A new accelerator has been launched by an industry-academia partnership to help food start-ups speed up their growth and reach the international market.
The accelerator has been launched by state-owned non-profit VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland in partnership with the University of Helsinki and Finnish dairy company, Valio.
Part of European network of six accelerators, EIT FAN, which aim to promote a sustainable food system, the accelerator seeks to bring food production start-ups and veterans together as early as possible.
“In the new accelerator led by VTT, start-up teams will be mentored and coached by experienced professionals from food research, production and marketing. At the same time, these experts can familiarise themselves with the world of start-ups,” said Mirva Lampinen, CTT’s co-Creation Manager.
“We expect the accelerator to consolidate the network of food industry companies and contribute to the success of Finnish companies on the international market. At best, the accelerator will also attract foreign start-ups and investments to Finland.”
Cooperation between three partners ensures that the new accelerator will cover all areas of a sustainable food system.
Start-up teams can take advantage of VTT’s in-depth expertise in, for example, plant proteins or fibre, but equally in the management of the entire food system or related services.
The University of Helsinki supplements the repertoire with, among other things, agricultural and nutrition research and Valio with knowledge of food product commercialisation and dairy product knowhow.
