BFFood selects the 14 innovative projects that will participate in its third edition

Business Factory Food (BFFood), the vertical accelerator for the Galician food sector promoted by the Xunta de Galicia and driven by the Galician Food Cluster (Clusaga) and leading companies in the Galician food industry, has selected the 14 projects that will participate in its third edition.

Of those selected, 6 will enter the consolidation program and 8 the acceleration program. The vast majority of them come from Galician startups, but there are also initiatives from Madrid, Bilbao, Logroño and Barcelona.

All of them will receive comprehensive and specialized support, for nine months in the case of acceleration and 12 in consolidation, with access to mentoring, training, coaching, technical services, infrastructure and resources specifically designed for their field of development with the aim of driving their innovative idea to address the sector’s challenges.

In addition, each startup will have the opportunity to receive financial support, through a participating loan from the Xunta through XesGalicia, which could entail a capitalization option of up to a maximum of €250,000 in the consolidation program. While in the acceleration program, they will also be able to access funding from the Galician Government through the Galician Innovation Agency (Gain), of €25,000 as a non-refundable grant, and from XesGalicia, through a participating loan that could entail a capitalization option of up to €50,000.

This third edition has received a total of 62 applications both nationally and internationally and has had the support of 20 leading companies in the Galician food sector, which were seeking innovative solutions aligned with resolving the challenges posed among the proposals received, to support them in their market entry, thus generating business opportunities for both.

These companies, Bodegas Martín Códax, Cafés Candelas, Calvo, CEAMSA, Clavo Food Factory, Congalsa, CLUN, Corporación Laber, DS Smith, Gadis, Galacteum, Grupo Pereira, Kiwi Atlántico, CAPSA FOOD (Larsa), LENCE (Grupo Leche Río), Nueva Pescanova, Quescrem, Torre de Núñez, Vegalsa Eroski and Viña Costeira, will also be responsible for the mentoring process of the projects selected in BFFood.

Selected projects consolidation program

Ethical Farm Box (Biopraedium): this project from A Coruña, promoted in the 2nd edition of the BFFood acceleration program, offers a modular system of shipping containers for the automated production of hydroponic green fodder for livestock feed. It offers a solution to the challenge of developing new products and will have the mentoring of Rubén Hidalgo, director of innovation and entrepreneurship at CAPSA FOOD (Larsa), in the 3rd edition of the consolidation program.

Galinsect: from Pontevedra, this startup, which was also part of the 2nd edition of the BFFood acceleration program, works on obtaining insect protein and organic fertilizer from fruit and vegetable waste. It will participate with the support of Juanjo de la Cerda, corporate director of R&D and Quality at Nueva Pescanova, Carlos Alberte, technical director of viticulture at Viña Costeira, and Antón García, CEO of Corporación Laber, in the mentoring program to address the sustainability and packaging challenge.

Hk:coffee: startup from Lugo, promoted in the 2nd edition of the BFFood acceleration program, which offers a monitoring and data analysis system for the Horeca channel based on Internet of Things. It addresses the digitalization and automation challenge and will be mentored by Alejandro Álvarez, financial director of Cafés Candelas.

Kiwanda Food: this initiative from Santiago de Compostela also participated in the 2nd edition of the BFFood acceleration program. It offers a solution for stock management, traceability and waste control for fruit and vegetable companies, using RFID technology. It addresses the logistics challenge and will be accompanied by José Carlos Vila, general manager of Kiwi Atlántico, in the mentoring program.

Mobitec: this project from Vigo provides online tracking services online for goods and merchandise, intermodal and in real time independent of the means of transport used. It addresses the logistics challenge and will have the support of Iago Candal, design & innovation manager at DS Smith, in the mentoring process.

Wapping: innovative SaaS platform for retailers and brands to analyze their customers’ behavior and build loyalty, which has been developed by entrepreneurs from A Coruña. It addresses the process innovation and commercialization challenge and will be mentored by Carmen Lence, CEO of Lence (Grupo Leche Río), and Mónica Cascallar, innovation director at Congalsa.

Selected projects acceleration program

Advanced Optical Technologies (AOTECH): project from Bilbao that offers photonic solutions for the automation of food industrial processes. It addresses the traceability, quality and food safety challenge and will have the mentoring of Antón García, CEO of Corporación Laber.

Eliter: project from Lugo that has developed a tool that guarantees the traceability of calves from their farm of origin, through a blockchain registry, with the aim of ensuring they meet optimal age, health and welfare parameters. It offers a solution to the traceability, quality and food safety challenge and will have the mentoring of Rubén Hidalgo, director of innovation and entrepreneurship at CAPSA FOOD (Larsa), and Ángel Pereira, Chief Innovation Officer at Galacteum.

Ghop – Smart stores: this initiative from Madrid is based on the development of smart stores without staff that are energy self-sufficient and with a structure of already used shipping containers. It addresses the process innovation and commercialization challenge and will be mentored by Antonio Cortés, director of corporate social responsibility at Gadis.

INGAL – Insects of Galicia: initiative from A Coruña based on the production of insect flours and proteins for the poultry and aquaculture sector. It offers a response to the new product development challenge and will have the mentoring of Gabriela González, director of corporate social responsibility at Vegalsa Eroski.

KaldoS: initiative from Lugo that works on the use of cheese whey to obtain beverages aimed at the Horeca channel, through different fermentation processes (alcoholic, lactic, carbonic or acetic). It provides a solution to the sustainability and packaging challenge and will have Pablo Gómez, director of the dairy division at CLUN, Carmen Lence, CEO of Lence (Grupo Leche Río), and Ángel Pereira, Chief Innovation Officer at Galacteum, in the mentoring program.

Mindsaic: startup from Madrid specialized in creating advanced artificial assistants. Its platform for agile modeling and implementation of conversational artificial intelligence is capable of triggering processes in the client’s technological infrastructure during the conversation with the user. It addresses the process innovation and commercialization challenge and will be supported in the mentoring program by Gabriela González, director of corporate social responsibility at Vegalsa Eroski.

ODSProtein: project by entrepreneurs from Vigo who have developed a high-value alternative protein from the fungus Fusarium Venenatum with an ideal formulation and texture to be incorporated into food products. They offer a response to the new product development challenge and will be mentored by Rubén Hidalgo, director of innovation and entrepreneurship at CAPSA FOOD (Larsa), and Antón García, CEO of Corporación Laber.

TOTALGAC Food: startup from Logroño that offers an intelligent and predictive cybersecurity system for food infrastructures. It provides a solution to the digitalization and automation challenge and will work with the support of Ángel Pereira, Chief Innovation Officer at Galacteum, in the mentoring program.