Apply Now to Join Coldtivate’s Open Source Incubator Programme

Coldtivate Open Source Incubator: At a Glance

• When: Starting mid-September to end of October 2025, with a total of 7 sessions held once per week.

• Organised by: The Your Virtual Cold Chain Assistant Project, co-developed by the BASE Foundation and Empa.

• Who should apply: Full-stack developers, software engineers, and product development teams from:
  • Cooling companies
  • Software companies
  • Tech-driven logistics or agri-tech organisations
  • Any business interested in exploring and extending the Coldtivate open source mobile application for  integration with their own digital solutions.

• Deadline: Apply by August 21, 2025, EOD by submitting your application here.

• Important: Participation is limited to 5 companies, teams, or individuals to ensure in-depth technical support and personalised guidance. Software development expertise is a must as this incubator is hands-on and code-intensive.

Why Join? 

Coldtivate is an open-source mobile app designed to empower fresh produce value chains with smarter cold storage management. This incubator is for organisations that want to:

• Customise Coldtivate to better serve their users (e.g., add languages, integrate temperature sensors, or build new features).
• Integrate Coldtivate modules (inventory, monitoring, notifications) into their existing platforms (goods tracking, delivery services, e-commerce solutions, etc).
• Deploy a fully private version of Coldtivate, independent of the BASE Foundation’s Your VCCA project, gaining full data ownership and operational control.
• Understand the codebase deeply, enabling future development, support, and potential commercial adaptations.

Coldtivate stands out as the only platform offering a truly end-to-end solution that connects farmers to customers through streamlined cold room management and digital crop tracking. More than just a logistics tool, Coldtivate empowers cooling companies with advanced capabilities for inventory control, shelf-life monitoring, and real-time performance analytics.

What makes Coldtivate especially powerful is its ability to drive and measure impact at multiple levels. The platform not only tracks financial and operational metrics, but also quantifies environmental and social outcomes—such as reductions in CO₂ emissions through minimised post-harvest spoilage (using life cycle assessment), and measurable improvements in farmer livelihoods through increased incomes and reduced losses.

Now, the platform is open for developers to take it even further. Whether it is enhancing current features, building new modules, or tailoring the platform for specific local needs, explore commercialisation pathways for tailored digital cold chain solutions, leveraging Coldtivate as a foundation.

If you would like to learn more about Coldtivate and explore its features step by step, check out our Onboarding Toolkit. It includes tutorial videos, progress tracking, answers to frequently asked questions, and everything you need to discover which functionalities interest you most before diving into the Incubator.

How it works

• Open-source access: Open-source code and documentation are available on GitLab and on docs.coldtivate.org.

• Pre-requisites for applicants:
  • Strong experience with Python, Django, and React Native
  • Proficiency in working with APIs, databases, and deployment workflows
  • Prior experience with COMSOL or machine learning deployment is a plus, but not mandatory
  • Availability to commit 4–8 hours per week over the course of the 7-week incubator
  • A genuine interest in the operational dynamics of cold rooms and fresh produce management

Timeline

• August 21: Interested organisations and individuals can submit their application via Google Form here.
• September 1: We announce the 5 companies or individuals selected as incubator participants.
• September 15: Week of Incubator Kick-off.
• October 27: Week of Incubator Closing Session.

Session Format 

• Before each session, participants will receive a 1-hour pre-recorded video.
  They are expected to watch the video in advance and submit any questions via Slack. These questions will form the basis of the live discussions.

• Each week, a 1.5-hour live Q&A and discussion session will be held, offering an open forum to explore and discuss any submitted questions. The sessions will be recorded and shared exclusively with participants for internal use.

• Participants can join a dedicated Slack channel that is actively monitored on a daily basis to address questions that arise between sessions.

• After the completion of the incubator, we will also offer 4 additional Q&A sessions for follow-up questions from incubator participants.

Training Plan

• Program Overview and Technical Architecture
• Setting Up the Local Development Environment
• Backend Deep Dive: Python and Django
• Frontend Deep Dive: React Native
• Understanding Local, Staging, and Production Environments
• Deployment and Infrastructure Management on Azure
• Business and Commercialisation Strategies

For more questions regarding the curriculum, eligibility criteria, and application process, please feel free to get in touch with us at app@yourvcca.org.

By making Coldtivate your own, you can help build climate-smart food systems, improve resilience for smallholder farmers, and accelerate the transition to sustainable agriculture. Applications open till August 21, 2025, EOD.