UK-based foodtech accelerator CamLab launches remote program in Asia

CamLab, a Cambridge-based foodtech accelerator, said it’s set to open a new program for startups in Asia focused on environmental and economic sustainability.

Photo credit: CamLab

Called Lockdown Launch, the new program aims to inject participating startups with seed funding and provide them with international mentoring and support. The firms will also be plugged into CamLab’s network of local and international partners and clients, according to a statement.

CamLab said it is interested in “relentless, exceptional founders with serious integrity and who thrive in adversity, regardless of background.” The program is based on the premise that positive social impact and responsible business are not mutually exclusive, the company added.

Applications will begin on December 5 and will end on December 31 this year. The three-month program will start in February 2021 until its demo week where startups can pitch to a panel of investors from the UK, Europe, the US, China, and countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council.

CamLab described the accelerator program as a remote and virtual event, but it will be hybrid in practice as and when the Covid-19 pandemic health and safety situation allows.

“We, in the UK, have a historic and special relationship with South Asia in particular. We aim to build upon that in the most positive way possible – through shared sustainability goals, tech, knowledge sharing, and trade, based on genuine mutual respect and trust,” said M. Matthews, a member of the CamLab leadership team.

According to the company, the program is in line with its commitment to lean testing principles and, as such, is subject to change.