Raleigh, N.C., May 23, 2023 – SinnovaTek, a leading developer and integrator of advanced food processing equipment and technology, announced the first cohort for the FirstWave Food Incubator Program (FFI) through its co-manufacturing arm, FirstWave Innovations. This program is designed to help young, entrepreneurial companies who are focused on local (within 400 miles of Raleigh) foods to commercialize aseptic food products. Example products include shelf stable fruit and vegetable purees, soups, sauces, smoothies, juices, beverages, plant-based milks and baby foods.
The companies in the first cohort include Turmeric Zone, Crea8 and Seriously Good Pudding. The training program will officially kick off in June and will conclude in January.
“While our applicant pool was competitive, the three businesses of our inaugural cohort presented unique and exciting product concepts and exhibited our common values in sustainability and supporting local foods,” explained SinnovaTek Chief Innovation Officer Amanda Vargochik. “We’re excited about the level of innovation in this cohort and we’re proud to accompany these companies on the next step of their entrepreneurial journey.”
This cohort will enter the first stage of the incubator in June, where they will begin training on thermal processing, food safety and the path to market.
As the cohort progresses through the program, resources will include training courses, product development, research and development and commercial trialing. Each business will also receive a budget for raw materials.
The FFI program is an 8-month incubation program that provides clear insight into the commercialization process for an aseptic product. The team will train entrepreneurs on the basics of thermal processing and key aspects of decision-making points to develop and commercialize aseptic shelf-stable consumer packaged goods.
The cohort will collaborate with SinnovaTek’s team of experts at no cost to the company to formulate products, complete feasibility trials, source ingredients, select packaging, and achieve market readiness. At the end of the program, participants will have a product that is commercial-ready as well as finished products ready to share with investors, retailers and potential consumers.
This is the first of four cohorts and applications will reopen for the next cohort in the fall. For more information, visit https://www.sinnovatek.com/firstwavefoodincubator.html.
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About SinnovaTek
SinnovaTek is a leading developer and integrator of advanced food processing equipment and technology through its family of companies including SinnoVita and FirstWave. As a certified B corporation, SinnovaTek’s mission is to promote worldwide health and wellness by fostering the delivery of high quality, healthy foods through sustainable methods.
The SinnovaTek family of companies provides several pathways to service its customers’ needs:
- SinnovaTek: Provides high-quality continuous flow microwave processing systems and
pumps to food manufacturers along with the engineering and R&D support to make them
successful.
- SinnoVita: Provides science-backed VITERO ingredient technologies to reduce food
waste and increase nutrient delivery.
- FirstWave: Provides a platform for companies to test and launch new products in a high
quality aseptic format without the minimum order quantities that are normally required
for a launch, enabling SinnovaTek to service customer production needs before they are
ready to move to a larger scale.
