TechStars today announced the 2020 class of its Farm-to-Fork program, which selects and supports companies and entrepreneurs working in the food and agricultural industries. The program is in its third year, with 2020 being the first time it goes 100 percent virtual, thanks to the ongoing pandemic.
But if there’s anything akin to a silver lining in the midst of a global health crisis, it may just be the many tech innovations now coming out of the food industry at a faster pace than ever before. “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,” Brett Brohl, Farm-to-Fork’s Managing Director, said in a press release.
The Farm-to-Fork Accelerator looks for early-stage entrepreneurs and companies addressing major issues in the food chain around food safety and security, supply chain management, and ag tech.
The 2020 class includes 11 startups:
- AgTools, Irvine, Calif.: A real-time data intelligence platform for the food and ag industries
- Applied Particle Technology, St. Louis, Mo.: A data platform for automating health and safety in mining
- Boson Motors, Freemont, Calif.: Electric vehicles for farmers
- Canomiks, Rochester, Minn.: A genomics, bioinformatics and AI-based platform for functional food and bev as well as skincare
- FeedX, Madison, Wisc.: An online marketplace for the animal feed industry
- H20kInnovations, Boston, Mass.: A contaminant management system for industrial water
- Iamus, Dublin, Ireland: Uses AI and robotics to help poultry farmers with production safety
- IXON, Hong Kong: Makes advanced sous-vide aseptic packaging that keeps protein stable at room temperature for up to two years
- Milk Moovement, Halifax, Nova Scotia: A cloud-based platform for the dairy industry
- Satis.AI, London, England: Develops AI operating systems for autonomous kitchens in foodservice
- Toolsvilla, West Bengal, India: A digital marketplace for machinery, tools, and equipment in India
All participants to the Farm to Fork accelerator get $20,000 in return for 6 percent equity (on a fully diluted basis, issued as common stock). In addition, they get access to Techstars resources for life, access to mentors and potential investors, and the chance to participate in a demo day at the end of the program.
The 2020 virtual cohort kicks off on September 8.
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