Rutgers Food Innovation Center launches RutgersX

The Rutgers Food Innovation Center (FIC) announced today the launch of RutgersX, the first business accelerator program at Rutgers.

The first cohort of companies will be “pitch presenters” at the RutgersX – Accelerating Food Entrepreneurs Conference on Nov. 16 in New Brunswick.

The RutgersX Accelerator Program was made possible by funding received from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in the fall of 2014. The Rutgers FIC was a national winner of the SBA’s first program designed to create or enhance business accelerators. The accelerator was the only award recipient in New Jersey, and one of only 50 winners nationwide from over 800 applicants.

“We are very excited about our new RutgersX Accelerator Program,” said Lou Cooperhouse, founder of RutgersX and director of the Rutgers Food Innovation Center. “In our inaugural program, we have developed an accelerator for fast-growing food companies that have been part of our Rutgers FIC client and partner network for the past several years. Given the tremendous interest we have in RutgersX, and our New Brunswick location that makes this an easy commute from the tri-state area, we are confident that our 2015 conference will be a sold-out event, and will be continued in 2016 and beyond. We are already making plans to expand our program and include other industry sectors in future years.”

The RutgersX – Accelerating Food Entrepreneurs Conference will be held during Global Entrepreneurship Week on Nov. 16 at the Rutgers College Avenue Student Center in New Brunswick. At the event, each food company will have a chance to make pitch presentations in front of an audience of potential funders, strategic partners, customers and fellow food entrepreneurs.

For more information on the RutgersX Accelerator Program and RutgersX – Accelerating Food Entrepreneurs Conference, visit Rutger’s website.