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Plant-based startups collaborate through new accelerator platform

(Source: Bigstock.)

Plant-based food manufacturers across the Asia Pacific region may have an easier path to market after the launch of an Australian manufacturing accelerator PlantForm. 

Founder Allen Zelden, a food tech investment adviser who also founded plant-based startup consultancy Intrinity Global, says PlantForm will offer a unique service tearing down barriers to entry in the market and accelerating scale at a crucial time for the plant-based industry.

“While adoption of plant-based food is at a tipping point globally with capital flowing into the sector, a major use of these funds is tied up in building new manufacturing capabilities and research and development,” Zelden says.

PlantForm says its partners have 25 years of experience in bringing some 1000 plant-based SKUs to market across Asia-Pacific. That experience will help position the company as a manufacturing partner to help new startups move into the space   

“By accelerating company growth and innovation, we aim to alter consumerism and supply systems beyond traditional capital forces to catapult the industry forward and ultimately reduce our reliance on animal agriculture,” says Zelden.

“Given manufacturing typically represents the greatest portion of net proceeds when accessing external capital by plant-based food companies, we aim to bridge the gap between [product development] and the path to market with the specialist resources required for scale by creating partnerships to produce plant-based foods and leverage a greater global market by virtue of our infrastructure, network, and product development capabilities.”

PlantForm will offer research and development assistance, co-investment opportunities and “a deep connection to the food-tech production ecosystem”.

Partners in the venture own – or can access – plant-based production facilities in countries including Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. 

Zelden says the company is already working on partnerships with plant-based startups which will be revealed later.

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