Niño, during the reception of the 12 new emerging companies that will be part of the fourth edition of its FoodTech acceleration program
Madrid Food Innovation Hub, a center of the City Council of Madrid dedicated to innovation in the entire food chain, has just welcomed the 12 new emerging companies that will be part of the fourth edition of its FoodTech acceleration program, focused on startups that have a strong technological component in addressing sustainability, efficiency, and safety challenges in the agri-food sector.
The councilor for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Ángel Niño, highlighted during the welcome to the startups at the center the relevance of innovating in this field «not only to be more efficient and optimize resources, but to increase food production sustainably in an increasingly populated world.» In this sense, Niño ensures that «the digitalization of some processes is essential to continue advancing in the development of the food sector competitively in our environment.»
The selected projects will benefit from a 12-week mentoring and strategic advisory program that will address various aspects related to the technologies applied in the agri-food value chain. The program includes weekly sessions on business model, marketing strategies, brand positioning, communication, and financial aspects, among other relevant topics.
Additionally, each project will receive personalized follow-up and have access to sessions with experts in different areas to boost their development and scaling. Startups will also have the opportunity to use the facilities of the nursery for free, including a kitchen-laboratory of over 300 m2, for the creation of prototypes and the conduct of sensory panels.
The startups that will be part of the fourth edition
The 12 new startups chosen for the fourth edition of the FoodTech program stand out for their innovative proposals, applying new technologies and science throughout the agri-food value chain:
-La Santa Blends SL: a brand of functional beverages that combines ancestral tradition and modern science. Their first creation is an alternative to coffee based on adaptogens and ayurvedic plants to improve energy and concentration.
-Ositos: revolutionizes the spirits industry with edible cocktail candies. With 15% alcohol and a wide variety of flavors, it creates a new category in the beverage market.
-Optlicious Menus: an AI-driven SaaS platform that optimizes menus to maximize performance and sales in the HORECA sector (Hotels, Restaurants, and Cafeterias), also integrating a real-time marketplace that facilitates direct connection between restaurants and suppliers.
-Chef Miau: in collaboration with expert veterinarians, they develop fresh and natural foods for cats, made without artificial preservatives and with high-quality ingredients, to offer balanced nutrition that promotes their well-being, health, and longevity.
-Chu House: their innovative proposal is based on functional beverages, made with superfoods and natural ingredients, designed for customers seeking exclusive experiences while taking care of their well-being. They propose a scalable franchise model.
-Biowaste Fiber, S.L.: promote environmental awareness through training and eco-design of biowaste, integrating technology for the circular economy. They have developed a real-time monitoring device that optimizes the composting process, improving recycling, reuse, traceability, and eco-design.
-Solas Sopas Frías SL: revolutionizes the category of plant-based beverages and their perception with Nube, a new premium, portable brand adapted to contemporary lifestyle, redefining this segment characterized by large formats, basic flavors, and a more utilitarian approach.
-Greenfoods Network SL: their innovative project, Red Tuna Dream, proposes vegan analogs of hamburgers, sashimi, and red tuna marmitako with nutritional and organoleptic properties similar to offer sustainable alternatives rich in vegan DHA.
-La Verabat: their YorGut project offers a functional food of fermented goat milk with probiotics to improve digestive health. It integrates biotechnology, microbiome, and rural sustainability under the One Health approach: human, animal, and environmental health.
-Menudista: their proposal focuses on a free digital marketplace that allows users to discover restaurants with daily menus in real-time, facilitating the decision of where to eat and improving the visibility of establishments.
-Gambooza: uses artificial intelligence to capture, through photos, information about ingredients and weight of dishes and foods. This information allows the HORECA and retail sectors to control recipe costs, improve operational costs, and reduce food waste.
-Econexa: specialized in the production and commercialization of microgreens, combining innovation and sustainability to offer products with nutritional profiles and flavors adapted to different needs.
The three previous editions of this FoodTech acceleration program add up to a total of 40 startups accelerated at the Madrid Food Innovation Hub. While a total of 180 startups and 12,000 people have gone through the different incubation and acceleration programs of the center during its three and a half years of existence.
