The first incubation program for innovation in HORECA projects developed by the Madrid City Council starts, from the Madrid Food Innovation Hub, the business incubator aimed at promoting entrepreneurship, innovation and technology in the agri-food value chain. This is a pioneering experience in the world and one that will revolutionize the global industry from the city of Madrid.
At the Madrid Food Innovation Hub, various training programs will be developed throughout the year. incubation and acceleration, with different approaches; and a deep Training program for entrepreneurs in any area of the agri-food chain. The business incubator will work to promote entrepreneurship in Foodtech, supporting the Madrid startup ecosystem, in coordination with the strategy developed from Madrid Emprende, which has led the capital to lead the ranking as the best Spanish city for entrepreneurship and the sixth at a level Europe, according to the Financial Times.
All these efforts will be developed from Madrid Food Innovation Hub, a center that has a coworking space for entrepreneurs and a kitchen-laboratory of more than 300 m2, equipped with everything necessary so that they can carry out proofs of concept, evaluation of prototypes and everything necessary to develop their projects. The center will be managed by the company Eatable Adventures with José de Isasa leading the project.
Incubation program for innovation in HORECA projects
This business incubator begins its activities with its first incubation program, focused on innovation for HORECA projects, aimed at finding new gastronomic concepts, new business models or tools/projects that add to the current HORECA sector. The selected projects will have the ambition to revolutionize the sector, with a very clear focus on the commercial viability of the projects and their contribution to the industry.
The program, which is totally free for the participants, will last 12 weeks, during which those selected will receive theoretical and practical sessions, tutorials with experts, will be able to make use of the nursery facilities (both the coworking space and the laboratory kitchen), and will end the program with presentations of their projects to potential consumers and investors.
Among the possible areas in which the projects could be framed, it will be valued tools for digitization of restaurant management, from purchases, management, operation, price tags, marketing, to payments; new distribution channels, What Delivery, grab & go, dark kitchens, automated services, corners in establishments…; new gastronomic models and restaurant concepts, both in the living room and in the kitchen or innovative technological tools applied to the channel What business intelligence, machine learning, artificial intelligence application, automation, robotics…
It is intended for projects with less than 12 months of life, that have not received prior investment, that approach the HORECA sector with an innovative perspective, that have an ambitious team and are based in the Community of Madrid. Those projects promoted by the unemployed or people in a situation of economic vulnerability will be especially valued.
“The Madrid hotel industry has suffered significant damage in the last 18 months due to the impact of COVID-19 and the Madrid City Council has developed a multitude of policies aimed at supporting it and alleviating its effects. With Madrid Food Innovation Hub we go even further, looking for solutions for the future that will help the HORECA sector to evolve and continue to be the global reference that it is today” comments Ángel Niño, Delegate Councilor for Innovation and Entrepreneurship of the Madrid City Council.
“Madrid is today a global reference in entrepreneurship, with one of the most solid startup ecosystems and with the Madrid Food Innovation Hub we will delve into one of the sectors with the most potential, foodtech. The capital has the potential to lead the search for solutions to changes in consumer habits and the development of new technologies, promoting business development in this area” comments José de Isasa, Director of Madrid Food Innovation Hub and founding partner of Eatable Adventures.
The period for the admission of candidacies ends on Sunday, September 19. Complete databases are available at www.madridfoodinnovationhub.com
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