What ToasterLAB does

ToasterLAB is a not-for-profit Agri-Food business acceleration program operated by French innovation cluster Vitagora. Founded in November 2016 (originally launched as AcceleRise at SIAL Paris and rebranded to ToasterLAB in November 2017), the program is based in Dijon and Paris and serves early-stage FoodTech and AgTech startups and SMEs seeking to industrialize products and access European markets. The core offering is a structured 3-month acceleration track centered on an initial 5-day intensive bootcamp, followed by individualized coaching, technical and business mentoring, and curated introductions across Vitagora's wider network.

The product surface has been progressively expanded through themed cohorts: in 2023 the program launched dedicated tracks in "Digital for Agroecology" (June 2023) and "Fermentation Tech" (February 2023), targeting startups working on digital agriculture solutions and fermentation-based food innovation respectively. The business model is a hybrid of (i) a flat participation fee of approximately 3,000€ per cohort member, with no equity taken, and (ii) co-funding from a 19+ partner coalition spanning financial institutions (Crédit Agricole, Bpifrance, Caisse d'Epargne), territorial development bodies (Agronov, Dijon Céréales), and industrial corporates (Spadel, Terres Univia). Since inception, the program has accelerated 60+ startups and provides access to a wider ecosystem of 550+ food business players and 100+ expert mentors; international outreach is signaled by an International Development Manager role and a 2019 BFFood MOU extending market access for portfolio companies.

Name

ToasterLAB

Legal name

VITAGORA

Website

https://toasterlab.vitagora.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ToasterLAB is a not-for-profit Agri-Food business acceleration program operated by French innovation cluster Vitagora, helping European FoodTech and AgTech startups industrialize products and access markets through a 3-month bootcamp-plus-coaching model and a 19+ partner ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dijon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Acceleration Program Fees: The program charges 3000€ for the 3-month acceleration program (digital for agroecology special program). Zero equity taken from participants. Additional year membership to Vitagora valued at 1134€ included in program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ToasterLAB runs a 3-month Agri-Food business acceleration program for startups, scale-ups and SMEs, combining a 5-day intensive in-person bootcamp in France with ongoing acceleration coaching, expert mentorship, and direct introductions to a network of 550+ food business players, manufacturers and investors. The program takes zero equity and charges a flat program fee (e.g., 3000€ for the themed "Digital for Agroecology" track) and includes a one-year Vitagora cluster membership.

Product overview

ToasterLAB is a not-for-profit Agri-Food business acceleration program that operates as a single unified offering (not a platform-plus-modules architecture). The core product is the 3-month acceleration program which includes a 5-day intensive bootcamp followed by ongoing coaching and mentor support. The program is supplemented by themed special programs like "Digital for agroecology" and "Fermentation tech" that focus on specific innovation areas. ToasterLAB was previously known as AcceleRise before its November 2017 rebrand. The program connects startups to Vitagora's network of 550+ food business players and provides access to over 100 experts and mentors, with the goal of helping companies industrialize and access markets faster.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ToasterLAB Acceleration Program
• "Digital for Agroecology" Special Acceleration Program
• "Fermentation Tech" Special Acceleration Program
• ToasterLAB Bootcamp

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 60 start-ups and scale-ups accelerated since 2016
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• VitagoracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Parent organization and leading European food innovation cluster. ToasterLAB is launched and powered by Vitagora, leveraging their 15 years of experience in food business innovation and network of 550+ members.
• Bondard & PartnerssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2016Active support partner providing strategic consulting expertise to program participants.
• WhitedsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2016Active support partner providing expertise to ToasterLAB participants.
• Business Design (.D)supportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2016Active support partner providing design and business model expertise.
• Science 2 FoodsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2016Active support partner providing food science expertise.
• Paris Business ClubsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2016Active support partner providing business networking opportunities in Paris.
• AgronovcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Founding partner and agricultural innovation hub, part of the core founding members of ToasterLAB.
• Dijon CéréalescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Founding partner - agricultural cooperative providing agricultural sector expertise and testing environments.
• SpadelcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Founding partner - beverage company providing industry expertise and potential market access.
• Terres UniviacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Founding partner - interprofessional organization for oilseed and protein crop sectors providing agricultural industry expertise.
• CTCPAsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2016Technical partner - food processing technical center providing R&D and processing expertise.
• French TechsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Technical partner - national French Tech initiative providing startup ecosystem support.
• BFFoodsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2016Technical partner - business food service company providing market access and distribution connections. Signed memorandum of understanding in December 2019.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EIT Food Accelerator Network: Pan-European food system accelerator operated by EIT Food, running cohort-based programs for agri-food startups with corporate partner access. Directly comparable to ToasterLAB in target vertical (AgriFood), program structure (cohort-based acceleration), and partner-driven delivery model, but with significantly larger EU-wide geographic reach.
• Agoranov: Paris-based deep-tech incubator supporting early-stage science and technology startups, including food and biotech. Comparable in French geography, cohort-based incubation structure, and partner-supported delivery, though broader than AgriFood.
• Rockstart AgriFood: Dutch-headquartered accelerator running domain-specific cohorts in AgriFood with corporate partnerships and follow-on fund. Comparable to ToasterLAB in vertical focus (AgriFood), cohort-based delivery, and corporate partner model, but operates at a larger geographic and capital scale.
• Paris&Co: Paris economic development agency running multiple sector-specific incubators including food and agri-food. Comparable as a French cluster-affiliated incubator with cohort-based programs and corporate connections, though not AgriFood-exclusive.
• FoodHack: Global food-tech community and accelerator running localized programs and summits for food startup founders. Comparable to ToasterLAB in target founders (food-tech startups) and accelerator-plus-community model, but with broader international footprint and global brand.
• Shake Make Factory: French food-industry startup accelerator offering mentorship, workshops, and corporate connections to early-stage food brands. Comparable in vertical (French food startups), cohort-based model, and corporate sponsor stack, but focused more on branded CPG startups than ToasterLAB's broader AgriFood scope.
• NUMA Paris: Paris-based technology accelerator running cohort programs with corporate partnerships and mentor networks. Comparable in cohort-based delivery and partner-driven model, though vertical-agnostic rather than AgriFood-focused.
• HECTAR: French AgTech-focused startup accelerator and farm located near Paris, supporting founders in agriculture and food technology. Directly comparable in vertical focus (AgriFood/AgTech) and French base, with a more agriculture-production-oriented offering vs. ToasterLAB's cluster-anchored B2B orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Global accelerator network running numerous sector-specific programs including food and beverage with a well-established equity-based model. Comparable as an accelerator targeting founders, but vastly larger in scale, geographic reach, and equity-driven economics vs. ToasterLAB's zero-equity model.

Others

• Vitagora: Parent organization of ToasterLAB — French food innovation cluster providing ecosystem access, networking, and partner connections. Not a peer in the competitive sense but the enabling ecosystem that powers ToasterLAB's program.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/toasterlab
• Facebookfacebook.com/ToasterLab-1488679817814162
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/showcase/toasterlab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ToasterLAB