Agrytech Accelerator Special Edition graduated six startups with innovations across the agri-food value chain covering agri-supply, business model innovations and the future of food.
Agrytech Accelerator Special Edition
The first phase of the program onboarded 10 relatively more mature startups with existing proof of concept, that went through a three-month support cycle. During this cycle, the teams were supported through capacity building to develop their products and business, and establish their marketing, go-to-market strategy, branding, and operational strategies. The acceleration phase ended with an expert jury selecting the top six companies that went into the Incubation Phase for the following three months.
During the second phase, the selected startups worked on scaling, including investment readiness support in negotiation, internal governance, legal, valuation, term sheets and due diligence, and sales and market access. The startups tested and validated their solutions. In addition, four teams: Kenza Kitchen, Legendairy, REMER, and WhiteLogs benefited from international exposure during their 5-day immersion and a soft-landing program in the Kingdom of The Netherlands at the Wageningen University and Research and StartLife accelerator.
Lebanese Innovations in Agri-food
For the end of the Accelerator Program, Berytech organized a Meet & Network session where the six startups took the stage during a pitching demonstration to pitch the culmination of the work they have done on developing their solutions in the past six months. The entrepreneurs had five minutes each to pitch their solutions followed by questions from the audience of professionals, investors, and experts in the agri-food sector.
The Graduating Startups
The six startups that graduated from the Agrytech Accelerator Program Special Edition are:
- Brisky is a startup working on making dehydrated snacks with an extended shelf life and no preservatives.
“We have gained valuable knowledge and connections that helped shape our business model and improve our understanding of the different components of our startup. The program also challenged the team and helped them grow on a personal level, teaching them how to handle pressure and push their limits. As a result of the Agrytech Accelerator, Brisky shifted to producing functional snacks and established two beneficial partnerships.”
Stated Sirène Radwan, Co-Founder of Brisky
- Kenza Kitchen is a startup working on creating vegetable wraps using local organic or natural vegetables and fruits.
“I have extensive knowledge in the production process, but when it came to other aspects of the business, I leveraged the knowledge and expertise that the program had provided to scan the local market, identify customer needs and make data-driven decisions.”
Stated Randa Chlala, the co-founder of Kenza Kitchen
- Legendairy is working on plant-based dairy alternative products making plant-based dairy accessible, affordable, and optimal for consumers.
“The Agrytech Accelerator program has been instrumental in helping Legendairy achieve its goal of making vegan alternatives, particularly culturally specific products, more accessible in our local market. With the help of the program, we were able to purchase equipment, renovate our facilities, and develop our brand identity. As a result, we created 4 different products and refined our labneh formulation to be more efficient and scalable. We now produce a variety of vegan milks and are preparing to launch our signature vegan labneh. Thanks to the support of Berytech, we were able to relatively grow our vegan food brand.”
Stated Charbel Ghanem, the co-founder of Legendairy
- Little Melly is working on creating freshly made and additive-free baby food making fresh and healthy baby food accessible to today’s busy yet health-conscious parents.
“The most difficult thing in this journey was the execution. Generating a business idea was the easy part but being persistent in executing it despite the numerous obstacles and challenges wasn’t easy. Fortunately, the program provided me with an experienced mentor who guided me throughout my journey and held me accountable for delivering the best results.”
Stated Jennifer Mansour, Co-Founder of Little Melly
- REMER is working on a mixed culture of naturally occurring beneficial organisms that can be applied as soil inoculants.
“The current circumstances in Lebanon may not be encouraging to many entrepreneurs, but there are two things that have driven me to launch and accelerate REMER: My urge to build something local and sustainable that would provide a source of revenue for my family, and of course Berytech, that I was able to lean on through the support of the Agrytech Accelerator Program and its vast pool of industry experts and trainers.”
Stated Mario Mrad, Co-Founder of REMER
- WhiteLogs is working on promoting mushroom cultivation by providing products and services for mushroom farmers.
“After returning to Lebanon, I had big hopes of growing my startup; with the help of Berytech’s Agrytech program, we were able to make a significant move forward. There is no doubt that the business support, the technical support, and the grants contributed greatly to the growth of Whitelogs. However, what motivated us the most was the ecosystem of highly driven entrepreneurs that we were exposed to that helped us feel part of a greater cause in creating a positive impact.”
Stated Najib Yazbeck, the co-founder of WhiteLogs
About Agrytech
Berytech designed and developed the Agrytech program to make sure Lebanon has the most competitive companies that are sourcing, solving, growing, and transforming food, as well as feeding the world from Lebanon. The Agrytech Accelerator Program is under the ACT Smart Innovation Hub, a new out-of-the-box approach by Berytech, co-funded by the Kingdom of The Netherlands, which aims at strengthening business advancement and job creation in the Agri-food and Cleantech sectors in Lebanon. Berytech supports innovations across these sectors by offering startups the resources, knowledge, support, and funding worth around $35K, necessary to scale their ideas and grow them to penetrate international markets.
