The Madrid City Council and Varma Food & Care have signed a collaboration agreement to strengthen the foodtech ecosystem at Madrid Food Innovation Hub, the municipal incubator dedicated to advancing entrepreneurship and innovation in the food sector.
The agreement will connect startups affiliated with the center with one of the leading distributors in Spain, reinforcing their growth strategy and market access.
This strategic alliance reinforces Madrid’s positioning as a hub of food innovation and cements public-private collaboration as a growth engine for new brands and innovative projects in the agri-food sector.
Growth of the Madrid ecosystem
In the words of Ángel Niño, “From Madrid Food Innovation Hub and Madrid Emprende we continue to forge strategic partnerships to grow the Madrid ecosystem and ensure that business ideas receive the support they need. In this case, the public-private collaboration will enable early-stage or developing companies to access distribution and professionalization.”
For his part, Miguel Ángel Sánchez, general director of Varma Food & Care, noted that “for a company in full expansion like Varma Food & Care, integrating into the Madrid Food Innovation Hub ecosystem strengthens our commitment to the sector’s future. Through our intrapreneurship program, we position ourselves as a forward-thinking company that listens to and bets on entrepreneurial talent, offering startups our experience and structure to transform ideas into real projects with impact.”
In the area of entrepreneurship programs, the agreement contemplates identifying and presenting startups from the MFIH ecosystem that could prove strategic for Varma Food & Care as a potential distributor, facilitating the direct connection between the incubator’s companies and the company to explore collaboration opportunities.
Additionally, Varma Food & Care will participate in targeted training programs aimed at boosting sustainable growth and professionalization of projects, sharing its knowledge in key areas such as brand development, channel access, and commercial strategy. Startups will be able to present their products for possible inclusion in Varma Food & Care’s distribution channel, in accordance with the specific requirements and processes defined for each category.
The agreement also foresees the launch of challenges directed at the Hub’s entrepreneurial community, with a particular focus on delivering real impact in Madrid’s Villaverde district.
