The Nutrition Cluster at the Competence Center for Nutrition (KErn) is initiating the food startup competition NEXT LEVEL!. With this competition, the industry cluster aims to promote innovative food startups from Germany. The application period runs until June 1, 2018. Interested food startups are invited to apply. to advertise via the crowdfunding platform Startnext.
“With this competition, we want to promote young food companies that can convince not only the jury, but above all their target audience,”
so Dr. Simon Reitmeier, Managing Director of the Nutrition Cluster.
All start-ups founded after January 1, 2014, whose residence or headquarters is in Germany, and whose innovative projects directly or indirectly serve the production of food and beverages are eligible to participate in NEXT LEVEL!
The funding goal must be at least €8,000. Furthermore, the startups' products must already be available for the market and therefore scalable, or be available for the market in scalable quantities in a timely manner (within six months). Startups must be able to deliver their crowdfunding rewards within a reasonable timeframe after the end of the financing phase.
Round 1: Number of supporters counts
On June 4, 2018, the jury will announce the participants admitted to NEXT LEVEL!. They will prepare their crowdfunding campaigns and compete against each other on the crowdfunding platform Startnext from September 20 to October 15. The decisive factor is not the amount of funds raised, but the number of people who have received something in return from the participating startups in exchange for financial support.
The Nutrition Cluster will award three cash prizes (€5,000, €3,000, and €2,000) in the form of funding grants. Startups can then further increase their funding until the end of the funding phase on October 25, 2018. The first-place winner will also receive a free exhibition booth at the FOOD & LIFE trade fair (November 28–December 2, 2018) in Munich.
Round 2: The Food Startup Pitch
The three winners of the Food Crowdfunding Competition automatically qualify for the Food Startup Pitch. In this phase of the Food Startup Competition, participants must present themselves in a pitch to the jury and convince them of their startup, their products, and their potential within a short time. Those who succeed have the chance to win additional prizes: a consulting package from the Food Lab of the Genussakademie Bayern, a month at the FOODSTARTUPTABLE at Feinkost Käfer, and exclusive coaching from ProSiebenSat.1 Accelerator with the chance to win a media participation of 1 million euros from SevenVentures, the leading TVMedia investor worldwide.
Participants receive crowdfunding advice
To help participating startups prepare their crowdfunding campaigns, experts from StartinFOOD are available. In a webinar and individual consultation sessions, they will learn what's important in crowdfunding and how to target their community.
Crowdfunding as a marketing tool
"Crowdfunding offers food startups an ideal marketing and financing tool. Crowdfunding is so interesting for young companies in the food sector because they can reach their target audience through all available channels and test the marketability of their product,"
says Christine Purnell, start-up consultant of StartinFOOD.
Young and innovative food companies can Apply now directly on Startnext.
