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ProVeg Incubator has partnered with the Association of Alternative Food Producers (AAFPP), which is preparing to launch a plant-based start-up incubator in Russia. ProVeg Incubator – part of ProVeg International – says that the new animal-free food tech accelerator will be the first of its kind in the country. The AAFPP is a newly formed Russia-based non-profit organisation that was established by Julia Marsel and Tim Ponomarev, two of the founders of ProVeg Incubator alumni start-up, Greenwise. Together, the organisations aim to accelerate the development of companies that are creating alternatives to animal-based products, for example plant-based food and ingredients, and cultured meat, or those developing related technology such as 3D bioprinting. The incubator, based in the Moscow and Kaluga region, will be welcoming its first cohort of food and food-tech start-ups this spring. Julia Marsel, co-founder of both the AAFPP and meat alternative company Greenwise, said: “We started as a plant-based brand but, over the years, we’ve broadened the scope of our activities and now see ourselves as drivers of Russian food tech. “In Russia, and other Russian-speaking regions, the alternative food market is still in its infancy and needs support. That’s why we decided to set up an organisation that, together with the ProVeg Incubator, will support start-ups and help to achieve our shared goal of a future food system that doesn’t rely on animal ingredients.” Albrecht Wolfmeyer, head of the ProVeg Incubator, said: “We are excited to be developing the market for animal-free food innovations in the Russian-speaking countries, together with the AAFPP. “The potential impact of this project is enormous, given that the target region has a population of around 240 million people. We will bring our experience and know-how to the table, having already built a pioneering food incubator, and look forward to mentoring start-up founders and connecting them to partners from Germany and beyond.” The new incubator will welcome entrepreneurs that are based in Russia or the Commonwealth of Independent States, or are focused on targeting those markets.