INSIGHTS / News

SETsquared Bristol member, LettUs Grow, is one of the eight UK-based agrifood companies to be selected by GROW and Innovate UK to participate in the inaugural cohort of the Global Incubator Programme – Gateway to Asia, an internationalisation assistance initiative helping businesses to grow and scale in the region, delivered with the support of Innovate UK EDGE and the British Chamber of Commerce Singapore.

Over the course of the next six months, the Global Incubator Programme will help the eight selected companies validate their market fit and co-develop an internationalization roadmap to establish their in-market presence in Asia. It will provide participants with expert support from Innovate UK and GROW, including access to their mentor and partner networks. The five-month program is integrated with GROW’s Land x Launch™ platform, allowing entrepreneurs to capitalize on GROW’s network to access suppliers, channel partners, corporates, and customers in Asia.

The Global Incubator Programme leverages the growth in demand for more sustainable food systems across Asia, driven by changing consumer preferences, income growth, digitalization, and an increased focus on climate- and pandemic-resilient supply chains.

Jack Farmer, Co-Founder and CSO of LettUs Grow, said “It’s really gratifying to be accepted into the 2021 Global Incubator Programme – Gateway to Asia cohort. We are excited to enter our next stage of growth, scaling internationally to deploy our innovations into the global horticulture market, and this program accelerates our ability to enter East Asia and build partnerships for the long term.

“We’re excited to bring our innovative aeroponic technology to vertical farmers and greenhouse providers within this region, enabling them to reduce resource consumption whilst improving agricultural productivity to feed ever more people, using ever less land.”

Innovate UK’s Head of Global Innovation Partnerships, David Golding, said the agency is “delighted to be working with GROW on this exciting initiative which represents the latest expansion of our Global Incubator Programme into Singapore and the broader Asia region.”

“We see big opportunities for innovation collaboration with Singapore in the area of agrifoodtech and will be looking to build future collaborations with our Singapore partners in the future,” he added.

David Kelly, Executive Director at the British Chamber of Commerce Singapore, said that “supporting UK businesses in market is a key attribute” of his organization.

“With the Chamber’s wide network in the local business ecosystem and dedicated trade team, we look forward to working with the eight innovative companies in collaboration with GROW and Innovate UK to support and develop business opportunities.”

“Congratulations to the eight companies who have successfully made it through the application process and are now on the verge of embarking on a new journey in Asia. You are thriving examples of the Singapore-UK partnership for the future,” said Kara Owen, UK High Commissioner to Singapore.

“If there is a key lesson learnt from Covid-19, it is how much stronger we become when we work together. The current global supply chain disruption showed us the necessity of being able to adapt and to build resilience. Our bilateral innovation relationship will not only bring technology in the agrifood sector to the fore, but will also address humankind’s urgent needs on food security and sustainability, just as Singapore’s ‘30 by 30’ plan and the UK’s new national Innovation Strategy intend. I am looking forward to how the team’s ambitions will be realized over the next six months.”

The eight teams participating in Gateway to Asia are:

Born Maverick – white-label nutritious plant-based foods and desserts

Eagle Genomics – life sciences data platform for microbiome-based insights

Entocycle – black soldier fly farming for pet food and animal feed

INDO Lighting – optimizing LED lighting systems for controlled environment ag

LettUs Grow – aeroponics and farm management software for controlled environment ag

Multus Media – animal-free growth media for cell-based meat

Neitiv – coconut flower beer for women

Sibelius – all-natural ingredients for health