IXON to join 2020 class of Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator

Today we announce that IXON will be joining the third installment of Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator, a Minnesota-based accelerator program that selects and supports startups working in the field of food and agritech. Backed by Ecolab and Cargill, the program aims to bring positive changes to the food system especially in the post-COVID era by leveraging innovations in food security, food safety and supply chain management.

"The food system has changed more in the last six months than it has over the entirety of the five years I have been investing in the space," said Brett Brohl, Managing Director of Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator. "The demands of the pandemic have shed light on the tremendous opportunity that exists in the food system for entrepreneurs, and we are excited about the opportunities in front of this year's class."

"Technology and digital innovation play a critical role in nourishing the world safely and responsibly," said Justin Kershaw, Chief Information Officer of Cargill. "Through our partnership with Techstars and Ecolab, Cargill remains committed to fostering breakthrough farm-to-fork innovations and transforming the food supply chain."

"The Techstars program brings to life many of Ecolab's key values, among them are innovations to solving world's challenges," said John Guttery, Senior Vice President of Enterprise Initiatives of Ecolab. "This latest class is an incredibly diverse group of people, and Ecolab is excited to engage these entrepreneurs in uncovering new technologies and ideas that will support a more sustainable world."

Selected startup companies will receive mentorship support from Cargill and Ecolab executives, as well as Techstars’ network of successful entrepreneurs, mentors and investors throughout the accelerator program.

About Cargill
Cargill is one of North America’s largest beef processors, harvesting more than eight million cattle and producing nearly eight billion pounds of boxed beef and by-products each year. It operates eight production facilities throughout the United States and Canada, including three dedicated regional beef facilities designed to more quickly respond to changing customer needs. In addition, Cargill operates beef processing and cattle feeding operations in Australia through a joint venture with Teys Australia.

About Ecolab
Ecolab is the global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services. With annual sales of $13 billion and more than 45,000 associates, Ecolab delivers comprehensive solutions, data-driven insights and personalized service to advance food safety, maintain clean and safe environments, optimize water and energy use, and improve operational efficiencies and sustainability for customers in the food, healthcare, hospitality and industrial markets in more than 170 countries around the world.

About Techstars
Techstars is a worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed. Techstars founders are connected with entrepreneurs, experts, mentors, alumni, investors, community leaders and corporations to help them grow their companies. Techstars has 49 accelerator programmes in 35 cities across 16 countries, including Paris, Berlin, London, and Lisbon. Techstars’ portfolio includes 1,900 companies, and attracts an annual 2 billion USD in downstream investment from the venture capital industry.

About IXON
IXON is a Hong Kong-based foodtech startup that specializes in advanced sous-vide aseptic packaging (ASAP), a revolutionary technology that enables food to be sterilized at mild temperature around 60 degrees Celsius. By using ASAP technology, fresh meat, fish and seafood can be made shelf-stable and be kept at room temperature for up to two years.

今天我們宣布IXON將參加第三屆Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator加速器計劃，此計劃總部設於美國明尼蘇達州，旨在支持優秀食品和農業初創公司。通過與Ecolab和Cargill等企業公司合作，此計劃將有望利用糧食安全、食品安全和供應鏈管理方面等創新科技，為食品體系帶來積極變化，尤其是在後疫情時代。

Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator計劃董事總經理Brett Brohl說：「在過去的六個月中，食品系統的變化比我在此領域投資的整個五年中更大。病毒大流行引起的食物需求為企業家提供了龐大機會，我為今年班級的創業家感到興奮。」

Cargill首席信息官Justin Kershaw表示：「技術和數字創新在養育世界方面發揮著至關重要的作用。通過與Techstars和Ecolab的合作關係， Cargill將致力促進突破性技術與農場到餐桌創新方案，從而改變食品供應鏈。」

Ecolab企業計劃高級副總裁John Guttery表示：「Techstars計劃使Ecolab的許多關鍵價值栩栩如生，其中包括解決世界重要議題的創新方案。新世代人類非常多樣化，Ecolab很高興能與這些企業家一起開發能夠支持可持續食物的新技術。」

被選中的初創公司將於加速器計劃中獲得Cargill和Ecolab高層以及Techstars成功企業家、導師和投資者的指導。

關於Cargill
Cargill是北美最大的牛肉加工商之一，每年收穫超過800萬頭牛，並生產近80億磅盒裝牛肉和副產品。它在美國和加拿大經營著八個生產設施，包括三個專門區域牛肉設施，旨在更快地響應不斷變化的客戶需求。此外，Cargill通過與Teys Australia公司的合資企業，在澳大利亞經營牛肉加工和牛飼養業務。

關於Ecolab
Ecolab是水、衛生和預防感染解決方案和服務的全球領導者，年銷售額達130億美元，擁有超過45,000名員工，可為客戶提供全面的解決方案。以數據為依據的洞察力和個性化服務，以提高食品安全性，保持清潔安全的環境，優化用水和能源利用，並提高運營效率和可持續性。全球業務覆蓋170多個國家/地區，包括食品、醫療保健、酒店和工業等市場。

關於Techstars
Techstars是一個可幫助企業家成功的全球網絡。 Techstars創始人通過與企業家、專家、導師、校友、投資者、社區領袖和大型企業等合作，有望加速其公司發展。 Techstars在全球16個國家/地區的35個城市中有49個加速器計劃，包括在巴黎、柏林、倫敦和里斯本。 Techstars的投資組合包括1,900家公司，每年吸引20億美元的下游風險投資。

關於IXON
IXON是一家香港食品技術初創公司，專門研究先進低溫真空無菌包裝（ASAP），這是一項革命性技術，可使食品在60攝氏度左右的溫度下滅菌。通過使用ASAP技術，我們可以令鮮肉、魚和海鮮在室溫下得以穩定保存兩年。