3rd Edition of "On the Road" by Culinary Action!: An Initiative Aimed at Discovering the Most Innovative Startups Internationally
Culinary Action! has opened registration for the third edition of Culinary Action! On the Road, an international entrepreneurship program for foodtech startups that will kick off in October 2023. The program will take place through competitions in Tokyo (Japan), Copenhagen (Denmark), Buenos Aires (Argentina), New York (USA), and Tel-Aviv (Israel), in collaboration with local partners such as the Future Food Institute, Tokyo Food Institute, Danish Startup Group, Dansk Erhverv, Parque de Innovación, Company Ventures, Green Circle Capital Advisors, Cornell University, Cardumen Capital, and The Kitchen FoodTech Hub.
This marks the third edition of this international itinerant competition launched by Culinary Action!, the gastronomic entrepreneurship program of the Basque Culinary Center and Hazi Fundazioa. It is part of The Food Global Ecosystem, a public-private project promoted by the Basque Government and composed of over 60 companies. Its aim is to attract innovative projects, entrepreneurial talent, and startups in the technological aspects of the agri-food sector to the Basque Country.
In 2023, "CA! On the Road" will seek startups whose activities are within the scope of 360º gastronomy and food technology. The initiative is oriented towards startups proposing products or services that promote the transformation of stakeholders in the gastronomy value chain, including chefs, service staff, managers, producers, distributors, diners, etc.
All startups interested in participating can submit their applications to be part of this competition through the Culinary Action! website (https://culinaryaction.com/ontheroad/). After the application deadline, approximately one month before each event, representatives from the Basque Culinary Center and local partners will evaluate the submitted startups and select five finalists in each of the cities where the local competitions will take place. To participate in the championship, startups must be in the early-stage or seed phase.
In the second edition of the championship, Reborn Farms, a startup from New York focusing on building hyper-local food systems in areas with economic disadvantages due to racial or climate equity, emerged as the winner. The final competition featured Origino (Buenos Aires), Mimic Seafood (Copenhagen), O'Taste (Tel Aviv), and Greenase (Tokyo).
In the first edition of Culinary Action! On The Road, the Danish startup Dryk emerged victorious for its commitment to health and sustainability and its work in developing nutritious dairy-free and plant-based beverages from vegetable protein. The final in Donostia-San Sebastián also featured MOA foodtech (Madrid), Bordery (Biarritz), and ANINA Culinary Art (Tel Aviv).
During the local competition days, the five finalist startups will present their projects to a team of experts and attendees, including investors, mentors, and local agents, in an 'elevator pitch' format, accompanied by roundtable discussions and keynote speakers from local partners. Following this, the team of experts will select one winning startup at each stop.
The winning startups at each local event will receive a one-month residency prize at the LABe-Digital Gastronomy Lab startup incubator in Donostia-San Sebastián, an open innovation living lab managed by the Basque Culinary Center. They will also have the opportunity to carry out 20 hours of research and innovation projects at BCC Innovation, the technological center for gastronomy at the Basque Culinary Center. During this time, startups will have the chance to participate in an advanced program on the GOe Community digital platform, where they can connect with the network of experts and mentors from the Basque Culinary Center and receive various types of support, including access to the center's investor network, networking, and assistance in establishing themselves in the local ecosystem.
The five local finalists will compete in a grand final scheduled for early 2024 in Donostia-San Sebastián. This final will bring together the winning startups from each country, where the winner of the third edition of "CA! On The Road" will be selected. The winning startup will receive a six-month residency at LABe-Digital Gastronomy Lab, along with an additional voucher for 25 hours of research and innovation projects at the technological center, BCC Innovation.