Darko Mandich knows a thing or two about starting, scaling, and exiting a tech start-up.
In May of this year, he successfully exited his biotech start-up MeliBio — a maker of bee-free honey via plant science and precision fermentation — through an acquisition from venture studio FoodYoung Labs.
After some “business soul searching,” Mandich moved from founder to investor, joining Gener8tor to helm the BEAM Circular Accelerator — a programme designed to support start-ups in the circular bioeconomy space, as he shared with AgTechNavigator.
Gener8tor is seeking five start-ups for its 2026 cohort that are creating chemicals, consumer products from renewable organic materials (biomass), food ingredients, materials, and energy from agricultural waste streams and byproducts, according to the organization. The start-up accelerator is seeking companies that can have an environmental impact and are ready to scale.
Finalists will be enrolled in a 12-week coaching and mentorship programme, which will include one-on-one meetings with other industry experts and investors.
Additionally, start-ups will receive a total of $100,000 in support, including a $15,000 grant at the start of the programme, $35,000 at the end, and $50,000 in California Bioeconomy Innovation Campus credits.
“We believe that in the circular bioeconomy space, waste is an opportunity, and it can be an amazing input, and we believe that with a circular bioeconomy approach, we can make sure that we deliver the sustainability that this planet needs,” Mandich elaborated.
Prospective applicants are encouraged to apply and learn more about the programme here.
Start-up 101: Finding the right partners, knowing when to exit
Knowing the challenges of scaling up a start-up, Mandich will work with his Gener8tor colleagues to ensure the finalists find the right partners that can help them scale their business. Partnerships and collaborations are not just a nice-to-have but are crucial amid the funding slowdown in agrifood, he noted.
“As a founder, you really need to leverage the right partners ... that will help you save money [and] time and help you de-risk. So, the accelerator programme and the team will be introducing founders to our amazing partners that come from universities, research institutions, [and] the biggest chemical companies in the world,” Mandich said.
He added, “In uncertain times when capital is really expensive, and it will still be for a few years most likely, there will need to be a lot of collaboration and cooperation. We will help founders to evaluate their technology readiness level and help them assess the best way forward in terms of partnering with the best partners.”
While founders should be focused solely on building the best business, the moment a founder accepts venture capital funds is the moment that they need to consider what an eventual exit strategy would look like, Mandich noted.
“The moment you take the first venture capital check is the moment where you, as a founder, have to plant a seed about the exit. And once you do that, you should forget about that seed ... and go out there and build an awesome company,” he elaborated.
He added, “Taking the VC check [means] you committed that this is not going to be a lifestyle company. You are going to try to make sure that the company has the biggest possible outcome, and that means that you are going to be completely thinking about the scale differently, and you are going to be going for large market opportunities and large return opportunities.”
