Meet the Food Startups | Impact the Food Chain Accelerator 2019

Impact the Food Chain Accelerator, part of our Food Ecosystem, was a 5-month program for impact entrepreneurs who work on the transition to a more sustainable food system. For the 2019 edition, we selected 12 startups that focus on shorter and fairer value chains, circularity against waste, or sustainable (alternative) food products. We helped the entrepreneurs strengthen their strategies and financial models to get ready for growth, impact, and investment! By the end of the programme, the entrepreneurs developed validated business plans that helped them take their business to the next level. Read on to meet the startups!

We worked with them to strengthen their strategies and financial models. At the end of the program, the entrepreneurs have developed validated business plans to take their startups to the next level. From a data-driven network of virtual restaurants to vegan bites made from surplus farming streams and nut and tofu-based cheese alternatives – these are just a few of the Accelerator participants of 2019. Read on to meet them all!

Willicroft introduces a different take on cheese: nuts and tofu combined to create things that cheese could only dream of. Moreover, Willicroft aims to drill down the production impact of each of their plant-based cheeses, and so, started a research project to cross-compare them to their dairy equivalent on CO2 emissions and water usage.

Meet Jack is a food startup starring young jackfruit, which has a naturally meaty texture due to long fibre strings. Seasoned with the right flavours, the fruit serves as a high-quality meat alternative. Meet Jack’s product line offers ‘bitterballen,’ croquettes, burgers and ready-to-use, seasoned shredded jackfruit.

MOMA Liquid Landscape processes and sells organic dairy products within the Amsterdam region. By connecting local farmers to consumers directly, and by processing the milk in an artisanal fashion, MOMA overcomes the anonymity of the conventional value chain, helping their products retain their richness in flavour as well as in their story.

Local2Local is a cooperative of farmers and entrepreneurs in the Utrecht and Betuwe region that provides cities access to local produce. Local2Local is responsible for IT-infrastructure, logistics, distribution, sales, marketing, and network activation. They believe in networks of trust and shared goals to accelerate the transition to a sustainable food system.

Tea by Me is pioneering in shortening the tea value chain with a retail-ready tea proposition from local plantations. With their own patented tea plant and their specific production protocols, they are tapping into the brand new craft of local tea-making for the EU market.

Burgs Food BV – The Crickery make nutritious, appealing and tasty cricket and grasshopper-based foods. These products provide ‘ecotarians’ with ecologically responsible options that have nutritional values similar to meat, but ecological footprints similar to vegetarian meat alternatives.

Botanic Bites develops innovative plant-based food concepts for and with farmers that produce substantial residual streams. The company is focused on the green protein transition and eliminates food waste by making food from food and building strong partnerships with stakeholders.

Bright Kitchen is a network of data-driven Virtual Kitchens. They encompass multiple brands across multiple platforms with a sharp focus on operations, synergy and scalability. Concentrating on plant-based alternatives, they bring people great-tasting and responsible food options at an incredible scale.

FOODLOGICA is a modular, scalable, zero-emission logistics service that provides last-mile transport solutions for food-related businesses. FOODLOGICA’s electric vehicles are currently delivering for web shops, local food producers, wholesale companies, restaurants, caterers, local food chains and supermarkets in Amsterdam.

Oma’s Soep is driven by two ambitions: decreasing both loneliness among the elderly and food waste. Oma’s Soep brings together elderly people and young volunteers, who jointly prepare nourishing soups using leftover vegetables as much as possible. Oma’s Soep is sold to lunchrooms, companies, caterers and eco-focused supermarket Marqt.

Anu Life has developed a nutrient-dense, plant-based protein concentrate from the Moringa tree that provides an alternative to resource-intensive proteins like animal and soy. The neutral-tasting and water-soluble concentrate is a branded ingredient that is sold to manufacturers of meat alternatives, cereals, infant formulas, beverages and much more.

Sparc Kitchen produces vegan and plant-based food. All their products are wheat or oat-based because these grains are highly nutritious and abundantly available around the world, which results in less environmental impact. The current product range includes three different burgers, Vegan Döner, and Vegan Mince.