We have celebrated the first birthday of our acceleration program! In one year, we are very proud of our accomplishments: two cohorts of startups accelerated, a rebranding and a new step in our international development… And now, the applications for our third cohort underway. But we are most proud of the great steps taken by our startups. So where are they now, one year down the road? Full speed ahead…
All grown up
I often catch up with the start-ups of our first cohort (as a reminder, here is the list): events, contests and of course feedback during the workshops of our current acceleration program.
And we are all very proud of their accomplishments. Your startups have gained a lot in maturity and vision. All are in an active phase of market launch and are already accumulating a number of successes.
Aveine, the innovator of the first connected wine aerator, has moved to new premises, has recruited new team members and raised 200K€ in investment this summer. Boostherm, the innovative heat-recycling system for cold storage, has new contracts with food businesses, and has reviewed their communication and sales strategy. Cellier Domesticus, the smart wine cellar, has signed a large sales contract and is developing internationally by becoming an official member of WineTech Quebec.
FoodMeUp, a smart management tool for recipes and supply chain, is in contact with a number of big clients and as signed development contracts (food service, retail, cookery schools…) an will be launching a fundraising venture at the beginning of 2018. Kuantom, the inventor of Orkestra, the automated cocktail machine, has reviewed its business model, finalized its prototype in collaboration with the group Moët Hennessy, has been at centre stage in parge events (the French Open, Futur en Seine, Vivatech), and has raised a total of 1 million euros in investment since the end of their acceleration. And finally, Tassiopée, the edible coffee cup, has been to New York as one of the FoodTechLab startups selected by Business France.
Industry prizes galore
But that’s not all. Our former protégés have also been making a name for themselves, pitching successfully, and finding opportunities for greater visibility, in France and abroad.
For example :
- Inalve, who develops and markets natural, healthy, sustainable and protein-rich ingredients for animal feed made from microalgae, is one of the three winners (from more than 100 applicants) of the Agri Challenge contest organised by McDonalds this autumn. Additionally, less than a year after their incorporation, this startup was selected for a phase II “acceleration” of the world innovation contest. They are in the game to receive a package of 1.4 million euros with which they could set up their pilot production facility.
- Aveine has won a CES Innovation Award for its wine aerator, in advance of the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2018.
- Tassiopée won the "Pepite" award for the Paris region, also supported by the French ministry of higher education and research.
- Boostherm won this autumn the international prize for a low carbon initiative awarded by the RAC Cooling Industry
Food Nexus Challenge: they are representing France
Finally, in December, Europe’s FoodTech community will be watching Kuantom and Aveine. These two startups will be representing France during the final of the Food Nexus Startup Challenge in Wageningen (the Netherlands) next week.
Nicolas Naigeon (Aveine) explains the importance of this event: “Being one of the two French companies selected for the European FoodNexus Challenge is a huge opportunity for our company and our brand. In a context where investments are limited and the competition is fierce, getting recognition from a jury of professionals could make all the difference.”
An opinion seconded by Alexis Kaplan (Kuantom): “This is a fantastic chance for us to present our solution to key professional personalities and other startups of the FoodTech community. We will be taking the opportunity to première the latest version of our prototype, co-designed with the Moët Hennessy group. This Europe-wide contest is a huge boost at our stage of development, between pilot testing and the full launch of our product’s industrialisation. We hope to gain in visibility and recognition.”
Cohort #2 on the way
Beyond the success stories of the 1st cohort, our second intake is just finishing its acceleration phase but is already gaining recognition. In November, Les Fruits de Terre, makers of insect-based burgers, won the pitch contest organised by the Mousquétaires supermarket chain during the Food Use Tech event in Dijon. We can’t wait to see what comes next!
While we’re waiting, don’t miss the chance to join the third cohort of ToasterLAB. Applications close on December 20th, 2017. You can find out more about applying here.
By Claire M.
ToasterLAB's Startup manager, Claire is an adept of the world of entrepreneurs, having spent the last 4 years within an incubator and innovation centre. Her mission is to provide daily support and coordination to ToasterLAB's startups, to lend them both practical support and a direct line to the necessary contacts and expertise to get their businesses off the ground. Contact Claire at claire.maugras@vitagora.com