The third installment of the Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator has announced the 11 companies that will form its first all-digital class of startups. Instead of bringing those companies to the Twin Cities, as in previous years, entrepreneurs will take part in the 13-week program virtually.
The accelerator is run by Techstars and has backing from Ecolab Inc. and Cargill Inc. Farm to Fork companies receive mentorship from the two food industry giants, as well as access to a group of over 100 mentors. The startups also receive seed funding.
"The food system has changed more in the last six months than it has over the entire five years I have been investing in the space. The demands of the pandemic have shed light on the tremendous opportunity that exists in the food system for entrepreneurs, and we are excited about the opportunities in front of this year's class," Brett Brohl, the accelerator's managing director, said in a statement.
Brohl is also a managing partner at Minneapolis-based Bread and Butter Ventures, a new capital firm with a focus on food and agriculture tech.
In past accelerators, Farm to Fork companies have inked deals with Ecolab and Cargill, and some have moved their headquarters to Minnesota.
"The Techstars program brings to life many of Ecolab's key values, among them innovation to solve our world's challenges," John Guttery, Ecolab's senior vice president of enterprise initiatives, said in a statement.
Another Techstars accelerator, the UnitedHealthcare Accelerator Powered by Techstars, announced its fall cohort earlier this month. Those companies will meet in person.
The Farm to Fork Accelerator starts on Tuesday and will end with a virtual pitch day on Dec. 3.
These are the 2020 Farm to Fork Accelerator companies:
- Irvine, Calif.-based AgTools is an intelligence platform that helps farmers plan their harvest and communicate with food retailers to maximize their crop and reduce waste.
- St. Louis-based Applied Particle Technology uses sensors to monitor the environmental health and safety at mining and metals manufacturing operations.
- Freemont, Calif.-based Boson Motors builds electric light-utility vehicles for farmers.
- Rochester, Minn.-based Canomiks uses genomics and bioinformatics to test ingredients in food and dietary supplements.
- Madison, Wis.-based FeedX is an online animal feed marketplace.
- Boston-based H2OkInnovations creates sensors for businesses and communities to monitor water quality.
- Dublin-based Iamus uses artificial intelligence and robotics to help poultry farmers monitor their animals.
- Ixon uses a new sous-vide packaging technology to store food products without freezing them for up to two years.
- Halifax, Nova Scotia-based Milk Moovement is a software platform for dairy supply chain management.
- London-based Satis.AI uses AI to analyze the efficiency of restaurant kitchens.
- West Bengal, India-based Toolsvilla is a digital marketplace for tools and machinery.
