Hack the Fork
- Type
- Network / Association / Cooperative
- Location
- Paris, France
- Industries
- Alternative proteins, Food reformulation, Consumer health & consumer effects, Food discovery / recipe apps & experiences, Food ingredients & products, Plant-based
- Domains
- Proteins, Ingredients
- Technologies
- Artificial intelligence, Decision support software, Smart & digital, Platform technology, Platform & Service technologies
About Hack the Fork
Hack the Fork is a French nonprofit association focused on accelerating innovation for a more sustainable, resilient, and responsible food system. It organizes hackathons and related support programs that bring together young talent, mentors, researchers, and industry players around alternative proteins, plant-based food, and foodtech challenges.
The organization positions itself as a bridge between education, entrepreneurship, and the food industry. Its activities are designed to help participants move from ideas to concrete projects, with AI used as a tool to support product development, consumer transition, business strategy, and impact measurement.
Core Values
- Sustainability: The association’s mission is explicitly tied to protecting the environment, biodiversity, and animals, while promoting a more sustainable food system.
- Impact orientation: Projects are encouraged to define measurable outcomes such as CO₂ savings, animal welfare gains, cost reductions, and productivity improvements.
- Education and empowerment: Hack the Fork emphasizes awareness-raising, training, and upskilling for students, young professionals, and other stakeholders.
- Collaboration: The model relies on multidisciplinary teamwork and close interaction with mentors, juries, academic partners, and ecosystem actors.
- Innovation: AI-driven experimentation and rapid prototyping are central to the organization’s approach to foodtech problem-solving.
Unique Aspects
- AI-first food innovation format: Hack the Fork uses artificial intelligence as a core enabler across its hackathons, from consumer behavior and strategy to product formulation and marketing.
- Alternative-protein specialization: Unlike general foodtech events, its thematic focus is specifically on alternative proteins and the transition toward more plant-based diets.
- Structured ecosystem support: Beyond the event itself, the organization provides follow-on support through pre-incubation, startup support, and mentorship for promising teams.
- International scaling ambition: After its Paris edition, the organization announced plans for local editions worldwide, with local leaders from multiple countries joining the 2026 edition.
- Recognized industry connections: Its jury and mentor network includes figures from food innovation, investment, academia, and plant-based businesses, helping connect participants to the broader sector.