FoodTrack by Maersk is a new partnership between Rockstart, one of Europe’s first multi-vertical startup accelerators, and A.P. Moller – Maersk. The program aims to cease global food loss.
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.
From harvest to distribution
Together with Rockstart, Maersk will run three rounds of the month-long FoodTrack program 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 program.
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.
“At Rockstart, we aspire to give startups the best access possible to market, capital, community, and expertise. With more and more AgriFood tech startups utilizing emerging technologies and new business models to address the issue of food loss, we are delighted to support Maersk with their FoodTrack program, and help startups drive positive change with a strong partner.”
Mark Durno, AgriFood program director, Rockstart
More than funding
The startups chosen for the first edition of the FoodTrack program will spend a month at Maersk‘s office in Copenhagen and receive intensive support and guidance from mentors and the program team. The program 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.
“As a partner and potential investor, we provide more than funds. We want to leverage our world-class infrastructure and operational expertise to help build the next business in this domain.”
Peter Votkjaer Jorgensen, Venture Partner -Growth at A.P. Moller, Maersk
