Rabobank has unveiled the 45 companies seleced to participate in FoodBytes! Pitch 2020, its global agri-food start-up discovery program that helps entrepreneurs scale their impact through mentorship and connections to corporate leaders and investors.

The selected companies stood out from almost 340 applications based on their innovative solutions for a more sustainable food supply, including upcycled products to fight waste, alternative proteins, and regenerative agriculture technologies to reduce water use and carbon emissions.

“We redesigned Rabobank’s FoodBytes! food and ag innovation platform for one reason: to build a powerful engine for ongoing collaboration and innovation between food and agri-business players who want to feed the world sustainably,” says Anne Greven, head of F&A innovation at Rabobank.

Rabobank calls its 2020 cohort the “most diverse yet.” Thirty-one percent of the FoodBytes! Pitch 2020 start-ups are founded or led by black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), and woman-founded or led companies make up one-fifth of the pitch class.

“Standing out from a global field of applications, the 2020 FoodBytes! Pitch start-ups have set a new benchmark for BIPOC and gender representation and quality of innovation in the program’s five year history.”

FoodBytes! Pitch is redesigned as an expanded virtual experience this year. All start-ups will participate in two weeks of virtual mentorship programming and one-on-one meetings with corporate leaders and investors.

Of this group, 15 finalists will be chosen to participate in FoodBytes! Pitch’s live-streamed pitch competition, which will be held December 2, for a chance to win US$10,000 and consultative prizes.

Fifteen companies, three sectors
For the first time, the FoodBytes! Pitch cohort features 45 start-ups’ “pioneering breakthrough” technologies and products – with 15 companies in each of three sectors: consumer food and beverages (CPG), food tech and agtech.

The seleced start-ups hail from a total of 15 countries; the US, Australia, Canada, UK, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, India, Israel, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Singapore, South Korea and Switzerland.

Consumer Food & Beverage (CPG) category
F&B products made with upcycled ingredients are a top trend among FoodBytes! 2020 CPG start-ups as food waste reduction continues to be a priority during the pandemic. Upcycling is a prevalent theme within Innova Market Insights’ third Top Trend for 2020, “The Sustain Domain.”

The FoodBytes! 2020 CPG start-ups are also pioneering concepts including edible spoons to reduce plastic waste, a distilled spirit made from upcycled whey byproduct, and plant-based cheese and egg products.

• Plant-based Protein & Dairy: Evo Foods, PleeseFoods.

• Gluten-free Frozen Snacks: COCINA 54.

• Upcycled Foods: Agricycle Global, I Am Grounded, Outcast Foods.

• Upcycled Beverages: Agua Bonita, Riff Cold Brewed, Wheyward Spirit, Willa’s, Wize Coffee Leaf.

• Wellness Beverages: H2OPS, Moment, Wildwonder.

• Plastic Reduction: Planeteer.

Food Tech category
Start-ups in this segment have developed technologies for cell-based meat production, natural coatings that extend produce shelf life, and sustainable, antimicrobial packaging made from crustacean shells to replac plastic.

Food safety technologies, advanced nutrition products and online marketplaces also address relevant needs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Cultured Meat & Fermented Protein: CellulaREvolution, Future Meat Technologies, NovoNutrients

• Advanced Nutrition: Alchemy Foodtech, EnvaraHealth.

• Produce Shelf-Life Extension: Lightning Water, PolyNatural.

• Food Safety & Traceability: InSight Labs, NanoGuard Technologies, ThisFish.

• Sustainable Packaging: Carapac, Mi Terro.

• Clean Food Colorant: michroma.

• online Marketplace for Sustainable Groceries: Good Club.

• B2B Marketplace for Suppliers: Fieldcraft.

 AgTech category
The seleced start-ups in this field have developed solutions that address soil and water sustainability, farm efficiency and labor needs. 

Their innovations include technology that transforms air pollution into fertilizer, animal feed that reduces methane emissions, a method of growing rice out of water and on-farm robotics to combat labor shortages and worker safety concerns. 

• Regenerative Farming to Reduce Water Use: Deep Planet, Green and Seed, SWAN Systems.

• Regenerative Farming to Improve Soil Health: AgriCORE, BPS Agriculture, Phospholutions.

• On-Farm Robotics & AI: Agerris.

• Precision Agriculture & Digitization: agryo, Farmforce, Space AG.

• Animal Health & Greenhouse Gas Reduction: Locus Animal Nutrition, Mazen Animal Health, ProAgni.

• Social Impact Farming: ColdHubs, Koa.

FoodBytes! Pitch 2020 members are influential global food and ag companies, including ADM, Albaugh, Barilla’s Blu1877, Beta San Miguel, Dole, Fonterra, PepsiCo and Tate & Lyle.

Last August, protein from upcycled rapeseed waste, temperature-sensitive labeling, automated kitchen tech and a natural preservation alternative, were among the standout F&B concepts set to earn a share of EIT Food’s €5.4 million (US$6.4 million) investment fund.