Mayor Carter Announces that Techstars Will Bring Technology Start-Up Program to Saint Paul
Farm to Fork Accelerator Program Will Bring 30 Agriculture and Food Technology Startups to Downtown Saint Paul Over Next Three Years
SAINT PAUL – Today, Mayor Melvin Carter announced the Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator Program, sponsored by Cargill and Ecolab, will be located in downtown Saint Paul. Over the next three years, the Techstars accelerator program will bring 30 new companies from across the entire food value chain to its new location in the Osborn370 building, including technology companies focused on agriculture, manufacturing and supply chains, food safety, waste reduction, and traceability.
These startups will benefit from support made possible through the investments of Techstars, Ecolab and Cargill, and will join an emerging cluster of notable technology companies located in downtown Saint Paul. Joining several technology companies already operating at Osborn370, the startups will have opportunities to collaborate with established innovators and will contribute to the entrepreneurial energy downtown.
- “This unique partnership with Techstars, Ecolab and Cargill will create a critical mass of entrepreneurs who will help lead Saint Paul into the future,” said Mayor Carter. “We are thrilled to bring innovators from across the globe to Saint Paul.”
- “We’re excited that this innovative program will bring young companies with some of the most promising new ideas in food safety and agricultural technology to Saint Paul,” said Doug Baker, chairman and CEO of Ecolab. “I want to thank Mayor Carter for his personal effort in ensuring that we were able to locate the Techstars program in Saint Paul.”
- “The Farm to Fork accelerator allows us to identify and invest in innovative entrepreneurs focused on bringing technology solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing the food industry today,” said David MacLennan, chairman and CEO of Cargill. “We are proud to host this program in Minnesota, honoring the food and agriculture entrepreneurs that built this industry here over 150 years ago.”
- “At Techstars we are committed to proactively building supportive and diverse entrepreneurial ecosystems,” said Brett Brohl, Managing Director of Techstars Farm to Form. “We are excited to bring the Farm to Fork Accelerator to downtown Saint Paul to help build upon the strong foundation already in place for entrepreneurs."
The Techstars move to Saint Paul aligns with, and furthers the City of Saint Paul’s Full Stack Initiative, a collaboration with the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce that helps attract, retain, and expand tech and innovation jobs in Saint Paul. The Full Stack Initiative was developed out of the Saint Paul Innovation Cabinet.
- "This further cements Saint Paul as a city of innovators, providing momentum to create the cutting-edge jobs of tomorrow," said Councilmember Chris Tolbert, who served as co-chair of the Innovation Cabinet.
- "We're thrilled to welcome Techstars to downtown Saint Paul," said Councilmember Rebecca Noecker. "This partnership will create a new hub for innovation and help tech startups thrive in our city."
The Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator Program will move to its new location in mid-June 2018. The program will start in July 2018. The deadline to apply to the accelerator program is April 8, 2018.