The first edition of the Inkuba Sarea cross-border incubation programme for food technology startups has ended.

Hélette (North Basque Country), 28 June 2024. Inkuba Sarea, the first incubator for Basque FoodTech start-ups launched by the New Aquitaine-Euskadi-Navarre Euroregion, has completed its cross-border immersion phase. This project has allowed four start-ups (Chichorium, Ekhi Gold, O’Taste and Ondoegone Laboratoire) to benefit from the support of three partners on both sides of the Bidasoa (AZTI, INTIA and Agour) to develop their projects and commercial strategy.

On 27 June, the members of the consortium and the four selected start-ups met at the CCI Bayonne to present the results of this project, which aims to create a cross-border support platform for FoodTech start-ups from the three territories.

This immersion within the three cross-border partners has allowed them to grow according to their specificities and strategies. Each company received training, personalised monitoring and mentoring throughout the process of incubating, accelerating and internationalising the project.

The acceleration programme began in February at AZTI’s facilities in Derio (Bizkaia), where discussions focused on consumer trends and the research and development aspect of products as diverse as Chichorium’s organic chicory and Ekhi Gold’s 22.5 carat gold chocolates. The following month, at INTIA, a public company dedicated to transfer and innovation in the agri-food sector, in Villaba, Navarre, the subject of internationalisation was discussed. Finally, with the private sector and the company Agour, in Hélette (Iparralde), the incubator entrepreneurs were able to work on their marketing plan, an analysis of the French market and how large-scale distribution works. The process thus covered everything from the transformation of the product to its marketing, including the creation of prototypes.

FoodTech start-ups in the immersion programme

• Cichorium: Specialised in the production of chicory. Based in Tudela (Navarre), it was founded in 1998 by Philippe Blanquet.
• Ekhi Gold: Golden chocolate creator with its headquarters in Bera (Navarre), founded by the master chocolatier and pastry chef Juan Mari Iriarte.
• O’Taste: Israeli startup that has developed an innovative technology to sweeten and salt products by reducing their sugar and sodium content, without substitutes or chemicals.
• Ondoegone Laboratoire: Laboratory located in Uhart-Mixe (Iparralde), with commercial brands such as OndoTerra and Oihana, offering natural products based on extracts and plants, as well as enhanced products for smokers.