Inkuba Sarea is recruiting FoodTech startups to boost their projects

• Call for start-ups with an innovative approach to the use of new technologies and sustainable solutions for agri-food production
• The selected projects will become part of the cross-border network between New Aquitaine, the Basque Country and Navarre led by the company Agour Etxea, the public company INTIA and AZTI
• They will also benefit from a process of incubation, acceleration and internationalisation with the challenge of bringing their ideas to market

Hélette, Iparralde, 21 September 2023– The incubator and accelerator for FoodTech startups Inkuba Sarea has opened the call to find new startups to become part of the cross-border network between New Aquitaine, the Basque Country and Navarre promoted by the company Agour Etxea, the public company INTIA and AZTI technology centre.

This initiative was presented this morning at a press conference at Agour’s headquarters in Hélette (Iparralde) with the participation of Peio Etcheleku, CEO of Agour Etxea, Marta Goñi, Coordinator of R&D&I projects at INTIA and Rogelio Pozo, CEO of AZTI, among others.

“We are actively looking for FoodTech startups with products or services that are going to revolutionise and improve the agri-food sector, that already have a certain track record, a business plan and cross-border DNA,” says Rogelio Pozo.

The projects selected will be mainly considered for their innovative approach in the use of new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence or robotics, or in the promotion of sustainability and the reuse of resources in food production throughout the value chain.

Inkuba Sarea received a grant of 75,000 euros within the framework of the Call for Euroregional Innovation Projects with the aim of contributing to the development of a competitive, sustainable and inclusive economy in the three territories through the implementation of collaborative driving projects, based on the use of complementarities and synergies between all actors. The press conference was attended by Leire Azcona, Project Manager in the NAEN Euroregion.

FoodTech startups acceleration process

The start-ups that become part of the Inkuba Sarea network will benefit from an acceleration process that covers the entire value chain: from the product (primary sector), to marketing (internationalisation of proximity), and including the prototyping (testing) of the project.

This plan includes a minimum three-week immersion in each initiative’s driving entity for acceleration training in the different phases necessary to bring the ideas to market.

“We will be with each startup for a minimum of 9 weeks in overall. INTIA will cover the stages between agricultural production and product transformation; AZTI will be in charge of the R&D&I phase and product ideation with the first testing; and AGOUR will support the companies in the final market entry, the first internationalisation in the French market and the marketing tests”, explains Peio Etcheleku, CEO of Agour Etxea.

In addition, “each new member of the network will be monitored and mentored personally throughout the process of incubation, acceleration and internationalisation of the project”, adds Marta Goñi, Coordinator of R&D&I projects at INTIA.

FINAL SELECTION: Thursday 19 October 2023

START for 1st promotion: week of 13 November 2023

The application form can be downloaded online HERE