FORWARD FOODING
THE BLOG
2021 FoodTech 500 applications are OPEN!
The 2020 FoodTech 500 edition is officially live! The FoodTech 500 is the 'Fortune 500' of the FoodTech sector – a ranking of the top 500 FoodTech companies in the world. Join our global quest for the top innovators and disruptors by applying today.
Application deadline is November 15th – but at this rate we might be closing the competition earlier to deal with volumes.
How did the idea come about?
The idea for the FoodTech 500 came over a team lunch at Forward Fooding HQ in London back in May 2019. The team was discussing rising stars in FoodTech, and there was a realisation that none of the assessments being made by the team were based on hard data. This sparked the thought of creating a set of criteria to unify, rank and score the businesses that would define the future of food.
Our mission is to raise the public profile of FoodTech and give visibility to the most innovative companies in the sector, showcasing their valiant efforts in tackling the varied challenges the system faces. We have created a set of criteria to unify, rank and score the businesses that would define the future of foodtech.
Alessio D'Antino, Forward Fooding CEO, said:
"We created the FoodTech 500 to shine a light on the leading global innovators across AgriFoodTech, those who are creating powerful solutions to heal and transform our food system. We are thrilled to launch the 2021 edition of The FoodTech 500 to reveal the companies that will become global mainstays."
Why apply for the 2021 FoodTech 500?
Companies that rank in the FoodTech 500 gain access to a global network of industry stakeholders including Fortune 500 Food & beverages companies, food tech investors, and other institutional investors. Moreover, the FoodTech 500 provides a platform for discussion, engagement, and networking with other food tech companies.
As a result, the FoodTech 500 is a great opportunity for startups to get the visibility they need. Additionally, it's a fantastic opportunity to become part of a diverse community of leading FoodTech industry stakeholders and get powerful press coverage.
The 2021 FoodTech 500 is structured in three phases:
Phase 1
The call for applications
Startups and scale-ups across the world apply for the coveted ranking through our online form.
Phase 2
Application review
Each application is carefully reviewed and assessed based on a proprietary scoring system. Companies are contacted and notified whether they have made it into the top 500 or not.
Phase 3
Live event ranking announced!
March 1st, 2022: The big day is finally here. We will announce the definitive, fully-ranked, 2021 FoodTech 500 list and host a series of online and offline events to mark the occasion.
How are businesses assessed?
We use three main indicators to determine a company's ranking:
Business size
The business size score is generated via a proprietary algorithm from The FoodTech Data Navigator that predicts the business growth based on financial performance indicators. We use data acquired from independent sources such as the company's headcounts, funding activities, and the number of office locations they operate from.
Digital Footprint
The digital footprint score is also generated via a proprietary algorithm from The FoodTech Data Navigator as a prediction of business growth based upon each company's digital presence, social media performance and visibility on the web. The algorithm takes into account over 25 elements such as website authority and search engines' ranking, website traffic as well as social media followers, traffic & interactions over the main social media platforms.
Digital Footprint
The digital footprint score is also generated via a proprietary algorithm from The FoodTech Data Navigator as a prediction of business growth based upon each company's digital presence, social media performance and visibility on the web. The algorithm takes into account over 25 elements such as website authority and search engines' ranking, website traffic as well as social media followers, traffic & interactions over the main social media platforms.
Learn more about the methodology behind the FoodTech 500 here.
A glimpse at last year's edition.
The 2020 edition of the FoodTech 500 attracted some of the most innovative AgriFoodTech players globally. At the top of the list was Plenty (USA), an innovative hydroponic vertical farm powered by AI, which has raised $500 million in venture funds. In 7th place was Too Good To Go (UK), a marketplace that eliminates food waste by helping retailers sell their surplus food. To date, Too Good To Go has engaged 6 million people in their food waste efforts and enrolled over 13,000 businesses throughout Europe. Also in the top 10 was the South American disruptor NotCo (Chile), a business taking the plant-based sector by storm that has surpassed a $1.5B evaluation.
Curious to see the full list of 2020 winners?
Download the 2020 FoodTech 500 report.
Highlights from the 2020 FoodTech 500:
- 2,000+ applications from startups & scaleups across the food value chain.
- 63 countries – a truly global representation.
- 20+ pieces of exclusive press coverage including Food Navigator, Sifted, AgFunder among others
- 350M+ monthly readership across 150+ countries via media coverage
- 393,000+ page views and 72,000+ visitors from 180+ countries on the FoodTech 500 website
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