Agri-tech accelerator programme

SHAKE Climate Change

Investing in agri-tech climate solutions

SHAKE Climate Change is a pioneering accelerator programme in the UK dedicated to fostering innovative agri-tech solutions to combat climate change.

Established through a partnership between the Rothamsted Research Institute, the University of Hertfordshire, Cranfield University and UCL, and with the financial backing of the Societe Generale UK Foundation, SHAKE Climate Change offers a unique platform for start-ups and entrepreneurs to develop and scale ground-breaking technologies to address the pressing challenges to food production instigated by climate change.

With a belief that entrepreneurs are uniquely positioned to drive lasting, positive change, SHAKE Climate Change was founded to support agri-tech ventures that can deliver technologies to help food producers transition to more resilient agricultural systems.

Visit the SHAKE website
SHAKE Climate Change

How it works

The accelerator programme operates in several stages:

Start-ups with innovative climate change solutions are invited to apply for the programme through a competitive application process.

A panel of experts evaluates the applications and selects promising ventures to participate in the accelerator programme.

Selected start-ups undergo a period of intensive support, including:

  • Mentorship
  • Workshops
  • Training sessions focused on business development, technology refinement, and market validation.

Participants receive:

  • Financial support
  • Access to research facilities
  • Other resources necessary for developing and scaling their innovations.

Many start-up businesses fail once funds have been secured. This is why SHAKE continues a 12-month funded aftercare of mentoring and support.

Participants enter the supportive SHAKE alumni, benefitting from knowledge sharing, ongoing business advice and extensive contacts network including investor and industry stakeholder introductions.

Nigel Culkin, University of Hertfordshire Professor and member of the SHAKE steering group, said:

"The on-going support given to programme participants is a vital aspect of the SHAKE initiative, because most tech business start-ups fold within the first four years. To date, none of the SHAKE ventures have failed."

Contact:

n.culkin@herts.ac.uk

 

More about SHAKE

Motivations

Climate change is one of the most critical issues facing humanity in the 21st century. With rising global temperatures, increasing frequency of extreme weather events, and escalating environmental degradation and biodiversity loss, urgent action is needed to mitigate and adapt to its impacts.

Agriculture lies in a pivotal position, and of all sectors, arguably offers the largest opportunity to have a positive impact on climate change through reduced emissions but also because of its potential to sequester more carbon.

Agricultural practices, such as soil cultivation, nitrogen fertiliser application and livestock production, along with food distribution and biodiversity destruction are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

At the same time, the increasing incidence of droughts, floods and rising temperatures are impacting food production.

Objectives

The primary objective of SHAKE Climate Change is to accelerate the development and adoption of innovative technologies that will help solve some of the big challenges in climate change, with a bold vision to ‘Make Agriculture Part of the Solution’. The programme aims to achieve this by:

  • Providing funding: SHAKE Climate Change offers financial support to start-ups, enabling them to conduct research, develop prototypes, and scale their solutions.
  • Offering mentorship and support: Participants receive guidance and mentorship from experienced professionals, helping them navigate challenges and refine their business strategies to ensure they are investable.
  • Facilitating networking and collaboration: SHAKE Climate Change connects entrepreneurs with industry experts, investors, and potential partners, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange within the climate change innovation ecosystem.

Successes

Since its inception, SHAKE Climate Change has significantly contributed to the UK's climate change innovation landscape and beyond. SHAKE measures its success by the performance of its start-up ventures in a number of ways:

  • Climate change reductions achievable, as calculated by extensive Life Cycle Analysis for each venture.
  • Socio-economic impact through job creations.
  • Additional funding raised to support business development.

To date, at the end of its 4th annual cohort, SHAKE has received 127 full applications, provided extensive business support and mentoring to over 72 ventures, made £1.46million in direct investments into 11 ventures and enabled an additional £12+million in grant and equity funding to those ventures.

The portfolio ventures have created 36 highly skilled jobs and a potential climate change impact in the medium term equivalent to removal of 222,000 homes' annual energy usage.

SHAKE's impact

SHAKE is an evergreen initiative designed to be self-sustaining to enable innovation and climate positive solutions well into the future. By supporting start-ups with high-potential solutions, the program has facilitated the development and commercialisation of technologies that address critical climate change challenges. These innovations can potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance resilience to climate impacts, and promote sustainable development in the agriculture and food sectors.

SHAKE Overview

Further information

To find out more about SHAKE Climate Change and their portfolio, or to get in touch, use the buttons below.

SHAKE portfolio Contact SHAKE SHAKE on LinkedIn
SHAKE Be Part Of The Solution

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