British supermarket Tesco has launched Innovation Connections, an accelerator program that pairs startups with selected suppliers to fast-track innovation in food supply chains.
Together with WWF, Tesco selected eight startups from 70 applications to pitch their concepts earlier this month. Winners will work with long-term Tesco suppliers to pilot and scale their innovations and will each receive GBP 150,000 in funding.
Examples include InsPro's portable bioconversion units that use insects to convert food waste into chicken feed (paired with prepared fruit processor Prepworld) and AgriSound's bioacoustics technology that monitors pollinators and pest levels (connected to fruit supplier AM Fresh).
Innovation Connections is part of an ongoing partnership between Tesco and WWF aiming halve the environmental impact of the average UK shopping basket.
