FoodBytes! by Rabobank has revealed the fifteen food and agriculture startups who will move forward to present at this year's FoodBytes! Pitch virtual competition on November 10.
The finalists were chosen amongst the cohort of 45 global startups previously selected as participants in FoodBytes! Pitch 2021, Rabobank's multi-week food and agriculture innovation program that drives collaboration between startups, corporate leaders, and investors to develop solutions to food system challenges.
The FoodBytes! Pitch presenting finalists, by sector, are:
Consumer Packaged Goods
AYO Foods which translates to joy, exists to celebrate the flavors and ingredients of West Africa. The brand launched in July 2020 with frozen meals and hot sauces.
Fable Food leverages the power of Shiitake mushrooms to create an all natural plant-based meat alternative with a mission to help end industrial animal agriculture.
Great Wrap makes home compostable cling wrap from food waste. Working out of its solar powered factory in Australia, Great Wrap is working on the technology to put plastic out of business.
Lil Mixins' intuitive Daily Mix ensures that babies receive safe, properly sized servings of all the top food allergens. Recommended by over 4,000 pediatricians and allergists, Lil Mixins is stopping food allergies before they start.
Plantcraft is the world's first clean-label, plant-based deli meat company that is offering plant-curious consumers products to use in a wide range of dishes, from sandwiches to pepperoni pizza. Plantcraft's products are clean-label, vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, and free of all top 8 allergens.
AgTech
3Bar Biologics Inc. is dedicated to improving farm yield, profitability, and sustainability using beneficial microbial products. 3Bar's proprietary biomanufacturing and delivery method unleashes the potential for microbe technologies not available for commercial production until now.
AgriDigital is powering trust in global agri supply chains by combining inventory, data, and finance. It is building the technology and financing infrastructure for the digital grain supply chain.
BioLevel has global ambitions to re-balance agriculture from chemistry to biology with robust, commercially proven, multi-strain, beneficial soil microbial products that do not require refrigeration and are fully scalable across all crop sectors, regulatory environments, and application methods.
SBM-Transpirational has developed an environmentally-friendly, sprayable biodegradable polymer membrane product that can help farmers produce more during harvest, on the same land area, while using less water, nutrients, and agrochemicals.
Vytelle is a precision livestock company reshaping how cattle producers optimize their herds. Its solutions reduce uncertainty to help producers make the most important mating and reproduction decisions.
Food Tech
Cruz Foam is a bio-material technology company that produces certified compostable, protective packaging foam and other eco-friendly solutions that offer a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based products using the current supply chain. Cruz Foam is a mission-driven company creating impact at scale by empowering industry leaders to be the catalyst for a cleaner environment.
Galley Solutions, Inc. takes the guesswork out of food production, raw material sourcing, and inventory tracking so that foodservice operators can save on costs, reduce waste, and spend more time on the work they love.
Marble Technologies is advancing food systems using AI, robotics, and process engineering to add resiliency to the agri-food supply chain. Starting with meat processing (specifically beef and pork) they are automating tasks to mitigate industry-wide labor shortages.
Papkot is a science and material innovation company whose mission is to change the packaging industry by cost-effectively replacing its plastic packaging with paper packaging, which is bio-sourced and 100 percent recyclable and biodegradable.
Paragon Pure is inspired by nature to create genuine ingredients for delivering natural flavors, colors, and nutrients into wholesome foods.
"The finalists for this year's FoodBytes! Pitch exemplify the new food economy," said Anne Greven, global head of startup innovation, Rabobank and FoodBytes! by Rabobank, in a statement. "These startups have created scalable solutions to some of the most pressing and complicated industry challenges, from meat packing automation and plant-based protein simplification, to commercial delivery of microbial inputs and whole-value-chain plastic reduction. Their innovations are a window to the 2030 global food system that will significantly increase the nutrition of food while reducing its climate impact from field to fork. Through their FoodBytes! exposure, we aim to connect these innovators with the right strategic partners and investors to prolifically scale their technologies and impact."
Sixty percent of this year's finalists are either BIPOC or woman-led, and represent companies from North America, Europe, and Asia.
The finalists will be judged by a panel of industry leaders and a winner will be named in each sector. They will gain exposure to influential stakeholders within the industry and receive consulting services from FoodBytes! Pitch member companies which represent some of the most influential global food and ag companies, investors, and service providers, said Rabobank.
The judges include:
Anne Greven, global head of startup innovation, Rabobank and FoodBytes! by Rabobank
Mark Abrams, managing director, EPP, Rabobank
Mary Shelman, founder, The Shelman Group
Natasha Dhayagude, CEO, Chinova Bioworks, and a FoodBytes! Alumni
Nick Fereday, senior consumer foods analyst, RaboResearch
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