MassChallenge Switzerland Announces Partnership with Südzucker Group
LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND MassChallenge Switzerland, part of MassChallenge’s global network of zero-equity startup accelerators, today announced that it will partner with Südzucker Group, a leading company in the food industry. The partnership will leverage the two organizations respective strengths, opening new opportunities for mutual growth, assuring entrepreneurial growth and solutions to the challenges facing the food industry.
Through the partnership, Südzucker Group will thus gain direct access to disruptive and innovative technologies and services in the food sector, while MassChallenge Switzerland will receive financial support and sector expertise that will be channelled towards the most high-potential, high impact early-stage startups.
As an important player in the food industry it is important for Südzucker Group to follow up early stage innovations to bring new solutions for customers and consumers. We see MassChallenge Switzerland and the newly created EIT food accelerator network as the ideal platform to connect and collaborate with high-potential early stage start-ups that could impact our future industry landscape. Our broad business spectrum from farm to fork gives versatile starting points for a fruitful collaboration with disruptive ideas of the start-ups. With our production, product and market knowledge we are prepared to support the young entrepreneurs for a successful start and hope for a joint future activity, said Randolf Burisch Head of Business Unit Sugar/Sales at Südzucker Group.
We are very pleased that one of the biggest EU company in the food commodity has manifested its interest in having access to open innovation. The diversity of Südzucker Groups business opens many opportunities for testing business ideas with startups, which will in the end provide solutions that will serve the industrys ever growing needs, said Thierry Duvanel, Managing Director of MassChallenge Switzerland.
Südzuckerr, with its sugar, special products, CropEnergies and fruit segments, is one of the leading companies in the food industry. In the traditional sugar business, the group is the worlds leading producer, with 29 sugar factories and two refineries, extending from France in the west via Belgium, Germany and Austria, through to Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, Bosnia and Moldova in the east. The special products segment, consisting of the functional ingredients for food and animal feed (BENEO), chilled/frozen products (Freiberger), portion packs (PortionPack Europe) and starch divisions, is an important growth driver. The CropEnergies segment covers the bioethanol activities in Germany, Belgium, France and the UK. In the fruit segment, the group operates internationally, is the world market leader for fruit preparations and is a leading supplier of fruit juice concentrates in Europe. In 2016/17, the group employed about 16,900 persons and generated revenues of EUR 6.5 billion.
MassChallenge is a global network of zero-equity startup accelerators. Headquartered in the United States with locations in Boston, Israel, Mexico, Switzerland, Texas, and the UK, MassChallenge is committed to strengthening the global innovation ecosystem by supporting high-potential early stage startups across all industries, from anywhere in the world. To date, 1,500 MassChallenge alumni have raised over $3 billion in funding, generated over $2 billion in revenue, and created over 80,000 total jobs. Learn more about MassChallenge at masschallenge.org.
MassChallenge Switzerland Founding Partners: Barry Callebaut, Bler, GEA, Givaudan, Inartis Foundation, Nestl Swiss Economic Forum