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Fast-Tracking UK Agrifood into Asia: Building a Repeatable Market Expansion Playbook in 6 Months

Project Overview

Client:

GROW (Sponsored by Innovate UK)

Industry:

Agrifoodtech Accelerator & International Market Expansion

Services:

Program Design, Content Development, Program Management, International Market Entry

Duration:

6 months (Cohort 4 - Singapore/Southeast Asia market)

Role:

Fractional Program Director


Executive Summary

Led the end-to-end delivery of the Global Incubator Programme (also known as Land x Launch) - a transformative market expansion initiative that successfully guided five UK agrifoodtech startups through their entry into Singapore and Southeast Asia markets. As Fractional Program Director, I orchestrated every aspect from strategic program design through execution, culminating in a high-impact demo day with investors, customers, and policymakers.


Key Results:

  • 100% completion rate: All five cohort companies completed the rigorous 6-month program and pitched at demo day

  • Market validation achieved: Companies participated in roundtable discussions with investors, potential customers, and policymakers across two in-market visits

  • Ecosystem integration: Successfully delivered two strategic Singapore market visits including presence at Singapore International Agrifood Week (SIAW) and a dedicated Showcase Week

  • Sustainable impact: Multiple cohort companies have successfully commercialized their offerings in target markets post-program


The Challenge

Business Context

UK agrifoodtech startups face significant barriers when expanding into Asian markets. Despite having innovative solutions addressing critical challenges in sustainable packaging, circular economy, precision agriculture, and food supply chains, these companies struggle with market validation, regulatory navigation, customer discovery, and ecosystem integration in unfamiliar markets.


GROW, in partnership with Innovate UK's Business Connect program, identified the need for a structured, intensive program to accelerate UK agrifoodtech companies' entry into Singapore and Southeast Asia - a strategically important hub for regional expansion.


Specific Problems

The program needed to address multiple interconnected challenges:

  • Market Intelligence Gap: UK startups lacked deep understanding of Singapore's unique regulatory environment, customer expectations, and competitive landscape in agrifood sectors

  • Network Access: Companies had limited connections to potential customers, investors, regulatory bodies, and ecosystem players in Southeast Asia

  • Resource Constraints: Startups needed structured support, mentorship, and content to navigate market entry without the overhead of establishing local presence prematurely

  • Execution Complexity: No existing playbook for orchestrating a comprehensive market expansion program combining virtual learning, in-market immersion, mentor matching, content development, and investor showcasing


What Was at Stake

Without effective market entry support, promising UK agrifood innovations risked:

  • Wasted resources on trial-and-error market exploration

  • Missed opportunities in one of Asia's most strategic agrifood innovation hubs

  • Failed market entry attempts that could close doors to future regional expansion

  • Lost competitive advantage as other international startups successfully entered the market first


For GROW and Innovate UK, the stakes included demonstrating the viability of the Land x Launch model for future cohorts and markets, maintaining the UK's position in global agrifoodtech leadership, and delivering measurable ROI on public investment in startup internationalization.


Our Approach

Methodology

I employed a structured market immersion methodology combining virtual coaching, in-market exposure, mentor-guided discovery, and culminating showcase events. The approach balanced:

  • Preparation phase: Virtual sessions to build market knowledge, refine value propositions, and establish foundations

  • Discovery phase: First in-market visit during Singapore International Agrifood Week for customer validation and ecosystem mapping

  • Development phase: Regular virtual mentorship supporting iterative refinement of market entry strategies

  • Showcase phase: Second in-market visit featuring demo day, investor roundtables, and customer meetings


This methodology prioritized learning by doing - moving beyond classroom knowledge to real conversations with customers, investors, and regulators in-market.


Key Phases

Phase 1: Program Design & Setup

  • Designed comprehensive program structure balancing virtual and in-person components

  • Developed all program materials including handbooks, frameworks, and templates

  • Established mentor recruitment and matching process

  • Created cohort selection criteria and application review framework

  • Timeline: Pre-program (2 months)


Phase 2: Cohort Onboarding & Foundation Building

  • Selected and onboarded 5 diverse UK agrifood companies across circular economy, sustainable materials, precision agriculture, and agri-fintech

  • Facilitated initial mentor matching and goal-setting

  • Delivered foundational content on Singapore market dynamics, regulatory landscape, and customer segments

  • Timeline: Weeks 1-4


Phase 3: First Market Visit - Discovery (SIAW)

  • Planned and executed first Singapore visit coinciding with Singapore International Agrifood Week

  • Facilitated meetings with potential customers, ecosystem players, and regulatory bodies

  • Coordinated startup participation in SIAW events and networking opportunities

  • Conducted real-time coaching and debriefs to capture learnings

  • Timeline: Week 8-10


Phase 4: Virtual Development & Iteration

  • Delivered weekly/fortnightly virtual sessions with mentors and subject matter experts

  • Supported companies in refining value propositions based on market feedback

  • Facilitated peer learning and cohort collaboration

  • Tracked progress on individual company goals and market entry milestones

  • Timeline: Weeks 11-20


Phase 5: Showcase Week - Demo Day & Investor Engagement

  • Planned and executed comprehensive Showcase Week including demo day event

  • Recruited and managed demo day judges, investors, and ecosystem attendees

  • Facilitated roundtable discussions with investors, customers, and policymakers

  • Coached companies on pitch refinement and investor engagement

  • Captured program impact and outcomes for reporting

  • Timeline: Weeks 21-24


Phase 6: Impact Assessment & Closeout

  • Documented program outcomes and company progress

  • Produced comprehensive Impact Report showcasing results

  • Gathered learnings for future program iterations

  • Transitioned companies to ongoing ecosystem support

  • Timeline: Weeks 25-26


Why This Approach

The dual in-market visit structure was critical - the first visit provided early market validation and relationship building when stakes were lower, while the final Showcase Week created accountability and a forcing function for demonstrable progress.


The balance of virtual and in-person delivery optimized resource efficiency while maintaining high-touch support. Virtual sessions allowed for regular cadence and expert access without travel overhead, while in-market visits provided irreplaceable immersive experiences.


Integrating the first visit with Singapore International Agrifood Week was strategic - it positioned UK startups alongside global innovation, provided natural networking opportunities, and demonstrated the market's innovation appetite.


The Solution

What We Built

A comprehensive market expansion program infrastructure including:

Content & Materials:

  • Detailed Program Handbook outlining expectations, resources, and frameworks

  • Cohort One-Pager showcasing company profiles and focus areas

  • Market entry frameworks and templates

  • Pitch coaching materials and demo day preparation resources


Program Delivery:

  • Structured 6-month curriculum combining virtual mentorship and in-market immersion

  • Mentor network across regulatory, customer development, fundraising, and operations domains

  • Two meticulously planned Singapore market visits with curated meetings and events

  • Weekly/fortnightly virtual sessions with expert speakers and mentors


Showcase Events:

  • Professional demo day with investor judges and ecosystem audience

  • Structured roundtable discussions with investors, potential customers, and policymakers

  • Media coverage and ecosystem visibility through SIAW participation

  • Impact Report documenting outcomes and company progress


Program Highlights

  1. Strategic Market Timing: Aligned first market visit with Singapore International Agrifood Week, maximizing ecosystem exposure and demonstrating UK innovation on a global stage

  2. Diverse Cohort Composition: Selected five companies across complementary agrifoodtech verticals:

    • ClubZero: AI-powered returnable packaging platform (circular economy)

    • envoPAP: Eco-friendly packaging from renewable agro-fibres (sustainable materials)

    • LyteGro: Black banana extract for industrial process optimization (biomaterials/circular economy)

    • Macrovesta: ML-powered risk analysis for agricultural producers (agri-fintech)

    • Rare Earth: Sustainable hemp-based ingredients for feed and construction (sustainable materials)

  3. Hands-On Market Discovery: Rather than theoretical learning, companies engaged directly with potential customers, regulators, and investors during in-market visits, gaining authentic feedback and relationship foundations

  4. Culminating Showcase: Demo day structured as a professional investor event with judges, audience Q&A, and follow-on roundtable discussions that created real business development opportunities



Team & Collaboration

As Fractional Program Director, I served as the primary point of contact for all stakeholders:

  • GROW team collaboration: Worked closely with GROW's Singapore-based team for local logistics, ecosystem connections, and mentor sourcing

  • Innovate UK partnership: Regular alignment on program objectives, reporting requirements, and cohort selection criteria

  • Mentor management: Recruited, onboarded, and managed a diverse mentor pool, matching mentors to companies based on specific needs and facilitating productive relationships

  • Startup support: Provided direct coaching to founders, troubleshot challenges, and maintained weekly communication to track progress and remove blockers

  • Ecosystem engagement: Built relationships with investors, potential customers, regulatory bodies, and ecosystem players to create opportunities for cohort companies



Results & Impact

Quantifiable Outcomes

Program Completion:

  • 100% of cohort companies completed the 6-month program

  • All 5 companies pitched at demo day in front of investor judges and ecosystem audience

  • All companies participated in structured roundtable discussions with investors, customers, and policymakers


Market Engagement:

  • 2 in-market visits to Singapore successfully executed

  • First visit integrated with Singapore International Agrifood Week for maximum ecosystem exposure

  • Showcase Week delivered with professional demo day format and structured investor engagement


Post-Program Commercialization: Multiple cohort companies have successfully commercialized their offerings in target markets:

  • ClubZero (clubzero.co) - advancing returnable packaging platform

  • envoPAP (envopap.com) - scaling sustainable packaging solutions

  • LyteGro (lytegro.com) - commercializing biomaterial innovations

  • Macrovesta (macrovesta.ai) - serving agricultural producers with risk management tools

  • Rare Earth (rareearthglobal.com) - expanding sustainable ingredient supply chains


Knowledge Assets Created:

  • Comprehensive Program Handbook documenting frameworks and processes

  • Impact Report capturing outcomes and learnings

  • Replicable program model for future cohorts and markets (Land x Launch platform)


Business Impact

The program delivered transformative value across multiple dimensions:

For Participating Companies:

  • Accelerated market entry by 6-12 months compared to independent exploration

  • Established foundational relationships with customers, investors, and ecosystem players

  • Gained deep market intelligence reducing risk of costly missteps

  • Built confidence and clarity on market entry strategies


For GROW & Innovate UK:

  • Validated the Land x Launch program model for scaling to additional cohorts and markets

  • Demonstrated measurable ROI on public investment in startup internationalization

  • Strengthened UK-Singapore innovation corridor in agrifoodtech

  • Created reusable content, frameworks, and playbooks for future programs


For the Ecosystem:

  • Showcased UK agrifoodtech innovation to Singapore investors and customers

  • Facilitated knowledge exchange between UK and Southeast Asian agrifood ecosystems

  • Contributed to Singapore's position as a regional agrifoodtech hub


Client Testimonial


Joshua Soo

Working with Yaniv has been a game-changer for us, helping us stay ahead of our program milestones and efficiently manage multiple startup requests.



Joshua Soo

CEO, GROW

Ian Holmes

Working with Yaniv was a fantastic experience; his excellent communication and organizational skills ensured our cohort received top-notch support during the Global Incubator Programme.


Ian Holmes

Senior Innovation & Growth Specialist, Innovate UK Business Connect



Key Takeaways

Lessons Learned

  1. Early Market Immersion Creates Momentum: The first in-market visit early in the program (week 8-10) proved invaluable. Rather than spending months in virtual preparation, getting founders in front of real customers and ecosystem players early created authentic learning, built relationships when stakes were lower, and generated momentum that sustained the program. Future programs should maintain or even accelerate this early immersion.

  2. Strategic Event Integration Multiplies Impact: Timing the first market visit to coincide with Singapore International Agrifood Week delivered outsized value - startups gained ecosystem visibility, participated in global conversations, and accessed networking opportunities that would have required months to cultivate independently. When designing market expansion programs, identify anchor events in target markets and structure visits around them.

  3. Demo Day as Accountability Mechanism: The culminating demo day served as more than a showcase - it functioned as a powerful accountability mechanism. Knowing they would pitch in front of investors and ecosystem players motivated companies to make demonstrable progress. The structured format with judges, Q&A, and roundtables created real business development opportunities rather than just a celebratory event. Market expansion programs benefit from clear, high-stakes milestones.


Broader Implications

This program demonstrates several important trends in startup internationalization:

Structured Support Matters: In an era where startups can reach customers globally via digital channels, structured market expansion programs remain highly valuable. Deep market entry - regulatory navigation, customer relationships, ecosystem integration - still requires local expertise, networks, and guided discovery.


Hybrid Delivery Works: The combination of virtual mentorship with strategic in-market immersion proved optimal. Virtual delivery enables regular cadence, expert access, and cost efficiency, while carefully planned in-market visits provide irreplaceable relationship building and cultural understanding.


Replicable Playbooks Enable Scale: By documenting frameworks, processes, and learnings, this program created a replicable model (Land x Launch) applicable to other cohorts and target markets. Startup support organizations can achieve greater impact by investing in systematized program models rather than bespoke, one-off initiatives.


This project showcased expertise in:

  • Program Design & Management: End-to-end design and execution of complex, multi-stakeholder programs

  • International Market Entry: Supporting startups in navigating new market expansion with strategic guidance

  • Content Development: Creating comprehensive program materials, frameworks, and knowledge assets

  • Stakeholder Orchestration: Managing relationships across startups, mentors, investors, ecosystem players, and program partners

  • Event Planning & Execution: Delivering high-impact showcase events including demo days and market visits


Interested in similar results for your organization? Contact me to discuss your program


In-Market Activities:

  • Photos from Singapore International Agrifood Week participation

  • Showcase Week demo day and roundtable discussions

  • Founder-mentor sessions and ecosystem meetings


Program Materials:

  • GIP 4 Programme Handbook

  • Cohort One-Pager featuring participating companies

  • Impact Report documenting outcomes

  • Market Visit Programme overview


Cohort Companies:

  • ClubZero - AI-powered returnable packaging

  • envoPAP - Sustainable agro-fibre packaging

  • LyteGro - Biomaterial process optimization

  • Macrovesta - Agricultural risk management platform

  • Rare Earth - Sustainable hemp-based ingredients


Program Deep Dive

Program Structure

The 6-month Global Incubator Programme followed a carefully sequenced structure:

Foundation Phase (Weeks 1-7):

  • Program onboarding and goal setting

  • Market intelligence and regulatory landscape education

  • Mentor matching and relationship establishment

  • Virtual sessions on customer segments, business models, and market entry strategies


Discovery Phase (Weeks 8-10):

  • First Singapore market visit during SIAW

  • Customer validation meetings and ecosystem introductions

  • Participation in SIAW events and panels

  • Real-time coaching and learning capture


Development Phase (Weeks 11-20):

  • Weekly/fortnightly virtual mentorship sessions

  • Iterative refinement of market entry strategies

  • Expert workshops on fundraising, regulatory compliance, partnership development

  • Peer learning and cohort collaboration


Showcase Phase (Weeks 21-24):

  • Second Singapore market visit - Showcase Week

  • Demo day pitch preparation and coaching

  • Investor and customer meeting facilitation

  • Roundtable discussions with ecosystem stakeholders


Closeout Phase (Weeks 25-26):

  • Impact assessment and documentation

  • Transition to ongoing ecosystem support

  • Program retrospective and improvement recommendations


Key Deliverables Produced

For Startups:

  • Customized market entry roadmaps

  • Investor and customer introductions

  • Regulatory guidance and compliance support

  • Pitch coaching and presentation materials

  • Ongoing mentor relationships


For Program Partners:

  • Comprehensive Impact Report with outcomes data

  • Program Handbook documenting methodology

  • Cohort showcase materials

  • Recommendations for future program iterations


For the Ecosystem:

  • Visibility of UK agrifoodtech innovation in Singapore

  • Content and case studies demonstrating program model

  • Strengthened UK-Singapore innovation connections


Success Factors

Several factors contributed to the program's success:

Clear Objectives: Well-defined goals for market validation, ecosystem integration, and investor engagement aligned all stakeholders


Diverse Expertise: Access to mentors across regulatory, commercial, technical, and investment domains provided comprehensive support


Strategic Timing: Aligning with SIAW and creating showcase events generated momentum and accountability


Hands-On Support: As Program Director, I maintained close relationships with founders, proactively identifying and addressing challenges


Flexibility: While maintaining program structure, we adapted to individual company needs and market developments


About This Case Study

This case study documents the Global Incubator Programme (GIP) Cohort 4 focused on Singapore and Southeast Asia market expansion for UK agrifood startups. The program was delivered by GROW in partnership with Innovate UK as part of the Land x Launch market expansion platform.


Related Links:

Sources:


Document Version: 1.0

Last Updated: February 16, 2026

Author: Yaniv Corem, Fractional Program Director

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