TFF News

Introducing TFF Digital Labs: The Food & Ag Accelerator of the Future

Originally published on our Founder Christine’s LinkedIn on August 20, 2019.

What if you could access cutting-edge innovation tools, build your entrepreneurial skills, and be part of a collaborative global community that can help solve your startup challenges in real time?

What if you could do this from anywhere in the world – using only your mobile phone?

Introducing the TFF Digital Labs.

We have been burning the midnight oil over this past year to build what I believe is the most revolutionary addition yet to our suite of next-gen innovation programs. Launching on World Food Day (October 16th) at the FAO in Rome, the TFF Digital Labs embodies a breakthrough approach to global learning, startup acceleration, and collaboration that improves the speed and impact of beneficial innovation across the entire food and agriculture value chain.

We are reinventing how and where solutions to the most pressing challenges facing our food systems are invented and taken forward. All you need is a smartphone.

Our mobile-optimised and highly-scalable digital platform addresses the specific needs and expectations of the next generation of food and agtech innovators everywhere on the planet. We are empowering passionate young people with the skills, mindsets, and connections they require to build and lead successful companies in the 21st century.

The TFF Digital Labs features engaging content delivered by our diverse and multidisciplinary network of experts, creatives, and entrepreneurs. You can access peer-to-peer and expert mentoring, and connect directly to industry partners, growers, customers and investors.

You will also benefit from TFF’s years of experience creating and supporting successful food and agriculture startups around the world. We provide you with practical advice and actionable roadmaps on how to solve the real challenges early-stage entrepreneurs face: things like how to manage people, work in virtual teams, and build motivating cultures; how to gain customers, handle new regulations, and negotiate and collaborate with other companies; how to understand what IP is really necessary, where to incorporate, and when is the right time to think about scaling.

Most importantly, in true TFF style, the Digital Labs is all about energy, community and action. We have taken the larger-than-life vibes that permeate our in-person events, and translated them into a futuristic online experience that is highly-interactive, deeply authentic, and loads of fun. You will be called on to unleash your creative superpowers, build prototypes, talk to customers, and learn, share and collaborate with each other every step of the way.

The TFF Digital Labs is freely available to anyone from anywhere in the world who takes part in the TFF Challenge.

By joining this year’s edition, you gain access to cutting-edge knowledge, ideas and best practices that will help you come up with a breakthrough idea, or take an existing idea to the next level.

We know how busy change-makers like you are, so everything on the Digital Labs is presented in modular, bite-sized formats so that you can learn on-the-go.

The TFF Digital Labs covers five key areas:

  • Entrepreneurship Lab: access tools to develop a great idea and scale a socially-responsible food and agriculture startup
  • Knowledge Lab: dive into the frontiers of science, technology and research related to food, agriculture, and climate change
  • Inspiration Lab: fuel yourself with creative inspiration from people making all kinds of positive change in the world
  • Personal Development Lab: develop the practical skills and tools you need to excel as a next-gen leader and team member
  • Extracurriculars: broaden your perspectives to new areas that will keep you energized and motivated to keep learning

You can also join exclusive group events, access partner resources, and sign-up for sessions with world-class mentors.

Here are just some of the amazing people you will have the chance to work with:

Here are some of the incredible partners and resources you can access:

  • The European Space Agency and the EU’s Sentinel Hub are providing full access to their Earth Observation Imagery for teams to visualise and analyse ag-related imagery at any scale.
  • Wikifactory has created a collaborative workspace for hardware projects, that TFF’s product developers can engage with and contribute back to.
  • Agribusiness Academy will host a variety of their courses developed by academic and industry experts covering topics like AgFinance, Food Sustainability and more.
  • Founders Institute will expand upon their existing Startup Ecosystem Canvas’ by tapping into TFF’s global reach and co-creating open-source data around local entrepreneurial resources.

At TFF, we imagine a future where every young person, everywhere on the planet, can be empowered to innovate and create a sustainable and inclusive food system. The beauty of the TFF Digital Labs is that it is limitlessly scalable – and with this in mind, we have the ambition to reach more than 1 million next-gen innovators in more than 160 countries over the next five years. With this tidal wave of next-gen passion and creativity unleashed – just imagine what our world can become!

Are you interested in gaining access to the TFF Digital Labs? Sign up to be part of the 2019 TFF Challenge.

Interested in contributing content to the TFF Digital Labs? Get in touch with Jana.

Interested in mentoring to TFF Challenge teams? Get in touch with Chelcie.

Would you like to become the TFF Digital Labs Exclusive Launch Partner? Get in touch with Christine.