FOOD FOUNDERS Innovation Challenge 2024
CALLING RESEARCHERS & INNOVATORS TO
DRIVE THE FUTURE OF OUR
FOOD INDUSTRY
We have €1 Million to turn a technology into a startup — and it could be yours!
Submit your proposal, and if selected, you will get to choose to collaborate from your existing academic position or dive fully into a start-up role.
Proposals due by 15 October!
Launched & funded by
Spotlight on
Submissions due in:
Interested? Join our webinar on 17 Sept & 1 Oct for more info!
PROBLEM SUMMARY
The challenge
Industrial animal agriculture is a major driver of climate change and environmental degradation. Yet, sustainable food solutions still lack in taste, price, and convenience, failing to meet consumer demands as a desirable alternative.
How can we advance innovation to tackle these critical R&D challenges, particularly when large Food & Beverage manufacturers are reducing their internal innovation efforts, and it remains challenging for academia to launch spin-off in the food industry?
What can we do?
Venture studios act as entrepreneurs, start-up operators, and investors under one roof to ensure that innovative tech solutions not only reach the market but do so with maximum impact.
At FOOD FOUNDERS Studio, we don’t just match new technologies with pressing food industry challenges; we build entire startups around these solutions. Acting as true founders, we provide the expertise & resources necessary to bring a technology through key growth milestones and ultimately to the successful launch of a new venture.
Your technology solution could be the catalyst we need.
Let’s work together to disrupt the food industry!
SUBMISSION ELIGIBILITY
Who can participate?
We are looking for individuals or groups that have developed a new technology with the potential to disrupt the food industry! We welcome submissions from researchers and innovators, including professors, senior scientists, postdocs and PhD students, whole research labs or groups - anyone is welcome.
What research disciplines are relevant?
We are looking not just at the food sciences, but also across other disciplines such as mechanical engineering, material sciences, biology, information sciences, etc. with the potential to apply their technologies to problems in the food industry.
In particular, we are interested in solutions which can make food more sustainable, nutritious, with better texture and taste, and at more accessible price points.
Simply share your proposal (no confidential information needed*)
and let us do the work to assess** the business potential.
*) We will be evaluating the impact the solution can have rather than how it works.
**) Assessment will focus on: Problem Criticality, Solution effectiveness in solving Problem, Market Desirability, Financial Viability, Technical Feasibility, Degree of innovation, TRL.
BE PART OF THE VENTURE BUILDING
Earn Financial Rewards*
For any selected solutions, the submitting party will receive the below financial rewards:
Salary compensation for agreed part-time engagement
Equity shares if the venture is launched, with potential significant pay-outs**
*To be agreed with your university employer according to their policies & guidelines
** If your technology is selected for a venture launch
Option to be an Entrepreneur
FOOD FOUNDERS Studio assumes the responsibility and risk for launching the start-up, allowing you to optionally join the startup based on your interest, gaining valuable experience and benefits:
Technology Advisory & Consulting: Explore long-term collaborations before and after launch
Industry Connections: Increase visibility and connection with experts, investors, and collaborators at the intersection of research and industry
De-risked Entrepreneurship: Unique opportunity to learn how to launch a start-up without risk of failure, or to join it at different points.
PARTNERSHIP SPOTLIGHT
+
Impossible Foods is joining our expert industry board to evaluate submissions! This collaboration will provide valuable insights and a unique opportunity to both showcase your research to a major industry player and receive feedback. While Impossible Foods is well-known for plant-based innovations, we welcome proposals beyond what people may typically associate with the brand.
Please note that the standard non-confidential assessment, which applies to all submissions, remains in effect. This collaboration does not grant Impossible Foods any rights to the technologies or intellectual property submitted through this challenge.
PROCESS FOR PARTICIPATION
Proposal Submission
1
Fill out and submit the Innovation Challenge Form
Submission deadline: 15 October
Early Stage Assessment
2
We, together with a Board of Industry Experts, evaluate your proposal on:
Criticality of the problem
Effectiveness & readiness of the technical solution
In case of not being selected, we will provide you with feedback.
In case of being selected, FOOD FOUNDERS Studio will kick off a 3-month business case evaluation.
Business Case Evaluation
3
We work with you to find provisional alignment on licensing terms with University Tech Transfer Team or equivalent.
We perform a robust evaluation of the venture opportunity across DVF: Market Desirability, Financial Viability, Technical Feasibility.
You remain actively involved in the process according to availability and university policies, to keep driving the technical development.
Venture Building & Launch
4
Only 1x case per year will reach this point, and be granted up to € 1M of capital & in-kind resources
We hire an experienced leadership team, to whom we act as the first co-founders. If you so desire, you could be joining here as CTO!
Upon achieving our investment criteria, we fundraise with our selected investment partners to launch the venture with the first investment. If you so desire, you could be joining here with a Senior technical role!
Join our Innovation Challenge webinar with Q&A on 17 Sept & 1 Oct to learn more!
Do you have any questions about the process or about how to submit? Please ask us!
ABOUT US
FOOD FOUNDERS Studio is a Switzerland-based venture studio* building B2B food tech ventures from untapped European academic research. We are focusing on solutions across the value chain (not only limited to plant-based protein).
Our team collectively raised €50M in food tech ventures we built. Now, we leverage our track record, network and method to do it again.
Find more information about FOOD FOUNDERS Studio and our mission here!
*Venture studios are teams that bring together under one roof the roles of entrepreneur, start-up operator, and investor, and are fully engaged in creating and launching startups. Incubators and accelerators support instead large cohorts of existing startups with a lighter engagement