ENTREPRENEURS TO WATCH: From high-protein fermented grains to packaging from agri-residues, meet the 45 startups handpicked by FoodBytes! by Rabobank in 2022
Throughout the year, the startups participated in tailored programming with access to industry insiders, mentorship, and relationship building with potential corporate partners and investors, said Anne Greven, head of FoodBytes! by Rabobank, which has switched from a pitch competition to a "continuous scouting model" providing ongoing mentoring and support.
This year's program began in the spring, with the first wave of startups participating in 1:1 mentoring and group workshops with experts on topics from route to market and investment strategy, to corporate collaboration.
“These startups are actively problem-solving for the highest priority challenges in the food and ag industry," said Greven. "FoodBytes! remains the go-to community for those working to accelerate impact, and through our best-in-class network, we’ve brokered pivotal connections in real time.”
The 45 startups that have taken part in this year’s program include:
Q1: Meeting new consumer demand
Startups in this space are “responding to how the consumer of 2030 and beyond will shop for, eat and evaluate food,” and span diversified ingredients, traceability, wearables and tracking, nutrition and immunity, and novel packaging.
- Diversified Ingredients: Cano-ela, Eighth Day Foods, Ergo Bioscience, Equii (previously Cella Farms), Grain4Grain, Ira Noah
- Nutrition & Immunity: Embion Technologies, Nulixir, Whole & Free Foods LLC (Every Body Eat®)
- Novel Packaging: Restalk, SAVRpak
- Traceability: Farmstand, Improvin (previously Skira), Wholechain, Kafoodle
Q2: New modes of production
Startups in this space are developing technologies including novel farming, hyper-localization, cell and fermentation tech, and farm biologics and inputs.
- Novel Farming & Farm Management: AgroScout, Blue White Robotics, Boomitra, Viridix
- Hyper-Localization: Pink Farms, Raiar Organicos
- Cell & Fermentation Technology: Allozymes, Celf Nutrition, Eclipse, Orbillion Bio, Phytolon, Resugar
- Farm Biologics & Inputs: Hypercell Technologies, Maua Mazuri, UV Boosting
Q3: New ways of working
Startups in this space are reimagining the role of the worker and conditions of the workplace by introducing new technologies that create more from less, from robotics and manufacturing automation to new food distribution, novel food processing, and upcycling.
- Robotics & Automation: Agot AI, Agree, AgXeed, Arugga AI Farming, CIED BV, Future Acres
- New Food Distribution: Big Wheelbarrow, Foodsys.io, Nat4Bio
- Novel Food Processing: Earthwise Global, Rebellyous Foods, True Essence Foods
- Upcycling: Kaffe Bueno, Superfrau, The Leaf Protein Co.
With the addition of this year’s cohort, FoodBytes! now has an alumni network of 400+ startups that have raised $3.2bn in capital.
Find more information on each of the selected startups for FoodBytes! 2022 here.
Interested in Futureproofing the Food System?
Hear more from Anne Greven on day three of FoodNavigator-USA's FREE-TO-ATTEND digital summit Futureproofing the Food System November 15-17, which will explore three themes over three days via a combination of fireside chats and panel debates with stakeholdersfrom across the supply chain, from farm (or bioreactor) to fork…
- November 15: Food Tech in Focus (precision fermentation; meat 2.0; dairy 2.0)
- November 16: Food as Medicine (upgrading the western diet; emerging functional ingredients)
- November 17: The Circular Economy (climate-smart strategies, packaging, food waste, upcycling).
