Farm management solutions business Herdwatch has partnered with University College Dublin (UCD) to launch a new ‘accelerator programme’ that will provide training to early-stage agri-technology and food technology start-up companies.
The AgTechUCD ‘Agccelerator’ programme is a 12-week programme that includes business development workshops; investor readiness training; mentoring from agri-tech and food-tech experts and business advisors; and facilitated introductions to UCD‘s capital and business networks.
The programme, which begins in September, will see all participating start-ups pitch their businesses to a panel of investors with the opportunity to be awarded prize funding in a number of award categories.
Herdwatch will provide financial and mentoring support to participating start-ups, with a view to increasing the latter’s visibility.
Herdwatch CEO and co-founder Fabien Peyaud said: “Having a number of UCD alumni on the team, including our head of innovation James Greevy, we are vey excited to partner with AgTechUCD on this programme and support continuous innovation in the sector with the ultimate goal to make farmers’ lives easier and more sustainable.”
The programme concludes in early December when all participating start-ups will pitch their businesses to a panel of investors.
AgTechUCD manager Niamh Collins commented: “Herdwatch is a role model example of how innovative technology for the agri-sector can grow and scale over a relatively short period of time.
“AgTechUCD will support start-up founders who are tackling current challenges in the agri-tech and food-tech value chain, as they build their innovative business into leading enterprises,” she concluded.
To learn more about the programme or to apply for it, click here or here.