Technologies

feeding the future

Winners announced!

400

Challengers

6

Tracks

60

Finalists

1

Winner

Food Tech Challengers 2024 highlights

New Proteins
New proteins
Enhancing well-being via nutrition
Enhancing well-being via nutrition
Food transparency, safety & security
Food transparency, safety & security
Fighting food waste battle
Fighting food waste battle
Digital from farm to fork
Digital from farm to fork
Regenerative agriculture
Regenerative agriculture

Showcase your business, gain visibility, and build new partnerships 

At Food Tech Challengers, we are on a mission to pinpoint the most game-changing solutions that will transform the way we produce and consume food. If your company creates disruptive solutions, this is your chance to put your product or service in the spotlight.

Food Tech Challengers provides startups from all over the globe a unique opportunity to take center stage, gain global media exposure, and showcase their solutions to a distinctive panel of 100+ investors, industry leaders and experts.

To enter, startups must be innovators in one of the six tracks fostering the food tech innovation – New Proteins, Enhancing well-being via nutrition, Food transparency, safety & security, Fighting food waste battle, Digital from farm to fork, and Regenerative agriculture.

60 finalists. 1 Winner

TOP-60 companies (10 in each track) are shortlisted by a distinguished panel of industry experts from global corporations, venture capitals, ecosystem builders and media partners.

All finalists are invited to pitch live at Food Tech Congress 2024, the leading industry conference of the year. Taking place on May 28 – 29, 2024 in Warsaw, Poland, the event offers invaluable networking opportunities and media exposure. 

One company is announced the Ultimate Winner of Food Tech Challengers 2024.

Timeline

1

Application
deadline

March 1, 2024

2

Top 60
announced

March 13, 2024

3

Top 60
pitches

May 28 – 29, 2024 @
Food Tech Congress

4

Top 6 pitches & Winner
announced

May 28 – 29, 2024 @
Food Tech Congress

Timeline

1

Application
deadline

March 1, 2024

2

Top 60
announced

March 13, 2024

3

Top 60
pitches

May 28 – 29, 2024 @ Food Tech Congress

4

Top 6 pitches & Winner
announced

May 28 – 29, 2024 @ Food Tech Congress

Why join Food Tech Challengers?

Unparalleled
Networking

All finalists are granted a complimentary ticket to Food Tech Congress 2024, taking place in Warsaw, Poland on May 28 – 29, 2024. Over 800 industry visionaries will gather to share disruptive ideas and network with a group of peers. This is your perfect chance to network and hold 1:1 meetings with the key players in food and agri tech.

Remarkable
Jury Members

Present your ground-breaking solution in front of a remarkable jury comprising the representatives of top notch venture capitals and corporations. This annual competition is designed to empower entrepreneurs and help them build new partnerships that will lead to future industry breakthroughs.

Brand
Exposure

Do not miss out on the opportunity to share your brand’s story with a global audience of over 800 attendees. Food Tech Challengers also welcomes journalists from the world’s leading media companies to give your company unparalleled reach.

Startup applications are now closed

Application to the FTC is entirely free and each finalist company (60 in total/10 per track) are granted 1 complimentary ticket to Food Tech Congress 2024. May the odds be in your favour!

Winners of 2024

Ultimate
Challenger

Koolboks provides a reliable and alternative long-term storage technique due to the superior insulation and ice battery technology employed in the design. It can function as a refrigerator or as a freezer, depending on the preference of the user.

TOP 6 Challengers

Perfat and their technology allows food producers to incorporate a healthier fat in applications where solid fats are needed. Low on saturated fats, fewer calories, loads of gut friendly dietary fiber, their solution is built on local plant oil-based sustainability.

EXOSOMM is a biotech-foodtech company, inspired by the virtues of mother milk and its unique health properties. It develops a variety of nutritional solutions based on natural milk derived exosomes.

inoqo is an innovative SaaS platform designed to help grocery retailers assess and manage the impact of their thousands of products across various dimensions in a scalable way.

Koolboks provides a reliable and alternative long-term storage technique due to the superior insulation and ice battery technology employed in the design. It can function as a refrigerator or as a freezer, depending on the preference of the user.

RootWave kills weeds using electricity to give better weed control at a lower cost than chemical herbicides whilst protecting health and helping nature restore its soils, water and biodiversity.

Meet the jury

Gil Horsky

Gil Horsky

Founding Partner @ FLORA Ventures

Marta Laorden

Marta Laorden

VC Director @ McWin Capital Partners

Alexandre Bastos

Alexandre Bastos

Head of front end innovation @ Givaudan

Anne Marie Butler

Anne Marie Butler

Global Director of Strategy and Innovation @ Edlong Flavor Solutions

Sneha Srikrishnan

Sneha Srikrishnan

Senior Director, Business Development @ Ginkgo Bioworks

Rachel Resek

Rachel Resek

Principal @ Cargill Ventures

Jelena Erker

Jelena Erker

Associate Director @ EBRD

Xin MA

Xin MA

Managing Director @ Capagro

Nityen Lal

Nityen Lal

Managing Director @ Icos Capital

Giancarlo Addario

Giancarlo Addario

Principal @ Five Seasons Ventures

Nadine Geiser

Nadine Geiser

Principal @ World Fund

Piotr Grabowski

Piotr Grabowski

Co-Founder @ Foodtech.ac

Andrew D. Ive

Andrew D Ive

General Managing Partner @ Big Idea Ventures

David Brandes

David Brandes

CEO & Co-Founder @ Planetary group

Bart Van Hooland

Bart Van Hooland

Managing Partner @ Thia Ventures

Inbar Maymon-Pomeranchik

Inbar Maymon-Pomeranchik

Co-Founder & CEO @ AgChimedes

Michela Petronio

Michela Petronio

Blufuture Steercom @ Barilla

Dr. Roger Wyse

Dr. Roger Wyse

Venture Capitalist, Founder & Managing Partner @ Spruce Capital Partners

Mathilde Do Chi

Mathilde Do Chi

CEO / Principal Consultant @ Vegan Food Law

Mika Kukkurainen

Mika Kukkurainen

Partner & Founder @ Nordic Foodtech VC

Patricia Larráyoz Lorea

Patricia Larráyoz Lorea

Innovation Hub Manager @ Eatex Food Innovation Hub

Arik Kaufman

Arik Kaufman

CEO & Co-Founder @ Steakholder foods

Marika King

Marika King

Head of PINC @ PINC, Paulig venture arm

Markus Linder

Markus Linder

Founder @ Triple Impact Ventures

Shari Rana

Shari Rana

Investment Director @ Nordic Alpha Partners

Myriam Rouis

Myriam Rouis

Investment Services / EIC Fund @ European Investment Bank

James Wilde

James Wilde

Partner @ ATK

Peter Kruger

Peter Kruger

Chairman @ Agrifood-Tech Italia

Kim Odhner

Kim Odhner

Managing Partner Europe and Asia @ Unovis Asset Management

Zbigniew Lewicki

Zbigniew Lewicki

Chief RDQ Officer @ Nomad Foods

Adam Adamek

Adam Adamek

Chief Impact Officer @ EIT Food

Martin Davalos

Martin Davalos

Partner @ McWin Capital Partners

Robert Dupree

Robert Dupree

General Partner @ Alwyn Capital

Diana Rucinschi

Diana Rucinschi

Investment advisor @ European Innovation Council (EIC)

Peter Dorfner

Peter Dorfner

Principal @ Green Generation Fund

Marcos Botta

Marcos Botta

Co-founder & CIO/COO @ ucrop.it

Julia Martin

Julia Martin

Cellular Agriculture Lead @ ProVeg International

Katharina Burdorf

Katharina Burdorf

Team Lead Product Management / PhD Candidate @ Hydrosol GmbH & Co. KG / University of Vechta

Antonio Iannone

Antonio Iannone

Foodtech Professional @ TheFoodCons

Francesca Pedri

Francesca Pedri

Sustainability Project Lead, Investments & Advisory @ GERBER-RAUTH

Eugene Wang

Eugene Wang

Co-Founder & CEO @ Sophie's BioNutrients

Robert Walker

Robert Walker

European Growth Officer @ Alltech

Helen Lin

Helen Lin

Partner @ At One Ventures

Conan Condon

Conan Condon

Head of Agri Analytics @ Alltech

Harley Green

Harley Green

Investment Manager @ Volta Circle

Christian Gonzalez

Christian Gonzalez

Investor @ Planet A Ventures

Pawel Szczepaniak

Pawel Szczepaniak

Head Of Digital @ McWin Capital Partners

Arnout Dijkhuizen

Arnout Dijkhuizen

Investment Principal @ Astanor Ventures

Jérôme Raudin

Jérôme Raudin

Global Platform Director Modern Proteins @ Symrise AG

Andres Anton

Andres Anton

Founder and Co-host @ Tomorrows' Bites

Tilmann Petersen

Tilmann Petersen

Investment Manager @ High-Tech Gründerfonds

Jonny Mauland

Jonny Mauland

Tech Sustainability Lead @ Accenture Nordics

Brian P. Sylvester

Brian P. Sylvester

Partner @ Perkins Coie

Mridul Pareek

Mridul Pareek

Associate @ ECBF VC

Nadim El Khazen

Nadim El Khazen

Partner @ Peakbridge VC

Peter Schmetz

Peter Schmetz

Investment Principal @ Vorwerk Ventures

Gabriela Alcat de Lima

Gabriela Alcat de Lima

Project Manager @ Spanish Food and Drink Federation (FIAB)

Magdalena Olczak

Magdalena Olczak - Nowicka

Podcast host @ Poland.VC Founderzy

Alex Shandrovsky

Alex Shandrovsky

Vegconomist Guest Contributor and Podcast Host @ Vegconomist

Bar Rubin

Bar Rubin

Investment Associate @ Rabo Investments

Elena Gascón Villacampa

Elena Gascón Villacampa

Project Coordinator @ Eatex Food Innovation Hub | CNTA

Uwe Schröder

Uwe Schröder

Head of Cefetra Ecosystem Services @ Cefetra

Grzegorz Kozieja

Grzegorz Kozieja

Department Director of International Agri and Food Hub @ BNP Paribas

Charles Pontvianne

Charles Pontvianne

Head of Corporate Finance @ Planetary Group

Brought to you by

Food Tech Challengers is brought to you by Futurae Media, a global event organiser fostering innovation across multiple industries like Energy and Mobility, Food and Agriculture, Healthcare, and Urban Tech.

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