Key Takeaways:
- Applications for Good Food Makers, the global accelerator for innovative food startups, are now open.
- Good Food Makers aims to drive the development of sustainable food solutions.
- Barilla and Plug and Play collaborate to support promising startups and foster internationalization in the food sector.
An Innovative Journey in the Food Sector In a bid to drive the development of sustainable food solutions and shape the future of the food industry, Barilla, the renowned Italian food company, has announced the fifth edition of Good Food Makers. This global accelerator program, in collaboration with Plug and Play, seeks to empower Ag-tech and Food-tech startups with innovative ideas that can revolutionize the food sector.
Open for Applications: Good Food Makers 2023
From May 22 to July 7, startups worldwide can submit their applications to Good Food Makers, a unique opportunity to accelerate their growth and contribute to the creation of a more sustainable food ecosystem. With a rich history of over 240 applications from 25 different countries in 2022 alone, Good Food Makers has already established itself as a vital platform for food innovators.
Focused Areas of Innovation
This year, Good Food Makers is seeking innovative ideas in four key areas:
- Circular Packaging: Solutions and business models to promote packaging reuse or reduction.
- Logistic Quality: Digital solutions that enhance logistic quality in terms of suppliers’ quality and service, monitoring, and traceability.
- Fermentation for Clean Label: Leveraging fermentation to unlock the nutritional, sensorial, and environmental value of food products, with a specific emphasis on clean label solutions.
- You @ Best: Digital solutions that improve people’s well-being by connecting lifestyle and food habits.
Startups with disruptive concepts and a passion for sustainable food are encouraged to apply and become part of this transformative program.
Good Food Makers: Co-Developing Sustainable Solutions
Now in its fifth year, Good Food Makers offers a comprehensive eight-week program that enables startups to collaborate with Barilla’s experienced managers. This collaborative approach allows participants to develop and test their innovative ideas in alignment with Barilla’s vision of producing good and quality food for the past 145 years. Selected startups will receive €10,000 in support for their projects during the acceleration program and have the opportunity to establish future collaborations with the Barilla Group.
Claudia Berti, Barilla Global Open Innovation Senior Manager, emphasizes the significance of investing in and bringing new ideas to the food sector. She states, “Good Food Makers represents an open window on the entire panorama of Food & Beverage, enabling collaboration with companies from all over the world who share our mission of creating a future full of progress.”
Plug and Play: Accelerating Food Innovation
For the second consecutive year, Good Food Makers partners with Plug and Play, the world’s largest open innovation platform. Plug and Play’s Food & Beverage Program, launched in 2019, has already accelerated over 200 startups globally. Through this collaboration, startups gain access to a vast network of over 60,000 startups, 550 leading companies, venture capital firms, universities, and government agencies, propelling their growth and internationalization efforts.
Arianna Elena Maschietto, Plug and Play Milan Director, highlights the shared goal of supporting promising entities in the food sector. She believes that applying new technologies across the entire food supply chain, from agronomic processes to conservation techniques, is crucial for making a real difference in terms of environmental and social sustainability.
Empowering Startups for a Sustainable Future
With over 600 participating startups and the involvement of more than 150 Barilla Group managers, Good Food Makers has become a hub for co-developing innovative solutions. The program provides startups with invaluable opportunities to validate their ideas, tackle proposed challenges, and establish long-term collaborations.
Matthew Savage, Allplants BI Lead, expresses his appreciation for the program, emphasizing the importance of learning, sharing best practices, and building relationships during the program. He recommends a diverse team composition to maximize knowledge and experience exchange.
Elisa Cavandoli, Barilla Quality Food Safety Manager and Good Food Makers Project Leader, highlights the program’s focus on flexibility and alternative approaches. By encouraging participants to think outside the box and explore advanced solutions within limited time and resource constraints, Good Food Makers fosters a unique perspective that values adaptability over perfection.
As applications open for Good Food Makers 2023, it represents an exciting opportunity for startups to shape the future of the food industry, aligning sustainability, innovation, and consumer well-being.
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