Renens, Switzerland – April 9th, 2021 – MassChallenge Switzerland, part of MassChallenge’s global network of innovators, today announced the top 6 startup finalists of the Sustainable Food Systems Challenge.
On April 21st, the top 6 startups will pitch how their idea in collaboration with one of MassChallenge’s Partners can cut emissions & help feeding the planet by 2050.
The finalists are:
Anina Culinary Art (Israel) – ANINA fuses technology, design, and culinary arts to create unique RTC meal capsules which are 100% natural, rich in vegetables and nutrients, and are made from fresh “ugly” produce. We thus reduce food waste by upcycling “ugly” vegetables, support the circular economy while providing consumers with product which perfectly combines convenience and a balanced & health nutrition in an unique cooking and eating experience.
Circular Food Technology (Denmark) – Upcycling under-utilized food resources, as Brewer’s Spent Grains, has the potential to close the food shortage gap efficiently without further threatening the biodiversity. Our patent pending technology has a unique modular set-up, that makes it ideal for both larger and smaller processing plants. By reintroducing the spent grains into human food we can add 1,6 Mio tonnes plantbase proteins.
Fotortec (Chile) – Fotortec’s eco-positive ingredients production helps nutrition manufacturers deliver their consumers products truly aligned with their values.
Plant Jammer (Denmark) – Plant Jammer builds whitelable web-widgets with unique recipe experiences for Food Brands and Retailers. The food brands’ customers get a personalized recipe that perfectly fits their diets, tastes, and availability. By putting a powerful tool into people’s hands, Plant Jammer empowers visitors to stop food waste and eat more sustainably.
Sophie’s BioNutrients (Singapore) – Through fermentation process and using foodwaste to reduce cost and create circular economy, we grow the world’s most sustainable alternative protein from microalgae with absolute minimum input and footprint to create the maximum nutrition and economic output.
Sungenomics (US) – The best probiotics for a healthy gut are the ones made specifically for you. We create custom gut probiotics tailored and formulated to your unique microflora to improve your digestion, increase your energy, and reduce bloating, helping you perform at your best.
The purpose of the Sustainable Food Systems Challenge is to find startups who have solutions and proven technology that’s not yet fully commercialized in the area of sustainable food systems and who can collaborate with MassChallenge’s partners to reduce CO2 emissions and feed the forecasted 10 billion population sustainably on the planet in 2050.
Selected startups will then work directly with key stakeholders within a global food corporate where they’ll get access to co-development opportunities, product validation, customer connections, strategic investments, or advisor introductions.
With 400 startup applications received and corporate partners involved such as Nestlé, Bühler, Givaudan, Barry Callebaut, Südzucker & DSM, the top 6 selected startups and a corporate partner will have a few weeks to create a joint pitch on how the startup’s idea, when scaled by the partner, will help feed the planet sustainably whilst cutting emissions.
The idea is to drive startup/partner collaboration so that the idea can actually be scaled and make IMPACT by accelerating innovation in the food sector.
A jury has been created to judge the pitches:
Ian Roberts – Chairman of the Jury. President MassChallenge Switzerland & CTO Bühler. (Will abstain from judging Bühler)
Luca Zerbini – Co-founder and Managing Partner of Peak Point Partners – Venture Capital focused on Sustainable Technology
Mariana Christen Jakob – Co-Founder SEIF invest I Founder & Managing Partner SEIF innovation
Alessandra Rojas – Sustainable Entrepreneurship Manager @ Tech4Impact EPFL
Myke Naef – Managing Partner at Übermorgen Ventures
Christina Senn-Jakobsen – Managing Director at Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley
Make sure to REGISTER for this event in order to receive the Zoom link for the pitching competition on April 21st, from 1 PM to 4PM CET.
We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible to this exciting event and find out how each startup & corporate partner alike will contribute to a more sustainable future!
About MassChallenge
MassChallenge is the global network for innovators. Headquartered in the United States with seven locations worldwide, MassChallenge equips bold entrepreneurs to disrupt the status quo and to create meaningful change. Since launching in 2009, more than 2,400 MassChallenge alumni have raised more than $6.2B in funding, generated more than $3B in revenue, and created more than 157,000 total jobs. Learn more about MassChallenge at masschallenge.org.
MassChallenge Switzerland Founding Partners
Barry Callebaut, Bühler, Givaudan, Inartis Foundation, Nestlé, Swiss Economic Forum