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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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Exploring the future of agrifoodtech: Eatable Adventures and ESA Space Solutions partner for innovation

As the agrifood tech sector evolves, a new and promising trend is on the horizon – the integration of space technology. Eatable Adventures and ESA Space Solutions have come together in a strategic partnership. This collaboration seeks to explore space technology potential in revolutionizing how we approach food production, supply chains, and waste reduction. Julia Espeso Bischofberger from Eatable Adventures will share insights as a panelist in an upcoming webinar hosted by the European Space Agency (ESA).

 

Webinar “Space for a Wasteless Food Supply Chain”

 

The webinar scheduled for September 13, 2023, at 10:00 BST / 11:00 CEST is set to discuss satellite downstream services for agriculture. Distinguished guest speakers include Giulia Tieran, Marco Moschella from IBM, and Julia Espeso Bischofberger from Eatable Adventures. The webinar will introduce a novel funding opportunity designed to empower European teams to create space-enabled solutions that contribute to reducing waste in the food supply chain.

 

ESA Space Solutions will offer “Kick-Starts,” a 6-month project initiative funded at 75% by ESA, with each contract potentially amounting to €60,000. This funding mechanism aims to jumpstart innovative projects integrating space technology into the food industry, facilitating a more efficient and sustainable food supply chain.

 

As industries continue to converge and explore novel applications for cutting-edge technology, the partnership between Eatable Adventures and ESA Space Solutions highlights the potential of merging space technology with the agrifoodtech sector. This collaboration exemplifies the role of innovation in addressing complex challenges and underscores the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to drive positive change.

 

For those interested in participating in the webinar registration is available at this link.

 

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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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Italy’s Agri Food-tech sector gets a boost with the launch of the Verona Agri Food Innovation Hub

Verona-Agrifood-Innovation-hub

The Hub will integrate the activity of FoodSeed, the accelerator Foodtech programme of CDP Venture Capital Sgr’s national network, recently launched in partnership with Eatable Adventures.

 

“Stimulate a culture of innovation in the agri-food sector and establish a strong, sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem” is the purpose of the Verona Agrifood Innovation Hub, whose memorandum of understanding was presented and signed on Saturday, March 18th at Veronafiere Congress Centre. This groundbreaking initiative is poised to become the strategic hub for the development of agrifood in Italy, serving as a critical meeting point for entrepreneurs, experts, and researchers to exchange ideas and collaborate on the latest advances in the industry.

At the heart of the Verona Agrifood Innovation Hub is a commitment to promote and disseminate knowledge of the most advanced solutions in the agri-food sector. With a focus on creating strategic connections between all industry players, the Hub is dedicated to relaunching sustainable growth in the sector while upholding ethical principles and enhancing the excellence of the Italian supply chain. This is essential in light of the unprecedented challenges posed by the current international context and the climate crisis.

“Today’s achievement represents a significant milestone for the Verona ecosystem, the development of venture capital, and for its role as an enabler in the technological innovation of production chains,” commented Economy and Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti in the message sent to the event – “Start-ups are key drivers for transformation and modernization processes within mature economies like Italy’s”.

The initiative is supported by a broad partnership of public and private players – Fondazione Cariverona, UniCredit, the Municipality of Verona, Veronafiere, Confindustria Verona, the University of Verona, Cattolica Assicurazioni and Eatable Adventures (which will operationally manage the structure) – and strategically complements the activities of FoodSeed, the start-up accelerator of the National Accelerators Network CDP Venture Capital Sgr financed with over 15 million euros, promoting the growth of young companies specializing in high-potential markets.

The Verona Agrifood Innovation Hub aims to foster entrepreneurship in the agri-food sector, creating high-quality employment opportunities and driving sustainable, long-term growth. The development catalyzed by this new structure is expected to have positive effects on the entire system, both locally and nationally, and will contribute to enhancing the competitiveness of the Italian industry.

According to Minister Giorgetti, “the strength of the agro-food sector is a source of pride, but it is important to always look for ways to take a step forward, and this is where the propulsive effect of new companies and innovations can add value: Verona, one of the leading industrial areas in Europe, can serve as a model to be emulated, thanks to an ecosystem that is poised to embrace the opportunities that are being built”. 

To achieve its objectives, the Verona Agrifood Innovation Hub will pursue four lines of action. Firstly, it will establish an ecosystem that brings together and collaborates with enterprises, SMEs, research centers, universities, and citizens with shared food-related interests. Secondly, it will publish periodic reports containing relevant information on the agrifood market to stimulate the emergence of new startups and encourage technology adoption. Thirdly, networking events and collaborative activities involving all stakeholders will be organized to find original solutions to major challenges facing the sector. Lastly, educational projects will be launched to foster tech entrepreneurship, especially among the younger generation. The hub will offer a wide range of activities, all of which will be accessible to startups free of charge.

The latest figures confirm that Italy is poised to take the lead in technological innovation in the agri-food sector, not just locally but also globally. According to the Smart AgriFood Observatory, the Crop 4.0 market was worth approximately EUR 2.1 billion in 2022, representing a remarkable growth of 31% over the previous year. Investments that aim to accelerate the technological transition are also substantial: according to the Venture Capital Monitor of the Liuc Business School, deals closed by venture capital funds in the in agrifoodtech approached 270 million euros over the two-year period of 2020-2021, while last year, the sector ranked among the top in terms of the amount of resources invested.

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Webinar: Foodtech in Spain- Addressing new challenges across the food value chain

WEBINAR

28/03/2023. Online 

Free entry, registration required. 

4PM  CET

ICEX Spain Trade & Investment has recently launched its third report on the Foodtech sector in Spain. As a result, a webinar on “Foodtech in Spain: Addressing new challenges across the food value chain” will take place, featuring prominent stakeholders, from investors, and innovation hubs, to corporations and startups, of the Spanish foodtech ecosystem who were highlighted in the report and are currently developing initiatives to support innovative solutions to various challenges. The webinar aims to give visibility to the Spanish Foodtech ecosystem and showcase its potential to become a leading Foodtech Nation.

WHY PARTICIPATE

 

The Foodtech industry in Spain is experiencing a significant transformation towards more sustainable and efficient projects, aided by public and private support at regional and national levels. These developments have helped Spain maintain its strength in Foodtech investment, even in the face of the industry’s most significant investment drop.

Despite the challenges, the Foodtech sector in Spain saw a rise of up to €268M in 2022, representing a 9.38% increase since the previous year, excluding the Glovo effect, as revealed in our latest report “Addressing new challenges across the food value chain”. 

In addition to successfully securing significant investment operations with both national and international players, the Foodtech industry has witnessed a substantial growth in the number of operators within its ecosystem. This includes a notable increase from 407 to 412 startups in the past year, alongside over 30,000 companies engaged in food transformation. Furthermore, the industry benefits from the involvement of more than 50 specialized universities and 20 advanced technology centers.

Join us as we explore the intricacies of the Spanish foodtech industry’s future through the perspectives of investors (Clave Capital), corporations (Mahou San Miguel), startups (Oscillum), and technology centers (Eatex Food Innovation Hub). Discover success stories, compelling projects, and programs that are facilitating collaboration between the industry and technology centers.

If you’re interested in delving deeper into the current state and challenges of the country’s food sector, download the report here.

AGENDA

Where Via online
When 28-03-2023 – 16.00 – Foodtech in Spain: Addressing new challenges across the food value
Registration Registration is completely free. Register yourself in the following link:

 https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ncDuDO8lT9uSEg8fBzmQfA

SPEAKERS

 

Maria Naranjo, the Agrifood Industry Director of ICEX, will be introducing the following speakers:

 

Eatex Food Innovation Hub:  Eatex is the collaborative innovation hub for technology transfer and implementation in the agri-food industry, promoting and financing 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.

 

Clave Capital: Clave Capital is a venture capital management company with 20 years of experience, during which time they have made more than 90 investments, and actively collaborate in the definition of strategy and management of investee companies. 

They promote technology transfer projects, industrial SMEs and renewable energy projects. They are currently launching a new €80M investment fund for technology transfer projects in the health sector.

  • Carlos Jacoste – Entrepreneurship, Venturing and New Technologies Manager – Mahou San Miguel

Mahou San Miguel: Mahou San Miguel is the leading Spanish company in the beer sector in our country and the most international, with a presence in more than 70 countries. The company is a family of more than 3,876 professionals who, with their enthusiasm and commitment, strive every day to make our brands part of the best moments of our consumers. Mahou San Miguel drives innovation, they believe in people, seek excellence, enjoy doing things well and create sustainable businesses and environments.

  • Luis Chimeno Morales, Co founder & CMO – Oscillum 

Oscillum: Oscillum is a biotech company that develops sensors for the agri-food industry. Founded in Alicante (2019), Oscillum has developed SmartLabel a smart label that is placed in contact with food and is able to alert about the state of spoilage/freshness of that product by a simple color change.

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FONDO EUROPEO DE DESARROLLO REGIONAL (FEDER).                                      A way of making Europe
This service/activity is eligible for co-financing from Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER)
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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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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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