Agri-Food start-ups and SMEs, ToasterLAB has launched a call for applications for its next intake (apply by August 26th). No time to waste, apply now at https://toasterlab.vitagora.com/apply!

Even during your summer vacation, keep a finger on the FoodTech pulse with our web news bulletin. The development of intrapreneurship, advances in solutions to the food waste crisis, tomorrow’s food innovations… Find out more below.

Corporations seek to increase their agility

While partnerships between start-ups and multinationals are multiplying, the latter are intensifying their initiatives to encourage their employees to take the first steps as intrapreneurs. What’s in it for the corporations? How do they go about motivating their workers ? 

• [Report] Partnerships between start-ups and corporations gaining in maturity (in French)
• 3 ways to turn your employees into intrapreneurs
• A Road Map To Success As An 'Intrapreneur'
• Navigating the start-up ecosystem: Platform opens agri-tech to VCs, accelerators and incubators
• Mondelez' SnackFutures uses startup strategies to test new products

What progress on reducing food waste?

The FoodTech sector is rolling out new initiatives to tackle food waste. One app is encouraging donations between private citizens while another is helping consumers to use their leftovers, and yet another is offering a range of chocolates made from industrial by-products. In parallel, a retailer is specialising in supermarket surplus stock…

• Chef takes on ‘unsustainable’ milk chocolate sector with upcycled ingredients
• Chef Launches Ends+Stems to Help Consumers Plan Their Meals and Waste Less Food
• Upcycling: A Big Food problem with a startup solution?
• Feed yourself with surplus: another angle on second hand food (in French)
• The  start-up Geev launches a service of food donations between individuals (in French)

What will be on our plates tomorrow?

To rise to the multiple challenges (economic, demographic, environmental etc.) facing the food industry, start-ups are teeming with ideas. Microalgae protein, sports snacks based in insects, fermented street food… What will be on our plates tomorrow? Or on the supermarket shelves?

• Microalgae for functional food: Life3 Biotech-Temasek Polytechnic partnership to maximise yields and boost food security
• Fermentation start-up reinvents street food for UK market
• Alim’Ento launches high-protein insect snacks for sports market (in French)
• Cargill, InnovaFeed tie-up deemed boost for insect protein sector
• With its beetle farm, Ynsect reveals its ambitions (in French)

Go deeper

ToasterLAB, the 100% Agri-Food acceleration program powerd by Vitagora has opened its latest call for applications. Get the right acceleration support to launch your business in Europe – mentors, experts, business connections and much more. Apply here by August 26th: https://toasterlab.vitagora.com/apply 

By Claire VO.

ToasterLAB Program Manager, Claire "VO" is in charge of our start-ups' acceleration and post-acceleration, as well as intrapreneurship. After 12 years with Vitagora, Claire's unparalleled knowledge of our network is put to good use while integrating our startups into the food business ecosystem!  E-mail her at: claire.vanoverstraeten@vitagora.com