ProVeg Incubator Backs Russia’s First Animal-Free Food-Tech Accelerator

Russia’s first plant-based start-up accelerator has attracted support from Europe’s meat-free proponents under the ProVeg Incubator. The program is steered by the newly-formed non-profit Association of Alternative Food Products Producers (AAFPP). Through a partnership, the two organizations are targeting companies that are developing alternatives to animal-based products. This includes start-ups developing plant-based ingredients, cultured meat and seafood, and food-tech products such as 3D bioprinting.

This accelerator, based in the Moscow and Kaluga region, will be welcoming its first cohort of start-ups this spring. Participating entrepreneurs will be either based in Russia or the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) or focused on targeting those markets.

Julia Marsel, Co-Founder of the AAFPP and of ProVeg Incubator alumni start-up Greenwise, notes that the accelerator began with a plant-based brand focus, but has broadened in its scope in the food-tech sphere over the years. “In Russia and other Russian-speaking regions, the alternative food market is still in its infancy and needs support,” she remarks. “That’s why we decided to set up an organization that, together with the ProVeg Incubator, will support start-ups and help to achieve our shared goal of a future food system that doesn’t rely on animal ingredients.” Greenwise is one of Russia’s first plant-based meat companies. The start-up graduated from the ProVeg Incubator in 2019 and is now selling products at over 2,000 retailers in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan.

Source: Foodingredientsfirst.com