02/02/2023
Fill out your application and wow us with your sustainable food vision
Feeding the City
Are you an impact startup with a vision to make food production and consumption more sustainable in urban areas? Do you have a prototype ready and are you seeking support to test and launch it in the market with a pilot partner?
If so, Feeding the City is here to help. Our six-month online incubation program, developed in partnership with industry experts, is designed for Germany-based teams like yours that are working to bring their sustainable food solutions to life.
Programme Benefits
Curated sessions and 1-on-1 coaching supporting startups in becoming partner-ready
Guidance from sustainable food experts
Connections to potential pilot partners to bring your solution to market
Access to Impact Hub Berlin's physical and digital resources and connections with 24,000+ impact entrepreneurs worldwide
Opportunities for media attention and exposure to established impact community
We support you to become partnership-ready
This means you and your team will have successfully transformed your initial business idea into a validated and tested product or service, featuring a clear USP. You will have acquired the knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary to identify and establish strategic partnerships in order to grow your business and impact.
Who can apply?
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 organizations that aim to create an impactful business model are also welcome to apply.
Important: We encourage individuals from all cultural backgrounds, gender identities, ages, and religions to apply for the Feeding the City programme, and we particularly welcome applications from underrepresented communities in the sustainable food entrepreneurship industry. We believe diversity drives innovation and success, and we strive to create an inclusive environment for all participants.
Areas of impact
- Food Security (vulnerable communities)
- Innovative Food Solutions
- Climate Mitigation & Adaption (urban context)
- Innovative Farming- & Production Systems
- Waste Management & Resource Efficiency
- Consumer Education
- Water Conservation
Timeline
Applications open
03/11/2023
Submit before the deadline to be in with a chance of selection Applications close
03/11/2023
Submit before the deadline to be in with a chance of selection
Bootcamp & Final Jury Selection
28-29/03/2023
Our advisory committee will select the top ventures and invite them to a selection bootcamp
17/04/2023
Your journey begins! Programme starts
17/04/2023
Your journey begins!
Programme Demo Day
TBD
Pitch to potential partners and investors at the end of the programme journey
31/10/2023
But your sustainable food journey continues... Programme ends
31/10/2023
But your sustainable food journey continues...
Applications for our 2023 Feeding the City are now closed! Meet our current cohort!
Aixponic
Aixponic sells locally produced sea fish and sea vegetables cultivated with innovative indoor farming and aquaculture concepts, developed into a closed-loop system that combines the two systems and thus saves resources.
AllCup
AllCup has developed a coating that makes products heat and water resistant, as well as edible. The aim is to replace plastic packaging. In the first use case, we transform a waffle into an edible coffee cup.
Crocus Labs GmbH
Crocus Labs will make urban agriculture possible & scalable by breaking the high energy consumption & cost problem with their hyper efficient lighting solution.
Kochschule Neun
To communicate the joy of food and everyday food culture and to show, in the context of our diverse target groups, that a sustainable and healthy diet can be affordable and enjoyable at the same time.
Providing cooking courses and other activities for a variety of target groups especially children (currently Berlin public schools).
MealGood
MealGood offers a reusable food-container solution in a modular system for large-scale catering. The startup relies on renewable raw materials and recyclable materials and ensure that the material really stays in the system and does not end up in the trash.
Re:Drink
The beverage industry is one of the most polluting industries: In Germany generates 1.5 times more CO2 than domestic air travel. We transport glass and plastic bottles for hundreds of miles to be sold to offices or end consumers.
Re:Drink is the decentralized beverage infrastructure of tomorrow: Making it possible to drink sustainable and personalized beverages created at the point of use.
FoodTogether
FoodTogether markets food from sustainable producers as directly and transparently as possible. The startups takes care of communication and visibility via their D2C platform, find new B2B distribution channels and take care of logistics.
With individual farms they have started to develop grain products and value chains with a special focus on regenerative agriculture. In 2023, the ambition is to turn FoodTogether into a collaboration brand that secures the necessary value and visibility for sustainable farms and brings it back to the farms.
Meet the Alumni
Adavi Tableware produces compostable tableware from
the Siali plant using ancient traditions.
Benoo is working to create efficient and sustainable food boxes with 100% local products for an urban population.
Langes Gemüseglück is creating a composting system producing quality soil from locally sourced food waste.
Material Guide is a data-driven platform for food life cycle assessment and supply chain transparency.
nuShopy is creating a food box based on ethnic recipes to inspire and educate customers about diverse food cultures.
OURZ is a blockchain-enabled platform for supply chain fairness.
Solarponics is creating a solar-powered smart farming system, using prioritisation algorithms.
Britzer Kräuter developed a modular system to grow herbs in a home-based 'green wall', fostering resource-saving and needs-based access to fresh, local produce.
britzer-kraeuter.de
Mjlk make a nut-cream-basis for plant-based milk that reduces CO2, food waste and packaging.
mymjlk.de
möhrengrün created a base for a versatile, plant-based alternative to minced meat.
moehrengruen.de
PhycoSystems' innovative bioreactors allow for more efficient and sustainable production of microalgae for use in food supplements.
phycosystems.de
PlattenBaum provides residents of housing projects with infrastructure for communal vegetable growing designed to encourage social cohesion.
plattenbaum.de
Project One Food prototyped a network of sustainable food vending machines.
Roots Radicals offer hard-crafted, zero-waste preserves, and provide educational experiences for other food waste warriors.
rootsradicals.berlin
SuperCoop is a community-owned supermarket that empowers its members to consume local and sustainably sourced produce.
supercoop.de
Tiny Farms produces and markets organic vegetables through a network of digitally connected micro-farms.
tinyfarms.de
What a great programme. We would like to express our sincere thanks to all programme supporters, sponsors, and jurors for giving us at möhrengrün the chance to be part of this support package and all the benefits included. It was a great journey.
Albrecht von Schultzendorff, Founder, möhrengrün
Meet the faculty
Lisa Schmidt, Rentenbank
M. Lee Green, NRW Food Hub
Alexander Berlin, Berlin Thinking
Sandra Renz, Better Food Consulting
Nadja Flohr-Spence, Head of Department Kompetenzstelle Außer-Haus-Verpflegung, United Against Waste
Robert Kronekker, Hafervoll
Kirsten Kohlhaw, Geschäftsmodell Coach / Startup Coach, Komponentenportal
Ecosystem Partner
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.
Programme partner
The Feeding the City programme is powered by Bank of America and supported through our content partners.
Content partners
Frequently Asked Questions
You are eligible
- if you’re an impact-driven organization active in fields of opportunity mentioned above
- if your initiative is Germany-based
- if you have already validated your concept through user feedback (problem-solution fit) and ideally have an MVP
- if you are looking for support in testing your solution and getting in touch with (pilot) partners
We specifically encourage individuals from underrepresented communities and solutions that support more inclusive communities and food systems to apply.
Yes. Just make sure to explain clearly in the application form what progress you have made in the meantime.
Yes!
Yes. We accept applications from for-profit or non-profit (“gemeinnützig”) initiatives as long as you show the ambition to transition to a financially self-sustaining model with impact;
If you have questions about eligibility or the application form, feel free to schedule a call with Benjamin.
A diverse and complementary startup team is key, and will be considered in the application. However, if you have a great product/service and are currently seeking co-founders, you are invited to apply anyway and describe your situation in the application.
The programme is held online. It is not necessary to move to Berlin.
However, you should be willing to come to Berlin or another German city for 1-2 on-site events to get to know the other participants. We can provide travel subsidies for this – costs for accommodation cannot be covered.
You can estimate 2-4 hours of input per week plus self-organised work.
Masterclasses are generally hosted in English, with German-speaking moderators that can help with translations. Individual coaching will be conducted in English or German, depending on the participant’s preference.
You receive a participant bursary of 1.000€ for the duration of the whole programme, which you are free to spend (against proof) for business-related operations or further coaching.
The program is 100% free of charge / we don’t take any equity.
For the duration of the programme, you are granted a Connect Membership to the Impact Hub Berlin valuing 35€ per month.
The membership benefits are described on the website and include:
- usage of physical co-working space in Berlin during one day per month
(possibility to use passport function to physically access other Impact Hubs) - access to 24.000+ like minded impact entrepreneurs around the globe to get inspired, exchange with peers, use the community for product testing, find co-founders, etc. through the digital infrastructure
- access to coaching with experts on legal issues and business models
- access to community events around well-being, networking, impact startup-topics
- staying informed with all community and external events and programs we host and promote
The programme team of Impact Hub Berlin will screen all applications. After the initial screening of applications, 15 teams will get the opportunity to participate in the selection bootcamp on March 28th/29th. On the second day of the bootcamp the selected teams will pitch their initiatives to an external jury. At the end, 7 teams will be selected to participate in the programme.
Have unanswered questions about our Feeding the City programme or sustainable food ecosystem? Get in touch: feedingthecity.berlin@impacthub.net
Marlena Leonhard, Programmes Team