VFDF’s Germinator is a pre-incubator programme on the Viikki campus for innovator teams consisting of researchers, master students and/or free agent innovators. The programme offers the innovator teams sector specific coaching, mentoring and lab facilities, and its call for the second batch of teams is open now.
Founder Institute is the world's largest early-stage startup programme and network with proven impact in supporting the creation of fundable startups, and scaling them into global businesses. Its FIFoods global networks provide the VFDF Germinator teams access to global markets and investments.
The collaboration between VFDF and FIFood is an advantageous alliance in accelerating food system innovations from lab to business on an international scale from the very beginning. It is a new strength in building an impactful agrifood startup ecosystem to the Viikki campus, making Viikki an interesting place to study, research and develop new world-class food system innovations. For Founder Institute VFDF provides early insights into the Finnish food and agri startup scene. Sector professionals from both teams will engage in each other’s programmes’ mentoring activities.
Collaboration with Urban Tech Helsinki for increasing networking among startups and professionals
Viikki Food Design Factory joins forces with the incubator Urban Tech Helsinki in cross-pollinating the growing ecosystem of startups working on sustainability impact sectors. While VFDF focuses on the food system transforming solutions and teams on the agri and food sectors, Urban Tech Helsinki concentrates on clean and sustainable urban solutions, more precisely circular economy, smart city, future wellbeing and urban farming.
The ambition is to help the startups and professionals on these fields find each other and generate new opportunities for sustainable business development, growth and employment.
The first collaborative event, Food Systems Mix&Match takes place on the 25th of May at the Maria01. The event brings together teams and startups working on sustainable food and agri solutions and professionals looking for future employment opportunities in the field. Read more about the event and who has already signed up at the Mix&Match news page.