Last March, the FoodTech 500 announced its latest cohort of revolutionary companies driving innovation across the global food system. Among this year’s most exciting additions is a diverse group of newcomers that are pushing boundaries and redefining what’s possible in food and agricultural technology.

Transformative Technologies Across the Value Chain

The 2024 newcomers represent innovation across the entire food value chain, from agricultural beginnings to consumption endpoints. Analysis of the data reveals distinctive clusters where these companies are making particularly significant impact.

Ag Biotech Breakthroughs

Several newcomers are revolutionizing agricultural biotechnology, addressing critical challenges in soil health, crop protection, and carbon sequestration among others.

Groundwork BioAg has developed concentrated mycorrhizal inoculants that restore soil fertility while sequestering carbon. Their Rootella product, measured across 8,848 treated acres, showed an average carbon sequestration of 3.85 tonnes CO₂e per acre. Having already inoculated 1.8 million hectares worldwide, they’re helping farmers reduce phosphorus fertilizer use by up to 50%.

BioConsortia is creating microbial technologies to replace synthetic crop inputs with natural solutions for nitrogen fixation, disease control, and nematode management. Through industry partnerships, they’re bringing these innovations to market, empowering farmers with sustainable alternatives.

Desert Control is addressing water scarcity with its patented Liquid Natural Clay technology, which transforms arid lands into fertile soil while reducing agricultural water requirements.

Additional innovators in agricultural biotechnology include:

• Kula Bio develops microbial biofertilizers that fix nitrogen directly from air
• Varaha works with smallholder farmers on carbon-removing agricultural practices
• BeeHero optimizes pollination through IoT sensors and AI

Transforming Protein Production

A significant cohort of newcomers is transforming how we produce and consume protein, with innovations that promise to deliver greater efficiency while providing more sustainable practices.

Starfield stands as Asia’s leading plant-based protein technology company, developing over 300 plant-based food applications across various flavor profiles. Their technology has demonstrated an impressive 84% reduction in carbon emissions compared to conventional meat products, according to third-party measurements. With €110M in Series B funding, they’ve forged partnerships with over 100 dining and retail brands, including KFC, Heytea, and Luckin.

UPSIDE Foods is pioneering cellular agriculture as one of only two US companies with an approved cultivated meat product. With substantial backing of over €559M in funding, their Engineering, Production, and Innovation Center can produce cultivated meat through a 2,000L process. Their approach represents a radical departure from conventional animal agriculture, eliminating the need to raise and slaughter animals.

Other noteworthy companies in this space include:

• Vow develops cultivated meat products from animal cells without requiring traditional farming
• MicroHarvest produces mycelium-based protein through biomass fermentation in just 24 hours
• TurtleTree creates animal-free milk components through precision fermentation
• Project Eaden develops plant-based meat alternatives using proprietary fiber technology

Food Production & Processing Innovation

Source: Miso Robotics

A cluster of newcomers is transforming food production processes with novel technologies and approaches.

Miso Robotics has developed kitchen automation technologies like Flippy, which efficiently handles repetitive cooking tasks in commercial kitchens. Their solutions address labor shortages while improving consistency and food safety.

KETOS offers industrial-grade robotics systems and AI-enabled platforms for water management in food production, saving resources while ensuring quality.

Cauldron has created a proprietary technology for biomanufacturing that significantly reduces production costs for alternative proteins. Their system produces at significantly lower costs ($18/kg versus $45/kg using traditional methods) while using 55% less electricity and 20% less water.

Other notable innovations in food production include:

• Clean Crop Technologies uses air and electricity to eliminate pathogens from seeds
• Fermify develops scalable platforms for casein production
• Syocin creates biological solutions that target specific pathogenic bacteria

Waste Reduction & Circular Solutions

Several newcomers from the latest edition of the FoodTech 500 focus on curbing food waste by creating circular economy solutions within the food system.

Clubzero has developed a returnable packaging platform that has already diverted 2.6 million single-use items from landfill and prevented 39 tonnes of CO₂ emissions.

The Banana Factory has saved over 7 million kilograms of bananas from being discarded at European ports, transforming them into circular raw materials for the food industry.

Bright Feeds addresses food waste by converting unwanted food into high-quality animal feed, diverting food from landfills where it would generate methane emissions.

Additional circular economy innovators include:

• Protein Distillery upcycles fermented biomass industrial side streams
• Kern Tec transforms fruit seeds into food ingredients
• Flashfood connects surplus and near-expiry foods to consumers

Digital Solutions & AI Applications

Digital technologies and artificial intelligence are driving innovation across numerous newcomers.

Salient combines ocean and land data with machine learning to predict weather 2-52 weeks in advance, helping farmers make better decisions about planting and resource management.

TraceGains has developed the first Source-to-Shelf networked ecosystem for the food industry, using advanced AI to provide solutions for compliance, nutritional calculation, and new product development.

Vendease has created a digital procurement platform for restaurants that has moved 1.5 million metric tonnes of food and deployed $72M in credit to support food enterprises.

Other digital innovators include:

• Blakbear replaces use-by dates with electric labels that measure food freshness
• Scoutlabs creates affordable digital traps to monitor pests
• DiMuto provides supply chain traceability through blockchain technology

Geographic Diversity of Innovation

Source: Moolec

The 2024 FoodTech 500 newcomers represent a truly global innovation ecosystem. While traditional innovation hubs like the United States, United Kingdom, and Israel remain well-represented, significant innovation is emerging from markets like China, India, Singapore, and African nations.

Starfield (China), Moolec Science (Luxembourg), Bifidice (Chile), Saveggy (Sweden), Bionomic (Netherlands), and Cetogenix (New Zealand) exemplify the geographic diversity of these newcomers. This global distribution highlights how food technology innovation is not concentrated in any single region but is a worldwide response to universal challenges.

Funding & Growth Stages

The newcomers show varied funding and growth stages, reflecting the diversity of the sector. Several have secured substantial funding, including:

• UPSIDE Foods: €559.7 million (Series C+)
• Starfield: €110 million (Series B)
• BioConsortia: €95 million (Series C+)
• BeeHero: €61.2 million (Series B)
• Miso Robotics: €68.4 million (Series C+)

Many newcomers are at early stages (Pre-Seed/Seed), demonstrating the pipeline of innovation entering the sector. Companies like AgriVijay, APEXzymes, and Swan Neck Bio represent the emerging generation of food technology innovators poised for future growth.

Tackling Sustainability Challenges

A common thread among the 2024 newcomers is their commitment to addressing sustainability challenges. Most are aligned with multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly:

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
• SDG 13: Climate Action

For example, InPlanet implements Enhanced Rock Weathering technology that both removes carbon and remineralizes degraded soils. Varaha has helped smallholder farmers sequester over 1.7 million tonnes of CO₂ and save 750 million liters of water through sustainable agriculture practices. Green-On creates sustainable fats and oils using only electricity, water, and CO₂ as raw materials.

Complete List of Newcomers to the 2024 FoodTech 500

Ag Biotech

Groundwork BioAg (#12 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Produces highly concentrated mycorrhizal inoculants that tackle food security and climate change by restoring soil fertility, permanently sequestering carbon, and unlocking mycorrhizal carbon credit revenue for farmers

BioConsortia (#29 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops microbial solutions that enhance crop productivity and resilience while reducing the need for chemical inputs

Kula Bio (#65 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops biological nitrogen fixation technology that provides sustainable fertilizer alternatives for crop production

CCm Technologies (#119 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops carbon capture and utilization technologies for agricultural applications

Solena Ag (#128 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops agricultural solutions focused on soil health and sustainable farming practices

InPlanet (#139 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops enhanced rock weathering technology that captures CO2 while improving soil health and crop yields

PoLoPo (#224 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Utilizes molecular farming to produce animal-based proteins in potatoes, starting with egg protein

Piatrika Biosystems (#279 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Helps researchers and plant breeders bring sustainable seeds and agri chemicals to market faster and cheaper

Moolec Science (#287 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Uses molecular farming technology for food and dietary supplementation markets

FA Bio (#304 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Revolutionizes sustainable agriculture with the discovery of superior microbes

Elytron Biotech (#318 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Digitizes large-scale microorganism mapping to accelerate the market launch of bio-based products

Vivagran (#326 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops and licenses climate-resilient novel cereal crops for sustainable farming and better nutrition

Syocin (#397 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Accelerate the process of creating bactericidal solutions

Bionomic (#408 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops molecular solutions for the agricultural sector

Glaia (#419 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Commercializes a disruptive photosynthesis enhancement technology, developed at the University of Bristol, capable of increasing crop yields and reducing the carbon footprint of agriculture

Insignes Labs (#440 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops mineral-based biostimulants and fertilizers that fortifies crops against stress and pathogens, guaranteeing the sustainable production of high-quality yields

BEAM CropTech (#457 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Enhances crop yields and resilience through advanced photobiology, optimizing photosynthesis across various extensive crops to ensure sustainable agricultural productivity

Vivent Biosignals (#482 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides real-time information on crop health so farmers can make plant driven decisions, thereby improving yield, reducing input costs and growing more sustainably

Source: Protein Report

 

Ag Marketplace

Crowde (#28 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides access to farmers with technology.

YoLa Fresh (#52 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Extends the shelf life of fresh produce through innovative post-harvest treatments and packaging solutions

Shamba Pride (#90 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides agricultural technology solutions to smallholder farmers in Africa, focusing on crop advisory services and market access

BX Technologies (#102 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops precision agriculture solutions using satellite imagery and AI to optimize crop management and yield prediction

Farmbyte (#109 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides digital farming solutions and advisory services to help farmers optimize their operations and improve yields.

WamiAgro Limited (#122 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides agricultural technology solutions and services to farmers in emerging markets.

AgriCapture (#149 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Connects farmers and ranchers to environmental markets and premium supply chains

AgriG8 (#402 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Connects financial institutions with rice farmers to promote inclusive financing and sustainable agriculture

 

Appliances

Bar.on (#315 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops smart kitchen appliances and food preparation solutions.

 

B2B Marketplaces

Source: Partech

Vendease (#27 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Operates a digital procurement and restaurant management platform that streamlines supply chain operations and end-to-end restaurant management through its seamless marketplace and tech solutions

DepoDone (#96 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides food delivery and logistics solutions for restaurants and consumers

VENTUP (#370 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops food delivery technology solutions

KASO (#401 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides food delivery services

 

Biotech/Synthetisation

Cauldron (#67 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Operates as a global biomanufacturer unlocking price parity for mainstream bio-manufactured goods by leveraging proprietary technology that drives significant gains in productivity

Pluri (#103 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides cell expansion solutions, at scale, for multiple sectors.

Celleste Bio (#108 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Creates a proprietary ‘cocoa technology’ that eliminates the industry’s costly reliance on fragile rainforests using a three-pronged model combining BioTech, AgTech and AI

Global Sustainable Transformation (#154 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides its proprietary yeast butter as a sustainable equivalent to cocoa butter

Oceanium (#195 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops and makes innovative, functional ingredients from sustainably farmed seaweed for food, health and materials

MicroLub (#211 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Improves human and planetary health by developing ingredients technologies which replace fat and oil with water, using advanced protein science

New Wave Biotech (#227 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Accelerates alt proteins from lab to market with AI bioprocess simulation

N&E Innovations (#232 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Uses food waste to solve food waste with patented technology that makes food last up to 3x longer

IngateyGen (#273 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops new peanut varieties with improved safety and nutritional values and dedicated to improve human condition and save lives

MNDL Bio (#275 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides revolutionary AI platform that supercharges recombinant protein production efficiency

Ironic Biotech (#297 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Produces and sells a new generation of iron additives

Carbiotix (#325 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Operates as an award-winning biotechnology company pioneering the onsite upcycling of plant-based side-streams

Algaenite (#328 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Produces Bio Ammonia from the air using sunlight to replace the massive use of synthetic Ammonia

BOB FoodTech (#378 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Ensures food safety and quality by removing harmful small molecules, maximizing resource efficiency, and reducing waste

Allium Bio (#405 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Combines symbiotic microorganisms into next generation functional food ingredients

Ateria Health (#412 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops JUVIA based on cutting-edge research with natural ingredient ERME™ for carbohydrate breakdown and gut microbiome rebalancing

Eversyn (#427 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Makes high-value glycans mainstream

Ayana Bio (#445 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Grows plants without growing plants in the ground using plant cell culture for sustainable bioactive ingredients

Novella (#448 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Pioneers sustainable plant-based ingredients with cellular agriculture

Norwegian Mycelium (#454 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Transforms food industry side streams into high-value ingredients using the power of fungi

Sun Bear Biofuture (#458 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Produces alternatives to vegetable fats and oils using synthetic biology, precision fermentation and yeast.

Fattastic Technologies (#463 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides customizable, healthier, sustainable fat solutions with up to 80% less saturated fat

Nutrumami (#466 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops multi-functional plant proteins for better taste, texture, and nutrition

Bright Biotech (#467 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Empowers cellular agriculture using plant chloroplasts for cost-effective, scalable recombinant protein synthesis

Heallo (#478 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops value-added ingredients based on innovative upcycled wheat arabinoxylans for low GI food & beverages

Nium (#480 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Centers around MicroGUT, an advanced gut-on-a-chip platform that simulates the human gastrointestinal tract.

Swan Neck Bio (#483 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides fermentation solutions to enable food and biotech companies to scale and commercialize microorganisms

APEXzymes (#491 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Pioneers affordable enzymes to make sustainability cost-effective

 

Catering/Office Services & Vending Machines

Livello (#495 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides catering and office food services with automated vending solutions.

 

Cellular Agriculture

UPSIDE Foods (#10 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Grows meat, poultry and seafood directly from animal cells – these products are not vegan, vegetarian, or a meat alternative – they’re meat, made without the need to raise and slaughter billions of animals

Vow (#38 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops cultivated meat products using cellular agriculture technology to create novel and sustainable protein sources

Cellva Ingredients (#135 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops innovative biotech solutions for food and nutrition, focusing on microencapsulation and cultivated fatty acids

Nūmi (#177 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Serves as the first European biotech developing breakthrough cell culture technology to produce human breast milk ex vivo

UnReal Milk (#225 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Creates ‘real’ whole milk without any cows

Steakholder Foods (#248 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Specializes in developing and manufacturing cutting-edge 3D printing technology and plant-based premixes to produce high-quality alternative meat and fish products

Cellivate Technologies (#262 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Pioneers innovative, animal-free cell-based solutions that advance pharmaceutical, AgTech, and cosmeceutical industries

ClearMeat (#294 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Produces and sells cultivated meat and its ingredients globally

Meatly (#319 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Makes real, kinder meat, without animals and without the environmental or unethical impact

Upstream Foods (#404 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Grows the most valuable and delicious part of the fish – the fat – directly from cells, as flavor and health ingredient

Bene Meat Technologies (#416 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops technology for the production of cultivated meat without the need to kill animals or destroy the planet

Accellta (#429 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Operates at the forefront of revolutionizing stem cell cultivation with proprietary 3D suspension platform technology

Opo Bio (#447 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops the enabling technology for novel biomanufacturing applications including cultivated meat

Re:meat (#455 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Enables a turnkey solution to catalyze production of sustainable, affordable, high quality cultivated meat protein

 

Commercial Robotics & Hardware

Source: Circus Group

Miso Robotics (#24 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Empowers restaurants to streamline their operations and boost profitability, enhancing the lives of team members through Kitchen AI and automation

Circus Group (#134 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops automated kitchen solutions and robotic food preparation systems for commercial kitchens

Aniai (#305 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops robotic solutions for commercial kitchen automation and food preparation

 

eGrocers

eJaby (#358 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Operates online grocery platform and delivery services.

 

Farm Management & Precision Farming

Desert Control (#15 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Specializes in transforming arid and degraded lands into fertile soil using patented Liquid Natural Clay technology.

Varaha (#16 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops nature-based carbon projects that transition smallholder farmers to carbon-removing practices through advanced technology

KETOS (#26 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides leading solutions including industrial-grade robotics systems and AI-enabled software platforms for water management

BeeHero (#47 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops precision pollination platform that monitors bee colonies and optimizes crop pollination using IoT sensors

Arable (#60 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops in-field weather and crop monitoring systems that help farmers make data-driven decisions

AgriVijay (#111 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops agricultural technology solutions for smallholder farmers, focusing on crop monitoring and advisory services

Spotta (#146 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops AI-powered plant disease detection technology using smartphone cameras

Tarvos (#161 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides agricultural technology solutions focused on precision farming and crop optimization.

Scoutlabs (#165 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Transforms existing manual trap network to digital and leverage artificial intelligence.

BinSentry Uses IOT technology and Artificial Intelligence to help customers in the swine and poultry production space to prevent feed outages, manage feed flow to animals, and mitigate diet mixing, all of which directly contribute to feed-conversion-ratio and in-turn, profitability

Salient (#233 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Combines novel ocean and land-surface data with machine learning and climate expertise to deliver the world’s most accurate subseasonal-to-seasonal weather forecasts 2 to 52 weeks in advance

CarbonSpace (#241 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides transformative digital monitoring, reporting, and verification services to the world’s largest food and beverage companies

Agurotech (#265 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Delivers hardware and software solutions for open field farming, including in-field sensors, weather stations, digital rain meters, crop freezing sensors to advise on irrigation management and planning, disease pressure and spray planning

Wiseconn (#301 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Agriculture water management platform with outstanding monitoring and control capabilities, and the most complete 3rd party software integrations

ONDO Solutions (#324 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | A next generation automation solution for precise irrigation, fertigation and climate control for open fields and greenhouses

UV Boosting (#357 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Commercializes agro-equipment that stimulates plants’ natural defenses with UV light to help farmers reduce their chemical inputs and make their crops more resistant to environmental stresses (frost, heat…)

Veridi Technologies (#424 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Measures soil biodiversity and plant diseases on an industrial scale with AI & automated microscopy

Paul-Tech (#431 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Combines real-time proprietary soil-data with other sources into simple actionable insights for improved efficiency

UPAJ (#434 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops agricultural technology solutions for emerging markets.

 

Farm Robotics & Machinery

Smart Farm Robotix (#252 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops autonomous farming robots for various agricultural applications

MOVE ON (#253 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops agricultural machinery and automation solutions

ULLMANNA (#254 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops agricultural technology solutions for improved farming efficiency

NOF – Natural Offset Farming (#472 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops natural farming solutions and carbon offset technologies

Powerfultree (#475 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops agricultural machinery and farming equipment solutions

 

Food Discovery/Recipe Apps & Experiences

Jow (#184 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides a weekly meal planning and grocery app that recommends personalized recipes, then connects with local grocery store to order everything

 

Food Safety & Quality

Koolboks (#43 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides affordable, off-grid, solar-powered refrigeration solutions for African small businesses using innovative ice thermal storage and Pay-As-You-Go technology

Forte Biotech (#176 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops biotechnology solutions for food safety and quality control applications

Eezytrace (#205 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides food traceability and safety solutions for supply chain management

Amulet (#220 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops food safety monitoring and quality control solutions

HyperSpectral (#278 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops hyperspectral imaging technology for food quality assessment and safety monitoring

BNS (#284 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides food safety and quality solutions

Tellspec (#303 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Harnesses rapid sensors, mobile apps, AI models, and cloud platforms for optimal, authentic, and nutritious food

Scentian Bio (#348 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Combines synthetic biology with AI to create revolutionary digital biosensors to detect and quantify volatile organic compounds for quality assurance of food & beverage, pest control, logistics monitoring and earlier disease diagnosis

BlakBear (#369 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Replaces use-by dates on food with an electric label that measures how fresh it is

OSY Group (#375 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Reduces food waste through the extension of food shelf-life via the application of coating to packaging

Edacious (#384 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Helps food producers understand how good their food really is by transforming nutrition into a strategic asset

 

Food Waste Tech & Food Sharing Platforms

Flashfood (#58 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Operates a marketplace that connects grocers’ surplus and near-expiry food to consumers via their app

Guac (#283 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Uses machine learning to accurately predict future demand, helping retailers reduce food waste and increase availability

Ida (#313 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Optimizes replenishment of grocers, wholesalers and distribution centers for fresh produce

The Waste Lab (#322 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Offers comprehensive & sustainable food waste management solutions for businesses and communities

Stokelp (#329 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Serves as the leading solution for responsible sourcing and anti-waste procurement of raw materials for the food industry

Cetogenix (#393 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Operates as a climate tech company unlocking the hidden potential of organic waste streams to deliver renewable carbon resources

Proteme (#415 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops natural, edible post-harvest food coating solutions that extend shelf life of fruits and vegetables

GoodMeal (#417 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Helps foodservice companies sell their surplus directly to end consumers, eliminating food waste

Saveggy (#493 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Keeps fruits & vegetables fresh longer with plant-based, edible protection

 

Functional Foods & Drinks

Pumpkin Organics (#345 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Pioneers a snack brand for babies and kids, revolutionizing the market with more veggies and less sugar

SEA Water (#390 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Locally desalinates seawater into high quality drinking water using only renewable energy

Moderato (#450 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Produces dealcoholised wines

Bread Free (#474 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Crafts the first gluten-free flour made from wheat, barley, and rye

Bifidice (#481 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops a stabilized functional probiotic ingredient for frozen food matrices

Wonder Veggies (#490 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Naturally enriches fresh vegetables and fruits with probiotics, creating the future of fresh produce

Biolumen (#500 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Enhances gut and overall health by creating products that transform ultra-processed and sugary foods in the intestine

 

Insects

Source: Essento Food

Essento Food (#453 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Makes cool products from sustainable new proteins

 

Insects Farming & Aquaculture

Bioloop (#221 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops sustainable aquaculture and insect farming solutions

SEAWATER Cubes (#256 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops land-based aquaculture systems using seawater for sustainable fish farming

Kinsect (#269 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops insect farming technology for sustainable protein production

FlyFarm Systems (#321 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops automated insect farming systems for protein production

Insectius (#380 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops insect-based protein solutions and farming technologies

AlProtein (#395 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Uses only deserts to co-culture Lemna and microalgae in scalable AI-powered biomanufacturing technology, crafting greener, more affordable, and functional protein ingredients to plant-based meat & cheese manufacturers.

BigAkwa AB (#422 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Economically and environmentally revolutionizes land-based aquaculture by introducing industrial symbiosis between the aquaculture and process industry

Alora (#437 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Grows crops on the surface of the ocean

MariHealth Solutions (#439 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Ttransforms complex biological data into actionable insights through bioinformatics and deep data analytics to support aquaculture and livestock farming in making the most informed decisions in feed development and health management practices

 

Meal Planning & Nutrition

BeYou (#446 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops personalized nutrition and meal planning solutions

 

Meal Replacements & Supplements

Genbioma Aplicaciones (#334 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Operates as a biotechnology company focused on probiotics and postbiotics for health improvement through microbiome science

Brain Ritual (#387 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Creates MigraKet®, the world’s first medical food for the management of migraine.

Nutrition From Water (#411 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides natural nutrition from pristine waters

 

Novel Processing Techniques & Equipments

TraceGains (#31 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Revolutionizes the food and beverage industry with the first Source-to-Shelf networked ecosystem, digitizing processes using advanced AI

Clean Crop Technologies (#163 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Uses air and electricity to stop crop loss at the source, removing pathogens from seeds in a dry, automated, residue-free process

inPhocal (#217 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides laser marking of food and packaging at full speed without polluting consumables like ink

Desolenator (#311 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides solutions for arid regions – recovering water for irrigation and cooling for controlled environment agriculture

EQUII (#316 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Creates complete protein flours and flour-based foods to bring balanced nutrition in a convenient and sustainable manner

 

Plant-based

Source: Oshi

Project Eaden (#82 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops plant-based meat alternatives using advanced food technology

JULIENNE BRUNO (#110 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Creates naturally plant-based, dairy-free products with focus on taste, quality and innovation

Proeon (#138 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Creates novel plant protein ingredients with superior nutrition, sensory and functionality profiles

Oshi (#152 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Creates fish fillets, made from plants

WhatIF Foods (#203 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Operates as a forward-thinking food and beverage company with commitment to building a regenerative economy

The VERY Food Co (#210 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Decarbonizes the AgriFood sector by replacing milk and eggs with functional plant-based proteins

Haofood (#239 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Creates innovative plant-based proteins inspired by Asian cuisine using advanced extrusion technology

Foreverland (#245 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops innovative, sustainable chocolate alternatives for B2B market

Wide Open Agriculture (#251 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Makes a plant protein isolate out of lupins, creating a highly functional, nutritious ingredient with great environmental benefits.

Float Foods (#281 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Transforms the food system via offering true-to-form alternative egg technology for healthy, sustainable and ethical consumption

Mö Foods (#333 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Masters the art of oat cheese making as the sole producer specializing in this field

Fermtech (#356 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Produces delicious, nutritious, zero carbon protein with a unique fermentation system that uses food industry side streams

ProMeat (#359 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Creates high-quality, plant-based meat alternatives that mimic the taste and texture of traditional meat

Andfoods (#394 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops next generation plant-based dairy alternative ingredients and foodservice creams

Day 8 (#425 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Extracts Rubisco, Earth’s most abundant protein, from discarded crop leaves to provide the food industry with sustainable building blocks

Foodberry (#456 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Creates better bite-sized snacks and desserts using platform technology inspired by berries in nature

 

Protein Fermentation

Starfield (#7 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Asia’s leading plant-based protein food technology company and integrated solutions provider

Fermify (#51 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops fermentation technology for sustainable protein production

MicroHarvest (#70 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops sustainable protein through microbial fermentation technology for food applications

TurtleTree (#81 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops cell-based technology to produce human and animal milk proteins

The Better Meat Co. (#100 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Harnesses the power of fermentation to create next-generation mycoprotein ingredients for alt-meat applications

Chunk Foods (#121 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Uses proprietary solid-state fermentation technology to create whole cuts that look, cook, and taste like beef

Revyve (#142 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Transforms the food industry by harnessing the natural power of yeast to create sustainable texturising ingredients

Paleo (#190 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Produces animal-free, GMO-free heme proteins through precision fermentation for plant-based meat and fish manufacturers

Eden Brew (#226 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Makes proteins for new, improved and great-tasting nutritional and dairy foods, abundantly, cost-effectively and sustainably

Maia Farms (#292 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides pure and blended mushroom-based protein ingredients, enhancing taste and texture for food manufacturers

Cultivated Biosciences (#332 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops creamy functional ingredient to improve alternative dairy

DairyX (#366 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Makes animal-free dairy using precision fermentation

PFx Biotech (#367 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Harnesses the power of biology to produce highly bioactive human milk proteins via scalable precision fermentation for advanced nutrition markets

Jooules (#433 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Creates ethical protein ingredients from CO2 emissions

Esencia Foods (#464 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Uses mycelium solid state fermentation to create 3D, application-specific biomass for complex fish and meat alternatives

Bolder Foods (#471 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops ingredients to help dairy companies make next generations of animal-free products using biomass fermentation

Green-On (#489 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Makes ultrasustainable fats and oils without agriculture by using only electricity, water and CO2 as raw materials

 

Supply Chain Monitoring & Traceability

DiMuto (#118 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops blockchain-based supply chain transparency and traceability solutions for food products

CLCircular (#157 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops circular economy solutions for supply chain transparency and sustainability

Cerve (#264 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides supply chain monitoring and traceability solutions

Cooko (#399 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops supply chain solutions for food traceability and transparency

Natural Trace (#451 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Provides natural traceability solutions for food supply chains

 

Sustainable Packaging & Plastic Alternatives

Bioweg (#193 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Utilizes microbial innovation and green chemistry to create sustainable, bio-based ingredients that replace petroleum-based chemicals

Cruz Foam (#231 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Transforms protective packaging industries by introducing compostable alternatives made from upcycled food waste

Wastespresso (#240 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Transforms spent coffee grounds into bioplastics and biomaterial, supporting a circular economy

Clubzero (#376 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Operates a fully circular returnable packaging platform as sustainable alternative to single use packaging

 

Upcycled Ingredients, Food surplus & Waste Efficiency

Minus (#87 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Creates climate-proof, delicious products through fermentation with reduced environmental footprint

Protein Distillery (#116 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Upcycles fermented biomass industrial side streams to produce multi-functional protein for alternative food applications

Kern Tec (#175 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Uses unique technologies to turn unused fruit seeds from apricot, cherry and plum into food ingredients

ÄIO (#198 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Uses industrial side streams from food and wood industries to produce high-quality fats and oils

Bright Feeds (#199 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Solves the food waste crisis by converting unwanted food into high-quality, nutrient-rich animal feed replacement

Farm to Feed (#257 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Operates as Africa’s tech-enabled solution to food loss and waste

AgroGrIN Tech (#310 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Produces clean-label food ingredients from fruit and vegetable upcycling

The Banana Factory (#407 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Saves bananas from being discarded at European ports and turns them into circular raw material for the food industry

Green Eco Technologies (#462 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Manufactures onsite technology to repurpose food and organic waste

 

Vertical & Indoor Farming

Stacked Farm (#194 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops vertical farming systems for local food production in urban environments

Badia Farms Agricultural (#266 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Operates vertical farms for fresh produce production in controlled environments

Innovation Agritech (#299 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops innovative agricultural technologies for controlled environment farming

ECF Farmsystems (#396 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops aquaponics and controlled environment farming systems

Sylvarum (#423 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Develops indoor farming solutions and technologies

Greenhub Solutions (#487 in the 2024 FoodTech 500) | Transforms vertical farms into self-sustaining experts using AI and digital twin technology, making them profitable and an integrated solution for the future of food production

 

By monitoring these newcomers and the entire FoodTech 500, we gain valuable insights into the trajectory of food system transformation and the innovations that will shape our future food landscape.

 

Ready to make your mark on the future of food? The 2025 FoodTech 500 is calling for applications from groundbreaking companies. Don’t miss your chance to be recognized, APPLY NOW.

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