We are thrilled to reveal to you this year’s FoodTech 500 finalists!

Download the white paper here and discover who made 2020’s FoodTech 500!

The 2020 FoodTech 500

When we first set out to create the FoodTech 500, we wanted to develop a definitive list of the top 500 companies shaping the future of food. Consequently, after an overwhelming amount of support, the 2019 FoodTech 500 was born. Showcasing innovation from AgriFoodTech companies across the globe, it set the bar incredibly high for this year’s list. 

However, as we’ve developed this year’s FoodTech 500, the 2020 edition has gone above and beyond what we had anticipated. With 2052 applicants from over 60 countries, this year has revealed the incredible diversity of those tackling the food crisis.

What’s more, 2020 has shown not even a global pandemic is capable of stopping the AgriFoodTech startup ecosystem. The amount of applications signals that in times of uncertainty, a solid entrepreneurial cluster can become a truly resilient one.

It is our ambition that the FoodTech 500 becomes the Fortune 500 of AgriFoodTech, a list of top innovators and disruptors in the industry and also the go-to leaders of this emergent and ever-evolving sector. 

Today we proudly unveil 2020’s FoodTech 500 finalists, with the full ranked list available on 4th February 2020.

Methodology

Our methodology for the 2020 FoodTech 500 blends human vetting with tech-powered data crunching to deliver the ultimate FoodTech 500 list. 

To create the FoodTech 500 2020, each company must first be manually validated. This allows us to create a shortlist of finalists we present to you today. From these 500 finalists, we then let technology take the lead; the data from each application is processed using the FoodTech Data Navigator’s unique algorithm, and then used to calculate a business size score as well as a digital footprint score. The sustainability score, on the other hand, has been derived from a bespoke model. This is based on a set of questions around the United Nations SDGs, and also a few other data points.

BUSINESS SIZE: The first criterion the FoodTech Data Navigator generates is a Business size score. This is a prediction of business growth based upon financial performance indicators. We take into account the number of employees, stage of funding and funding raised.

DIGITAL FOOTPRINT: The second criterion the FoodTech Data Navigator generates is a Digital FootPrint Score which is a prediction of business growth based upon each company’s digital presence, social media performance and visibility on the web.

The final score we generate is a SUSTAINABILITY SCORE. We have chosen to base this on environmental sustainability and the positive impact they can bring to the planet using SDGs indicators.

The last step entails aggregating the three individual scores, giving each finalist a score out of 300. Additionally, this determines their ranked position on the overall list and across the 8 different AgriFoodtech macro categories.

Want access to the full list?

Download ‘The Official 2020 FoodTech 500’, to see the full list, learn more about our methodology and how we are crafting the final ranking.

The final ranked list will be officially released on the 4th of February 2020.

Congratulations

So, finally, here’s to the innovators and disruptors. All of those startups and scaleups tracking the food challenges of the modern world head-on. Sitting at the intersection of food, technology and sustainability, focusing on a better future. All of the companies that have made it as a 2020 FoodTech 500 finalist have in our opinion become entrepreneurial success stories worth keeping an eye on, which is why we have made it our mission to share them.

Forward Fooding is the world’s first collaborative platform for FoodTech Data Intelligence and Corporate Startup Collaboration.