RootCamp Startup Accelerator Program

Deadline: 16-Jan-23

Entries are now being accepted for the “ROOTCAMP Startup Accelerator Program” to implement kick-ass disruption in the agri-food sector.

The program focuses on scaling your idea at it’s full potential and helps you build an international network with top vcs, business angels, and top-class corporate partners.

Fields of Interest

RootCamp is interested in finding solutions for the so-called upstream area of the Agri-Food Tech value chain. They are specifically interested in the following 9 verticals but feel free to apply if your startup operates in a related field.
The following taxonomy is based on AgFounder.
- Ag-Biotechnology: It includes inputs for crops (including seed, fertilizer, pesticides), genetics, microbiome, breeding, input for animals and animal health.
- Agribusiness-Marketplaces: It includes commodities trading platforms, online input procurement, and equipment leasing platforms.
- Bioenergy & Biomaterials: It includes non-food extraction and processing, feedstock technology, agriculture-related pharmaceuticals (like cannabis) and industrial biotechnology.
- Farm-Management-Software, Sensing & IOT: It includes agricultural data capturing devices, decision support software solutions, and big data analytics.
- Farm-Robotics, Mechanization & Equipment: It includes on-farm machinery, sensors, automation, drone manufacturers, grow equipment, and smart irrigation.
- Innovative Food: It includes cultured meat, novel ingredients, and plant-based proteins.
- Supply Chain & Packaging Solutions: It includes food safety tech, food traceability tech, logistics & transport, food processing tech, waste recycles tech, packaging solutions, and sustainability tech.
- Novel Farming Systems: It includes new methods of farming living ingredients.
- Miscellaneous: It includes the rest.

Program Breakdown

For early-stage startups:
- The program entails a 3-months acceleration phase including access to the ecosystem, all learning resources, and funding to make you investor-ready.
- After that, you will have the possibility to get additional 9 months to further define, develop and pilot your product/technology in cooperation with their corporate partners.
For later-stage startups:
- You will get a 3 to 12 months period to get real market validation. The goal is to have your solution implemented within the corporate real-world environment through pilot projects and accelerate your growth. You profit either from a new variant of your product/technology or from new customers to enter the European market.

Benefits

Top level know-how
- The learning process for every company never ends. They provide on-site and virtual workshops and on-demand e-learning resources. Moreover, they have an extensive network of experienced startup coaches and industry experts.
- RootCamp’s program proposes close interaction with their strategic partners. A dedicated intrapreneurial team of their partner K+S waits to share their expertise.
The support network you need
- Being backed by one of the best-ranked accelerators, the SpinLab, and a worldwide player in the fertilizer and salt field, K+S, they provide the best support for scaling solutions within the AgriFood-Tech sector.
- Even if you are a later stage startup or established company, tell them about your solution – they will help you to implement it within the European markets.
24/7 office access
- The program grants you 24/7/365 access to their lofty innovation hub in the heart of Hannover. Hannover is the Capital of the State Lower Saxony – the biggest AgriFood center in Germany. Moreover K+S offers lab space in Wunstorf at the Innopark Sigmundshall.
Customizable Program and Flexible Duration Time
- They offer an intense program that is customizable according to your needs.
- For early-stage startups, they have an acceleration program of 3 months and a subsequent incubation program up to 12 months.
- For later-stage startups, they are accepting rolling applications so there is no deadline and you can apply all year long.
100% free program + acceleration grant up to 50k
- They want you to focus on your solution. For every phase of their program they will grant financial support, so you focus just on disruption. No matter if it runs 3 or 12 months.
- No equity, no shares, no fees. The acceleration grant can reach up to 50k euro.

Outcomes

Pilot outcomes include:

product co-development
commercial partnership
licensing agreements
extension of customers base
additional investments

What kind of startups are they looking for?

Team: They expect all applying startups to have a complete founding team of 2-4 founders, with all crucial skill sets and necessary experience, already in place.
Idea: Your startup’s idea and concept should be truly outstanding, unique, and most importantly, scalable. They’re looking for companies and teams that have the potential to disrupt the AgriFood Tech segment.
Motivation: They’re not looking for startups who want things to come to them easy. They’re going to invest 100% into you, so they expect you to have the passion, energy, willingness, and drive to make your startup come to life.
Phase: They accept startups from all stages. Pre-seed and seed startups will first join the acceleration phase of 3 months and enlarge their networks. Later stage startups will directly jump into the integration project up to 12 months to implement solutions within the corporate environment.
Technology: The RootCamp has a focus on AgriFood-Tech startups providing solutions on the so-called upstream area of the value chain. They focus on solutions that will leverage the industry rather than customer focused variants of existing products.
Geography: They accept startups from all around the world. Teams must have business level fluency in English.

For more information, visit RootCamp.