondent companies choose to collaborate with universities and technological centers (93%) first when it comes to choosing open innovation tools that meet their needs and level of innovation.

In these universities, the research is generally carried out in scientific parks equipped with the technology necessary to scale these solutions.  Secondly, 71% of surveyed companies prefer to codevelop with external entities, which sometimes results in acceleration programs, industrial scaling, or venture building, among others entities , which often results in acceleration programs, industrial scaling, or venture building, among other results. Over 50% of companies conduct startup search programs such as showcases, scouting, and challenges to learn more about the ecosystem. With 25%, direct investment in startups comes in fourth place. Companies allocate certain amounts of financial resources to another company in order to capture value.

In these universities, the research is generally carried out in scientific parks equipped with the technology necessary to scale these solutions. Secondly, 71% of surveyed companies prefer to codevelop with external entities, which sometimes results in acceleration programs, industrial scaling, or venture building, among others entities , which often results in acceleration programs, industrial scaling, or venture building, among other results

 

Collaboration with startups and creation of specialized investment vehicles: the areas with the greatest growth projection

Nearly all surveyed companies (93%) state that they plan to invest in innovation in the next 3 upcoming years. When considering which tools would best suit their needs, collaboration with universities and technology centers (78%) emerges again, followed by the desire to conduct pilot tests (75%), as well as co-development with external entities (75%) and boosting the innovation culture within the companies (75%), which once again reinforces the priority of innovation in the growth strategy of the companies. Startup search and incubation tools are also capturing growing interest from companies, with 46% and 42% respectively. A projection that is also supported by the comparison between current and desired tools. In addition, the desire for growth in the tool of specialized investment vehicles is also highlighted.

 

What type of open innovation tools would best suit your company?

Regarding the self-perception of the degree of innovation of the company, the average score of these companies is 7.46 out of 10, still room for improvement, especially considering that companies award a 9.4 to the importance of innovation for the growth of their company.

The companies’ self-perception of innovation scored 7.46 out of 10, still room for improvement, especially since most companies assign a 9.4 rating to innovation’s importance to their growth.

Finally, when talking about the projected investment in innovation during the next year, companies are clear, with over 85% betting on increasing investment in this area.

As the study highlights, it is evident that open innovation is gaining more and more weight as a model for attracting talent, technology, and new business models since it has the power to transform organizations in an agile and efficient way

 

Download the full report here.

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Through the support of Mercamadrid, a new innovation hub has emerged in Spain

La innovación ya tiene sede en Mercamadrid

Spain’s largest platform for the distribution, commercialization, transformation, and logistics of fresh food, launches its first challenge to the entrepreneurial community in collaboration with Eatable Adventures.

Mercamadrid, the largest fresh food distribution, commercialization, processing and logistics platform in Spain, looks forward to the future with a strong commitment to innovation, which will allow companies in this industry to provide innovative and effective solutions to current challenges. Mercamadrid is now the home of innovation, thanks to a new space serving as a base and meeting place for innovative companies.

As part of its efforts to improve the competitiveness and quality of the food sector, or to digitalize the companies in the sector, the Mercamadrid Innovation Hub already works with entities such as the National Center for Food Technology and Safety and Orange. The Innovation Hub is born with the aspiration of becoming a stable collaboration platform for companies, startups, and professionals in search of innovative solutions to the challenges of the food sector, allowing them to improve competitiveness and drive activity. In addition, they have a coworking area where projects, presentations, and collaboration on innovative solutions can be developed.

With this company’s strategic bet on innovation, special importance is placed on the first initiative driven in collaboration with the accelerator Eatable Adventures: Smart Food Future Innovation Challenge. The first call to innovation, launched from the food unit, will allow to offer innovative answers to real challenges, previously posed by Mercamadrid companies in three strategic areas such as logistics, packaging, and upcycling. In this way, Mercamadrid will challenge the international innovation ecosystem to find solutions aimed at optimizing transportation routes in terms of sustainability and cost, as well as identifying traceability systems that allow the tracking of goods. As part of the packaging area, proposals will be selected that improve food preservation and extend its shelf life, taking into account the concept of sustainability. Finally, the challenge also aims to revalue food waste and residuals through their transformation into new products, including reusable containers.

Startups that develop solutions in these areas and want to collaborate with an international leader in fresh food management will find this program a great opportunity.

Start-ups wishing to present their proposals for some of the challenges posed can do so from today at www.smartfoodfuture.com.

This is the beginning of Mercamadrid’s future, coinciding with the commemoration of its 40 years of success, with its sights set on future solutions that will allow it to continue moving towards the forefront of commercial distribution in the world.

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Colombia Foodtech Acceleration Program boosts Latin American foodtech startups in its first cohort

Colombia Foodtech

First edition of Colombia Foodtech Acceleration Program kicks off, organised by Vertical-I, Colombia’s Center of Excellence in Innovation Systems, and Eatable Adventures, a food technology accelerator.

Colombia Foodtech Acceleration Program has started its first edition led by Vertical-I, Centre of Excellence in Innovation Systems in Colombia, in alliance with Eatable Adventures, one of the world’s leading agrifood accelerators. This programme aims to develop and strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the agri-food industry in Colombia, which is known as the “Innovation Hub of Latin America”. As a matter of fact, according to the Organisation for Economic Growth and Development (OECD), Colombia is the third most entrepreneurial country among its 34 members, behind only Chile and Korea, and is one of the few countries in Latin America with two unicorns.

Furthermore, the agri-food sector is a strategic vertical for Colombia, since this industry, led by the food and beverage area, is one of the main manufacturing sectors in Colombia and in the Department of Atlántico, accounting for 29.3% of the country’s gross production (EAM, 2021). These data reflects the market’s interest in promoting innovation and applying new technologies in the sector, creating a solid and competitive industry and entrepreneurial ecosystem on a global scale.

Mila Valcárcel, Managing Partner and co-founder of Eatable Adventures, has highlighted Colombia’s strategic position on the Latin American map to develop the agri-food industry globally. “Colombia is a strategic market to accelerate the transition of the food system, thanks to the strength of its agri-food industry, at the forefront of innovation. As part of our partnership with Vertical-i, we are launching an incubation and acceleration programme that adds to over 10 programmes that we have already developed for corporations, governments and our own. We believe it will be a great opportunity for startups in the country, and we are confident that this will be the engine of a new generation of Foodtech startups in Latin America that will help us drive the transition of the food system globally”. 

Eatable Adventures is expanding its operations on four continents and creating a global ecosystem of more than 25,000 founders and entrepreneurs in order to consolidate its growth in the international market.

For his part, José Polo, CEO of Vertical-i “This disruptive and pioneering programme in Colombia will have an intensive work plan for 4 months. Upon completion of the first cohort, we intend to make a second version, so as to empower more startups with this Vertical-I initiative, which aims to provide an effective way of connecting entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs who have a broad vision of business, growth, and innovation. Those who are constantly seeking to expand their products and services, as well as those who want to share their expertise or contribute to the growth of the sector, will be able to connect with us effectively”.

As part of the first cohort of this program, 5 startups specializing in developing new products with healthy properties will work in a high-impact program supported by the governmental entity Gobernación del Atlántico, Vertical-I, and the General System of Royalties. The following companies will work in a specialized high-impact program that will help them scale and gain investors and customers: Amande Cocina, Albesa de Colombia, Cron Foods, Mimi Día and Spiga Food.

More information at https://colombiafoodtech.com/

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Areas for Change Challenge, the new opportunity for the food & beverage’s startups ecosystem in travel retail

Areas for Change Challenge

Areas challenges the international entrepreneurial community to find real solutions related to sustainability, gastronomy, and digitalization challenges within the industry of food & beverage and travel retail.

 

Areas, the global leader company that manages restaurants and convenience stores at airports, train stations, and motorway travel plazas and which operates in 10 countries, has launched Areas for Change Challenge, its first Startups Challenge, to identify specific and feasible solutions to respond their business and sectorial challenges within the industry of food & beverage and travel retail, especially in terms of sustainability and consumer experience. 

The company has launched this new initiative in the framework of its ESG strategy ‘Areas for Change’, which focuses on three main pillars: People, Planet and Future. With this program, and in collaboration with Eatable Adventures, one of the leading global Foodtech accelerators, Areas is looking for startups delivering real solutions to the following challenges:

  • People: healthier products for breakfast and grab & go moments on the move
  • Planet: solutions for managing the waste generated in the Areas’ restaurants
  • Future: digital or robotic solutions to improve efficiency

The selected startups will have the opportunity to work with a leading company in the sector and access its international network: a 3-month pilot program in Areas’ locations at a global level; product placement expertise in Areas’ most relevant points of sale; support in go-to-market strategies with Areas professional team, consumer insights analysis by Areas expertise; investment for your project to take off and a potential future agreement to become a supplier.

According to Oscar Vela, CEO at Areas, “Areas promotes this challenge to find solutions that will reinvent the sector of travel retail and will help to promote a greater environmental commitment and experience for the travelers. We look for solutions that respond to the great challenges that we will face in the travel retail industry in the next years”. 

In words of Itziar Ortega, Senior VP of Global Operations at Eatable Adventures “We are very excited to launch this new challenge with a leading innovation company with an international presence such as Areas. The selected startups will have the great opportunity to scale and expand their business by working with a global leader in the travel retail sector, having access to all its know-how, infrastructure and network of points of sale. Thanks to the commitment of partners like Areas, we continue to accelerate the industry’s transition to a much more sustainable and efficient model.”

Those startups that are Interested in taking the market to the next level can register here: https://areasforchange.com/challenge/

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Investment in Spanish foodtech reaches 268 million euros by 2022

  • Investment in Spanish foodtech reaches 268 million euros by 2022, a 9.38% increase since the previous year, not considering investment round reached by Glovo

Eatable Adventures, one of the world’s leading agrifood accelerators, has presented the data from its annual study “The State of Foodtech in Spain 2022”. A report gathering key information on the characterization and investment evolution of the Spanish Foodtech entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Broadly, 2022 has been a positive year for the sector in the country. Despite the macroeconomic context, the Spanish Startups have been supported by investors, companies and governments, which have taken a much more active role in the growth of the Spanish ecosystem.

In 2022, Spain remains in the global top 10 ranking in terms of number of foodtech startups, whose latest census, according to the report, totals 412 startups. As for the key areas of the Foodtech sector, once again this year, 4 major categories were identified, showing a fairly balance among them: Agritech (24%); Food Production and Transformation (34%); Logistics, Distribution and Retail (25%); and Restaurant Tech (16%).

Spanish startups are solvent at a technological level and have a solid level of development. The percentage of startups that decide to patent their solutions or generate utility models is growing: 32,9% of startups have patents, 56,6% have a trademark registration and 29% have a trade secret. There is significant growth in the use of artificial intelligence, with an increase of more than 12 points, compared to last year, as well as in machine learning and IoT, with an increase of 8,5 and 9,6 points, respectively. Regarding the degree of technological development (TRL) of the startups, more than 80% have market-ready solutions and 14% are still at an intermediate stage.

This year, the total investment figure stands at 268 million euros, an increase of 9,38% compared to the previous year, not considering the investment round achieved by Glovo (450 million euros). In addition, the increase in Series A rounds stands out, growing by nearly 20%, 5 points more than in 2021.

The largest investments have been in startups working in foodservice/retail, but the emergence of the protein alternative stands out among investments. The top 5 startups leading this ranking are Cover Manager (€52M), Heura (€20M), Good News (€11M), Nova Meat (€6M) and Cubiq (€6M).

“Spain is consolidating its position as a Foodtech Nation with a flourishing ecosystem and great technological and intellectual solvency, which has attracted the interest of global investors and corporates throughout the year. Proof of this are the investment rounds received by some of the startups of our Spain Foodtech portfolio, such as Cocuus, Innomy or Moa Foodtech.”, commented José Luis Cabañero, CEO and founder at Eatable Adventures.

New Call for Projects for Spain Foodtech, the national Foodtech acceleration program

Also, Eatable Adventures announced the opening of the new caLl for projects for the acceleration program Spain Foodtech Startups’ Program. This is a national program led by Eatable Adventures, in collaboration with ICEX Spain Export and Investment and CNTA (National Center for Food Technology and Safety) and supported by multiple agents of the food ecosystem.

This year, the program incorporates as partners the largest companies in the food industry that are driving open innovation in the agri-food sector: Mahou San Miguel, leading brewing company, Alianza Team, a Colombian-based corporate group, expert in lipids and fats and leader in the food sector, Pascual Innoventures, Pascual’s Corporate Venturing arm, and Sigma, leading multinational food company.

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