Food System 6™ Reveals Newest Cohort in their Accelerator Program

Food System 6 (FS6), a business accelerator in the San Francisco Bay Area, is announcing the members of their 3rd cohort this morning. The companies were selected from hundreds of innovations from around the globe. These teams, individually and collectively, present an opportunity for significant impact on the way the food chain is structured. FS6 brings a systems approach to identifying and understanding opportunities for both technology and business model innovations that can improve the environmental, physical, and social health of the food system.

The following six companies have been selected to receive 16 weeks of targeted support and coaching from the FS6 network, with ongoing assistance and mentorship over the subsequent 2-3 years. There are four for-profit and two non-profit companies represented in Cohort 3.

“Our third cohort joins our portfolio of 17 companies who are transforming how we grow, produce and distribute food,” says Renske Lynde, Co-Founder and Managing Director of FS6. “These teams represent the full range of positive, forward-looking solutions to some of our food system’s greatest challenges.  We are honored to support their growth and continued impact.”

FS6 Cohort 3 Includes:

• AgriDigital – Simplifying the agricultural supply chain through a fully traceable, trusted and secure blockchain enabled commodity management platform.
• FluroSat – Applying analytics to remote sensing hyperspectral imaging to inform better decision-making for modern crop production.
• FoodCorps – FoodCorps cultivates the people, practices and policies that make schools healthy places for students to eat, learn and grow.
• Kunoa – Sustainably grown meats that are rebuilding Hawaii’s food shed.
• The Philosopher’s Stoneground – Delicious regenerative food products that enable thriving organisms and ecosystems.
• Valley Verde – Developing an independent food system of culturally relevant organic produce from seed to harvest in low-income communities.

To read more about the members of Cohort 3, visit FoodSystem6.org/Portfolio.

The FS6 Program supports both for-profit and non-profit companies in each cohort.  The selected teams are chosen through a rigorous process that takes into consideration the transformative impact potential, economic viability, and diversity of ideas. The 16-week program includes 1:1 coaching and mentoring as well as a full range of technical assistance including storytelling, public speaking, support and guidance in operations, sales and marketing, legal, Board development, hiring practices, and more. In addition, Cohort participants gain access to FS6’s large network of corporate partners, funders and investors across the US and globally.

“Before FS6, I was just a person trying to solve a problem for myself and the community,” said Julia Niiro, Founder & CEO of MilkRun and member of FS6 Cohort 2. “Leaving FS6, our business became a player in shaping how our food system, at large, will operate and what/who it will impact. It gave me motivation to continue to ask questions and opened my eyes to all of the people and organizations who share these values. It gave us a home.”

To learn more about the program, or to apply for an upcoming cohort, visit FoodSystem6.org/apply.

About Food System 6

Food System 6 (FS6) is a non-profit business accelerator whose mission is to support impact-driven entrepreneurs as they transform how we grow, produce, and distribute food. The organization runs a comprehensive program that mentors entrepreneurs by coaching them through a wide range of business and organizational needs. FS6 also works to educate stakeholders on the unique capital needs as related to redefining the food system. The FS6 portfolio includes 52 companies, both for profit and nonprofit, of which 50% are female-led and 43% are BIPOC founded or BIPOC serving. Since Cohort 1 (2016), the FS6 portfolio has seen a 90% survival rate and the portfolio companies have raised more than $30mil in blended capital. Additional information on the FS6 portfolio can be found here: www.foodsystem6.org/portfolio.html.