For whom is your acceleration program?
Our program is dedicated to those whose ambition is to shape the future of food technology in the CEE region. It will benefit individuals, startups, entrepreneurs, as well as corporate execs. It’s a packed with knowledge course to become a food innovator, regardless of the size of the organization. In addition to the latest industry knowledge, participants have the chance to meet the people who have created the region’s largest food businesses.
What stage of startups are you looking for?
We most effectively support projects that are at least in the prototype stage of the product / service, ready for test implementation in the market. However, if you just have the idea itself – we also encourage you to apply. We will review your application, arrange a meeting and see how we can help you take the first steps in building your own business. Even if it’s too early in the accelerator program for you, there’s a good chance we’ll invite you to a weekend Kick-off or recommend another program that’s right for you at this stage of development.
I don't have my own business, startup, idea. Can I apply?
As much as possible! The goal of our program is to connect people and competencies from many fields. If you are an employee or manager in a larger organization, our program will teach you how to more effectively implement and stimulate innovation in your organization. New technologies, processes and products can also be developed in large companies. Also, not everyone interested in technology needs to build their own business right away. Why don’t you just join some team as an employee / partner and bring your expertise there? Such things happen in our programs all the time.
I am not from the food industry. Can I apply?
Let’s face it – you don’t have to be in the food industry to get started. Every innovator started somewhere. Yes, we are looking for technologies that will change the rules of the game in the food industry, but that doesn’t mean you need technologists alone to create them. Our program will allow you to develop not only hard skills in technology, sales or marketing, but will also teach you how to build innovative teams, how to manage them, or even how to recruit the right person when you have limited resources.
How long will the program last? When will the classes be held?
We start the program with an energetic introduction to the world of foodtech in the form of a two-day, weekend (Friday evening & whole Saturday, April 12-13th, 2024) offline meeting in Warsaw called Kick-off. During these two days, we want to get to know better you, your projects, the challenges you face or the areas in which you want to grow. In addition, we will provide you with some knowledge, see how you are working and set you your first challenges. The weekend Kick-off is also a great opportunity to see together and ultimately decide if the accelerator program is for you.
Then we begin 8 weeks of intensive work with 10 online workshops led by our top industry experts. Each of these workshops will last about 4 hours.
We will intersperse the workshops with offline networking meetings with good food in interesting places in Warsaw.
The acceleration program ends with a Demo Day (Wednesday, June 19th, 2024). This is an evening offline event in Warsaw, full of networking and knowledge, also known as a “Polish Foodtech Festival”, during which program participants will present their projects to a wider audience.
However, our cooperation does not end with Demo Day. The accelerator’s mission is to transform the foodtech industry and we treat this challenge long-term. After completing the program, you will become a member of our community, which meets regularly and exchanges knowledge and contacts practically every day.
How do I balance the program with my work?
We need your commitment. Just attending the workshop will require you to take a few hours off work each week of the acceleration. At the beginning of the acceleration, we will give you a detailed schedule so that you can plan everything well.
If you’re coming to us to develop your competencies, but you’re not yet building a startup or developing a specific project, you’ll certainly be able to balance the program with work without a problem.
However, if you come to us to develop your startup, keep in mind that your participation and work on the project cannot be limited to just these days. You need time to work on your own or with your team, meet with mentors and potential clients, prepare materials, and do everything related to building your business. It is up to you to decide whether you will balance this with your regular work (e.g. maneuvering with holiday leaves), but we encourage you to organize as much time as possible.
What language is the program conducted in?
If in a given edition we have only Polish-speaking participants, then the program is carried out in Polish. However, if we gather a team with a greater linguistic diversity, the classes are conducted in English. No matter what – Demo Day is entirely an English-speaking event.
How much does it cost to participate in the program?
The fee for participation in the acceleration program is 19 000 PLN + VAT for startups and 29 000 PLN + VAT for corporations, respectively.
The acceleration package includes:
- 2 spots in the program for founders or executives, managers,
- 10 online workshops (40 hours of workshops),
- access to the best experts, mentors and partners in the foodtech industry,
- participation in Kick-off and Demo Day,
- support in building a network,
- membership in the foodtech.ac community, providing experience sharing and collaboration with the gas pedal and alumni of all editions even after the program ends.
The fee is charged to the individuals and projects that are finally qualified for the accelerator during the Kick-off weekend.
The participation in the Kick-off weekend itself is free – we want to give a chance for as many potential participants and projects as possible.
We allow selected startups to partly settle the acceleration’s fee in the form of shares. This is the so-called “market-standard small few percent” depending on the type of project and its stage of development. We can decide on such a form of settlement and its parameters together after the Kick-off weekend, after we get to know each other a bit. If we come to an agreement, we will write down all the terms of cooperation in a clear contract. In the case of share settlement, we charge a fee of 3 000 PLN + VAT to cover the basic costs of organizing the acceleration program.