Agropur, a Longeuil, Quebec-based dairy cooperative, said it launched Inno Accel, “North America's first accelerator for dairy businesses.” The first cohort of five young entrepreneurs from Canada and the United States aims to help reinvigorate and reinvent dairy with the support of “entrepreneur-in-residence” Patrick Gagné, CEO of the OSMO Foundation; “chief ambassador” Jérôme Ferrer, chef and co-owner of the Europea Group; and a strong network of mentors.

Inno Accel is an offshoot of the Inno Agropur program, the largest open innovation initiative in the North American dairy industry, Agropur said. It matches Agropur's resources with high-potential startups to reinvent dairy and quickly bring the most exciting innovations to market. With initiatives such as the international Inno Challenge, the Inno Capital co-investment fund, the in-house Inno Fabrik process and the www.innoagropur.com open innovation platform, Agropur said it is “taking the lead and is ready to take on the world.”