Meet the Inspiring Alumni of our Feeding the City Programme!
We are now into the last week of applications for the fourth batch of our Feeding the City incubation programme!
Feeding the City is our six-month online incubation programme, developed in partnership with industry experts, designed for Germany-based teams that are working to bring their sustainable food solutions to life. Over the course of the programme we offer masterclasses, mentorship, networking opportunities, and visibility to our participants to transform their ideas into a fully validated and tested product or service.
At the end of the programme participants will have the confidence necessary to identify and establish strategic partnerships in order to grow the business and its impact.
We are just about to launch the fourth edition of the programme, and are accepting applications until March 11, 2023.
Who are we looking for?
For the next round of FtC cohorts we are searching for impact-driven startup teams that:
- Are working on a solution for more sustainable food systems, particularly in urban communities.
- Have already validated the initial concept and ideally have an MVP.
- Are ready to test and launch in the market with a pilot partner.
- Have a team of minimum two members.
- Are based in Germany.
Non-profit or charity organisations that aim to create an impactful business model are also welcome to apply.
Need more information? Click here.
Want to know more about the programme? Meet our last year’s FtC alumni!
We sat down with participants of last year’s cohort to ask them how Feeding the City supported and developed their sustainable food ideas.
Bénédicte Ennis, Co-Founder Benoo
Meet Bénédicte Ennis, co-founder of Benoo. Benoo is a startup which wants to empower individuals to make more conscious food choices. Through cooking workshops and wellness programmes, Benoo are dedicated to supporting impact through food.
How did the programme influence your ideas and ability to collaborate with others?
I think collaboration is a big word in startups and we tend to take it too lightly. Entrepreneurs can sometimes be so focused on their product/market fit that they underestimate the importance of collaborating at an early stage. However, building a startup is about collaborating with others.
A business idea should be bounced out with potential clients, partners or potential employees or investors. During the FtC programme, we collaborated with the other startups from the cohort for an event that we organised at the end of the programme. Everyone had something to contribute.
We valued that the whole programme was based on collaboration between startups rather than competition between participants. Collaboration during the programme went beyond our peers, whom we met and exchanged with at many occasions. Other valuable collaborating resources during the programme were a Slack channel, industry expert and the large network provided by Impact Hub Berlin.
What did the programme teach you about being partnership-ready, and what kind of partnerships are you working on now?
During the programme (and thanks to the amazing supporting team of mentors) we decided to pivot from our original idea. It was a decision we didn't take lightly based on the financial and industry expert advice we received. Therefore we worked on a new value proposition and on the product/market fit towards the end of the FtC programme.
Currently, we are starting collaborations with training organisations and universities to drive people's positive impact in the food they eat so as to include more seasonal, locally sourced produce and vegetarian recipes in their diets.
How are you using the learnings and connections made in the programme on your current and next challenges?
We are still in contact with our mentors and professionals who supported us during the programme. Our current challenges are to overcome budget cuts in organisations as we are directly impacted when coming up with a new product with little credential and no immediate returns. Our ROI which is based on wellness (less stress, absenteeism, team building, etc) can only be measured over a period of time. We are looking for partners (companies, non-profits) who would be interested in testing our programme over a few months.
What's your advice for startups entering the next batch?
Apply to the programme, regardless how big or small your idea is. The FtC programme and Impact Hub Berlin network will take you to the next step.
Which is your biggest takeaway from your time in the programme?
Test your idea in a collaborative way sooner rather than later. The FtC programme is ideal for that.
What was the most valuable aspect of the incubator for you?
For us, our incredible mentors as well as the super efficient FtC/Impact Hub Berlin team.
The Feeding the City programme is an initiative of our Sustainable Food ecosystem. Together with our ecosystem partner Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank, we support entrepreneurs and innovators to develop impactful solutions and projects within the sustainable food ecosystem and aid the transition towards a circular food value chain.
