Rockstart looks for startups to tackle global food loss in partnership with A.P. Moller - Maersk

FoodTrack by Maersk is a new partnership between Rockstart, one of Europe’s first multi-vertical startup accelerators, and A.P. Moller - Maersk. The programme aims to cease global food loss. The applications for the first FoodTrack programme will be open from April 17 to May 20. The program itself will kick off on June 6 and finish with a Demo Day on July 6.

Today, one-third of the global food production for human consumption is lost or wasted and approximately 80 percent of the food loss occurs before it reaches stores. Rockstart together with A.P. Moller – Maersk, a global end-to-end operator in the food value chain, has taken on the mission to tackle this problem together with innovative entrepreneurs.

Rockstart has been working with the most important societal themes since 2014. Having a clear understanding of the needs of startups, it will jointly with Maersk guide the chosen teams through an intensive program that pushes the boundaries and gives entrepreneurs the advantage of validating their solutions close to the industry and leveraging the knowledge and expertise of Maersk. In addition to that, one startup from the program will receive the Rockstart Fast Track Award, which would allow it to get straight to the final selection stage of one Rockstart accelerator program.

Together with Rockstart, Maersk will run three rounds of the month-long FoodTrack programme in 2018 and 2019. Ten startups will be chosen for each round, focussing on technologies and new business models that reduce food loss in the early stages of the value chain—from harvest to distribution. However, startups addressing all pain points of the food supply system will be considered for the programme.

Solutions of interest include logistics and supply chain technologies, sensing IoT and data monitoring, storage and packaging solutions, as well as farm and stock management systems.

The startups chosen for the first edition of the FoodTrack programme will spend a month at Maersk‘s office in Copenhagen and receive intensive support and guidance from mentors and the programme team. The programme itself consists of a series of workshops and focused mentoring sessions on problem validation, team development, competitive strategy, and pitching, conducted by mentors from both Maersk and the Rockstart network.

When the programme is completed, the FoodTrack startups will have a chance to get follow-on funding from Maersk or engage in a partnership. The applications for the first FoodTrack programme will be open from April 17 to May 20. The program itself will kick off on June 6 and finish with a Demo Day on July 6.