About
Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator is a 13-week seed-stage accelerator program launched in partnership with Cargill and Ecolab, two of the world's largest private companies in food and agriculture. Based in the Twin Cities (St. Paul, Minnesota), the program identifies early-stage entrepreneurs and startups from around the world with innovative solutions across the food supply chain, including food safety, food technology, supply chain optimization, restaurant technology, manufacturing, and digital farm solutions. The accelerator provides $220,000 in seed funding in exchange for 6% equity. Participants receive mentorship from over 100 industry experts, including executives from Cargill and Ecolab, along with access to the Techstars network of successful entrepreneurs, investors, and strategic partners. During the program, founders pitch to over 40 venture capital firms at Demo Day. Post-program, alumni companies have demonstrated strong follow-on funding outcomes, raising on average over $1 million in first-round investments and over $3 million in subsequent rounds. The program has expanded its geographic reach, including the 2021 cohort which featured the accelerator's first two teams from Africa. Recent portfolio companies span diverse food-tech verticals, from blockchain supply chain solutions to AI-powered food safety platforms to restaurant management software. With 68 total investments across 53 active portfolio companies, the program has become one of the most important and closely watched accelerators in the rapidly growing food technology venture space.