An interview with Francesco Majno, Edoardo Imparato, Andrea Di Nardo and Guglielmo Gori, founders of Crické, one of Forward Fooding’s top 500 Food Tech startups.

Francesco Majno, Edoardo Imparato, Andrea Di Nardo and Guglielmo Gori, founders of Crické

It’s time to put a face to the name…

We asked our FoodTech 500 top-runners to give us a bit of insight into how they started out as a company and their thoughts on the role of technology in Food innovation. Meet Francesco, Edoardo, Andrea and Guglielmo, the team behind Crické, a company that manufactures insect-based savoury snacks, outrageously tasty and high in sustainable protein. Let’s see what the founders had to say.

So tell us a little bit more about you! Where did the idea for your FoodTech company come from?

Crické team: We’re four friends who decided to give real shape to the idea of edible insects as tasty, healthy snacks. At the beginning of this adventure, one of our main sources of motivation and inspiration has been the FAO’s reports on edible insects. We were astonished by their incredible nutritional and environmental benefits. Then, travelling in Thailand we tried any kind of insects in local food markets and… it was love at first bite! But, were people back in Europe ready to bite scorpions and tarantulas? I guess not! So, since then our challenge has been to produce insect-based food attractive to people. We believe that the best way to achieve it is to incorporate insects into a familiar and reliable form, like everyday snacks.

How is tech central to your business?

Crické team: We wouldn’t exist without the possibility to easily prototype our new ideas and see how the market responds to them. Food technologies really help in rapidly developing savoury, new recipes; communication technologies help to intercept our market segment and to interact with people from all around the world.

Why do you think it’s important to see the food industry embrace tech?

Crické team: We believe that new technologies have an enormous potential for the food industry. If we only think about how Big Data, IoT and AI could help in reducing food waste, improving the sustainability of food production, or the efficacy of circular economy new practises. 

Want to know more? Check out Crické’s full profile here.

Congratulations again to Crické for ranking 8th in the “Next-Gen Food & Drinks” category of the Foodtech 500 list.

To find out who else made it into the FoodTech 500; the top Food Tech companies in the world, click here.

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