Start-up accelerator backed by Cargill and Ecolab

Global food company Cargill and Ecolab have announced their support for the second class of start-ups at the Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator.

The start-up accelerator is designed for food and agriculture entrepreneurs, with a primary focus toward those that are tech-enabled.

It engages both early-stage entrepreneurs, as well as late-stage start-ups, which are focused on advancing key aspects of the food system.

A total of 11 start-up firms from the US, India and Israel have been picked to participate in the second annual business accelerator.

The start-ups selected for the second class primarily focus on areas such food security and safety, ag tech, consumer goods and supply chain management.

The selected start-up companies will receive mentor support from Cargill and Ecolab executives, as well as access to the companies’ market expertise, global connections and investment capital.

Cargill CIO Justin Kershaw said: “Solving the greatest food and sustainability challenges the world faces today requires partnership and fresh, innovative ideas. These are the two key ingredients of the Techstars Farm to Fork program.

“Having the brightest minds in food and ag-tech in Cargill and Ecolab’s backyards provides an amazing opportunity to infuse startup energy into our company, while also helping bring critical solutions to scale. It’s truly a win-win.”

Ecolab marketing vice-president and Techstars program lead Katie Peterson said: “While we’re here to mentor these start-ups, we’re also learning from their approach to problem-solving and are excited to help bring their energy to the Twin Cities startup community.

“Their passion and innovation, combined with the global scale and reach of Ecolab and Cargill, can help solve the challenges of safely feeding the world’s population.”

The participating companies will present their projects at Demo Day on 15 October, during Twin Cities Startup Week.

Additionally, Techstars’ network of entrepreneurs, mentors, investors and other partners, will work hand-in-hand with the selected start-ups throughout the accelerator.