Arc-Net and Clear Labs named in food and ag-tech accelerator
Rabobank and RocketSpace helped select the companies to participate in Terra’s inaugural cohort.
Terra is an accelerator program bringing together companies to look at potential partnerships with its collaborators through a product validation program.
AgroFresh, Beta San Miguel, Givaudan, Griffith Foods, Grupo Azucarero Mexico/CULTIBA and OSI Group were also involved in the selection process.
Arc-net will gain brand exposure and validate its product with industry corporations.
The accelerator model includes pilot testing to progress beyond a proof of concept to a commercially viable product.
Kieran Kelly, CEO of arc-net, said it will have the opportunity to work alongside some of the most influential and respected organisations in the food and agriculture sector.
“We look forward to utilising the expertise and resources provided by the Terra programme in order to deliver our mission of protecting the health of current and future generations by providing access to safe and authentic food for everyone.”
The 14 startups will do an eight-week curriculum at RocketSpace’s tech campus in San Francisco followed by the same time for product validation.
Clear Labs recently raised $13m in funding to expand its software and next generation sequencing (NGS) tests.
Michael Taylor, former FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine, recently joined the Board of Directors of the company.
Manuel Gonzalez, head of Startup Innovation at Rabobank, said: “Terra is about both the future and the here and now – what the industry needs, what consumers want, what the earth requires – and how startups can respond to the needs of society.”
Other start-ups are: Aromyx, Biomarker.io, Blue Prairie Brands, Brio Agtech, Chinova Bioworks, JuiceInnov8, H2HYDROPONICS, ImpactVision, Kuli Kuli, mOasis Ripe.io and Trace Genomics.
“This group of startups has the potential to define the future of food and agriculture and it’s our goal to provide the velocity – speed and direction – to help them scale their solutions,” said Ron Yerkes, VP of Industry Tech Accelerators at RocketSpace.
