ACCELERATE: EIT food Accelerator Network

The ACCELERATE: EIT Food Accelerator Network project addressed the common challenges faced by startups, including lack of business skills, market access, financial means, and experience in commercializing their ideas. EIT FAN equipped entrepreneurs with essential skills to commercialize their products and technologies, attract investments, and grow both their businesses and professional networks.

The EIT Food Accelerator Network Programme (EIT FAN) was a four-month equity-free grant-funded program that aimed to fast-track science and technology-based innovations addressing global food system challenges. Leading EIT Food partner organizations managed the program from various regional hub locations across Europe.

During its final year, approximately 60 agrifood startups were accelerated across six acceleration hubs in Switzerland, Germany, Israel, Spain, Finland, and the UK. Assuming 35 people per startup, the program developed the capacity of 180-300 founders that year alone.

The project initiated several collaborations and partnerships between startups and EIT FAN partners, leading to pilot projects, research initiatives, and investments by corporate venture divisions during and after the program. Startups were able to continue leveraging the EIT Food ecosystem post-program.

The EIT Food RisingFoodStars association identified the best startups in the European agrifood sector and invited them to apply to the program. Additionally, corporate funding partners had the opportunity to send internal teams to participate, accelerating internal business ventures and learning from the startup ecosystem, thereby upskilling their staff.