Students and startups now have 50,000 reasons to participate in Lineage’s new Food Chain Innovation Challenge.
The temperature-controlled warehousing and logistics provider revealed Thursday one global winner of the cold chain competition will claim a $50,000 prize at a Dec. 2 grand finale event, along with an invite to a six-month, executive-led incubator program tailored to their unique business goals.
Lineage first introduced the Challenge in July as a way to encourage the development of new technologies and data solutions that help eliminate food waste as the food-insecure population is expected to include nearly 1 billion people by 2028. The inaugural Food Chain Innovation Challenge will take place in three regional locations: Nov. 14 in London, and Nov. 19 in Amsterdam and San Francisco.
Students, startups, and other relevant candidates can submit applications online until Sept. 30, Lineage said.
“Lineage is constantly looking at how we improve the global management of food storage, transportation, and distribution,” Greg Lehmkuhl, Lineage president and CEO, said in a news release. “Beyond our own operational improvements, the Food Chain Innovation Challenge is a platform for us to support the industry’s most promising talent and innovations. By collaborating, we can develop solutions that not only address food waste but also promote sustainable practices for the long term.”
During each event, participants will present solutions aimed at mitigating food waste to newly revealed judging panels. Pitches will address four specific areas: Reducing food waste, food preservation techniques, access to nutritious food, and data-driven insights and analytics, Lineage added.
Each regional winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a place in the finale.
London
The London event will take place at The Science Museum. Clare Walters, Lineage regional vice president, will join a panel of judges that includes Simon Millard, director of food at FareShare; Harriet Lamb, CEO of WRAP; and Paul Randle, from the Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leaders at Cambridge University. To support the aspiring innovators, ReLondon and FoodCycle are also partnering with the Challenge to provide valuable insights and coaching as applicants refine their pitches.
Amsterdam
The Amsterdam event will take place at The NEMO Science Museum. Lineage’s European president, Harld Peters, will join a panel of judges that includes Toine Timmermans, director of Samen Tegen Voedselverspilling; Dr. Enno Masurel, a professor at Free University Amsterdam who specializes in sustainable entrepreneurship; and Esteban Arriaga, CEO of FEBA (European Food Banks Federation).
San Francisco
The San Francisco event will take place at the California Academy of Sciences. Lineage’s Jeff Rivera, global chief operations officer, will join a panel of judges that includes Angel Veza, capital, innovation, and engagement senior manager at ReFED; Danielle Todd, founder and executive director at Make Food Not Waste; and Michael Wara, director of climate and energy policy at Stanford’s Woods Institute for the Environment, and senior director of policy for the Sustainability Accelerator within the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability.
“Despite producing enough food to feed the planet, hundreds of millions of people face food insecurity every day,” Rivera said. “At Lineage, we’re dedicated to transforming the food supply chain to eliminate waste and feed the world. The Food Chain Innovation Challenge exemplifies this mission, and we’re excited to highlight new solutions and innovations while supporting these entrepreneurs’ journeys to turn their ideas into reality.”
