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Grow Your Startup With The Agro Innovation Lab Acceleration Program 2017!

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After a very successful first batch, the Agro Innovation Lab (AIL) is now starting the call for their Acceleration Program 2017. AgriTech startups can apply until May 28th, and here's why they should:

AIL, the innovation unit of BayWa & RWA, two of the most important players in the global agriculture industry with more than 1.000 distribution sites, seeks innovative startups active in the field of agriculture to accelerate them and help their positioning on the market. Launched in 2016, the fruitful first batch is the best factor of validation that AIL’s program works. In fact, it works so well, that the acceleration program has been expanded for this year’s edition. 2017 brings new mentors, new markets, and an extended acceleration program to the table.

20 Weeks To Grow Your Startup

The outspoken goal of the innovation unit is to make innovations in the agricultural sector more accessible, which is why the Agro Innovation Lab is looking for the best product ideas, services, and business models which will be developed and further grown during the program. The support of the AIL goes a long way: from provided resources like an extensive new mentor network and financing to laboratory access & technical equipment. 2017’s program will help six chosen AgriTech startups to develop their business model, establish a sales structure, and expand their market.

As one of AIL’s core objectives is to be agile, disruptive, and have their finger on the pulse of time, various agricultural sectors like IoT where added to their fields of interest:

Agro Innovation Lab_Acceleration Program 2017

After the application deadline end of May, all startups will be assessed by experts to identify crossing points between their technology and the agrarian core competencies of BayWa & RWA. The six startups with the best and most suitable innovations will be invited to a 4-months long acceleration program in Vienna and Munich from September 2017 until February 2018. However, out of the 20 weeks only six will take place in either in Germany or Austria, the other 14 will be held remotely to ensure later-stage startups can continue their current business operations.

Collaborating With Two Of The Most Important Agriculture Players

The startups that make it will be supported both in optimizing their prototypes and expanding their market. However, this is not a short-term partnership for the Agro Innovation Lab. The AIL clearly aims for a long-term solution either as a cooperation partner, investor, or both, although startups have the unique opportunity to decide whether to participate in an equity-based program or a non-equity program.

Another big plus is the opportunity to cooperate with BayWa & RWA, two of the most important players in the agricultural sector throughout Central and Eastern Europe. The companies are located in Munich and Vienna, which is also where the acceleration program will take place while additionally guaranteeing an even broader network of experts and mentors. This global mindset is not one-sided: last year, 160 startups from 49 countries applied, as Reinhard Bauer, CEO at AIL shares: “We are very proud that the Agro Innovation Lab was so successful internationally and glad that we are able to kick off our second edition now. We are looking forward to applications from even more countries around the world this year!”.

Want to be one of the six disruptive startups of AIL’s Acceleration Program 2017? Then apply until May 28th & make sure to follow all updates on Facebook!

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