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Press Release

Techstars Farm to Fork Applications Open

Techstars Farm to Fork will kick off its sixth accelerator this summer with startups innovating within the food value chain. Since 2018, 52 companies have called Minnesota home as they receive mentorship, insights, and training from Techstars, successful founders, and some of the biggest names in food, agriculture, and food safety.

Techstars has partnered with Ecolab to support the next 12 companies transforming the way in which we sustainably feed our growing global population. Applications are open until April 5th, 2023.  

Techstars is the worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed. The combination of capital, mentorship, and education is what makes the three-month Techstars accelerator the ideal place for founders to grow their businesses.

The Farm to Fork accelerator is focused on investing in companies in Food Tech. Techstars breaks Food Tech into five key areas: Sustainability, Labor, Supply Chain & Manufacturing, Human & Animal Health, and New Alternatives.

Yes, those are big areas and even bigger industries. To break it down even further, here are a few verticals Techstars is excited about.

  • Automation & Efficiency: How robotics and other automation tools can help with the labor crunch, reduce cost, and minimize waste.
  • Clean and Safe Water: Food processing , manufacturing, and production requires a lot of water. Reduction of water use, clean water, and water conservation are all areas of interest for this cohort.
  • New Delivery & Dinning Formats: How food is delivered to consumers constantly changes. Truly from the farm to the fork and even food delivery drones, delivery and dining are changing.
  • Pest Control: Pests of any kind impact food yield and canimpact both animal health and the end consumer.
  • Smart Manufacturing: Transforming raw materials in an innovative and efficient way.
  • The full Techstars Farm to Fork thesis can be found, here.

From carbon capturing to solutions for hourly restaurant employees and even food delivery robots, Techstars Farm to Fork helps bring businesses to the next level!

Aneesh, the founder, and CEO of Knit (Techstars Farm to Fork 2019) shared his experience with the accelerator.

“The Farm to Fork program was a game-changer for our company Knit. Over the course of the 3-month program, we pivoted our company from an influencer platform to a video insights software.

This was the result of the unparalleled access we had to our expert mentors from the Techstars network who spent countless hours with us to understand the market and launch our new product. We also worked closely with our partners on piloting our technology, which was an incredible launching pad for our startup and crucial to the progress we’ve made since the program.”

Techstars recently named Sarah Bain as Managing Director for Techstars Minnesota. Bain has been with Techstars for over seven years and is excited to bring her insights and expertise to the 2023 cohort. Brett Brohl, the former Managing Director, will step into the new role of Entrepreneur in Residence. In this role, Brohl will still work closely with founders, sharing his learnings as a three-time founder.  

  • Know of a good company that fits the criteria? Send them to parens@techstars.com.
  • Are you a founder interested in helping change the world? Apply here!
  • Does this sound exciting and want to know more about mentorship? Email paul@techstars.com
  • Excited to see which 12 companies make up the 2023 cohort? Follow Techstars Farm to Fork on Linkedin & Twitter.
Georgia Paul
Georgia Paul is the Program Manager for Techstars Minnesota. She runs operations and partnerships for the Farm to Fork and Minnesota Twins accelerators. Her “why” is helping early-stage companies hit their full potential faster based on her experience in multiple industries.