If so, you can join the KATANA competition and benefit from the financing and services offered by one of the most innovative European accelerators!
KATANA aims to boost innovation in the agrifood sector by supporting European SMEs and start-ups. Companies can get access to knowledge, technology, capital and markets in order to respond to the competitive global environment. In addition, KATANA invites investors and policy makers to get involved in the adventure.
Competition for individuals, start-ups and SMEs
You can join the competition by uploading a 2-minute video pitch to present your ideas (Dec 1st 2016 till Feb 28th 1017). Participants have to evaluate each other in March 2017, which determines the 100 winners of this first phase. The 100 winners will receive training and a grant to cover costs. In April 2017, these winners have to team-up with other companies who work in a different part of the agrifood value chain and/or in another country.
At this stage, everybody is welcome to join the matchmaking events which are held across Europe. Perhaps you can team-up with a winner and join the KATANA competition from this stage on. The newly formed teams ‘consortia’ will then attend a 3-days bootcamp and get access to a crowdfunding platform to raise money for their product/service. The 10 consortia which raise the most money will then be granted 100.000 euro and benefit from even more services. They will join an investment readiness program and launch their product/service successfully on the marked before the end of December 2018.
Join the competition with a pitch
- When? 1st December 2016 till 31st March 2017
- Who? Individuals, start-ups or SMEs who have idea for innovation in the agrifood value chain
- Where? Upload a 2-minute video on the KATANA website: http://katanaproject.eu/apply-now/
Join the matchmaking events
- When? April 2017
- Who? Everyone, including the companies/individuals who were not amongst the top 100.
- Where? Many countries across Europe, but for sure in Germany, Serbia, Spain, Denmark, Italy, Greece and the Netherlands/Belgium.
Three online platforms
KATANA also delivers three online platforms providing ready-to-use toolboxes for the development of products and services. Apart from an online Marketplace for Precision Agriculture Services and a Platform for Mobile Services in the agrifood market, the so-called FunFood Toolbox will offer valuable data for the design of functional foods.
This toolbox will contain information on bioactive compounds and their resources (plants, algae, etc.), promising novel processes, for different food categories and consumer groups (such as pregnant women or athletes), including info on leading companies and research groups, EU food legislation, and recipes for the design of functional food products, such as probiotic yoghurts, bread with extra portions of omega-3 fatty acids and iodine or so-called “brain foods”.
Brainstorm the future
All these new ideas should fit in our future, where we have food for all in a changing world. Therefore, EFFoST and the other KATANA partners work on a Technology Watch & Future Trends plan within the KATANA project to inspire participants. You are more than welcome to get engaged in the next two years during our brainstorm sessions and evaluations with experts.
Stay tuned