The European Institute of Innovation & Technology’s food arm received 106 applications to its COVID-19 support fund from different start-ups across Europe. The number was eventually whittled down to just 13.
The coronavirus crisis has hurt many food and beverage SMEs, reliant on out-of-home channels, particularly hard. We spoke to the founders of French ice cream start-up Gemelli to hear how this company has responded.
The Cannabinoid Association of the Netherlands (CAN), a consortium of Dutch CBD producers, is harnessing blockchain technology with the hope of improving transparency, accountability and traceability in the CBD market.
CBD is the latest hot ingredient to infiltrate the food sector, and agile start-ups have been quick to jump onboard. In this edition of The FoodNavigator Podcast, we speak with the founders of three UK-based food start-ups to get their perspectives on...
Unilever has entered into a tie-up with biotech start-up Algenuity. FoodNavigator hears from both companies about the ‘huge potential’ to develop ‘future foods’ using Chlorella vulgaris microalgae as a nutritious and sustainable protein source.
The use of antibiotics and other adulterants in meat is a global health problem. Consumers increasingly demand products that are free-from contaminants and additives. But how can you be sure the meat you eat is hormone or antibiotic free?
Israeli start-up SavorEat has developed an automated, closed system that 3D prints and cooks plant-based meat alternatives for foodservice. “This robot can replace manufacturing practices,” CEO Racheli Vizman tells FoodNavigator.
Romanian food company Salconserv Food has invested €3m to grow its sustainable plant-based brand, Verdino, and the brand now has international ambitions. “The future of food is also produced in Romania,” CEO Eberhart Răducanu says.
Pre-COVID, food entrepreneurs were reluctant to outsource to service providers. But a ‘change in mindset’ has occurred, according to Young Foodies’ Thea Alexander, meaning founders are increasingly comfortable relinquishing control.
UK start-up Produce & Provide is launching a new service that aims to help connect farmers and consumers. The company’s founder Neil Darwent believes the transition to shorter, more local supply chains represents a ’21st century food and farming revolution’.
Israeli start-up Seebo has raised a total of $31m to help manufacturers predict and prevent food waste on the factory floor. The more complex the production line, the better, CEO Lior Akavia tells FoodNavigator.
The snacks and beverage giant says it will cut a number of its zombie brands and focus on ‘fewer but bigger and stronger’ products after its second-quarter sales fell 27% year-on-year - the sharpest quarterly sales drop in a decade.
What do you get when you cross chicken cells with plant-based ingredients and 3D printing technology? KFC collaborates with biotech research lab 3D Bioprinting Solutions in Moscow to bring hybrid nuggets to the Russian market.
PepsiCo established its Future Brands business in Europe in 2018 in response to the changing innovation landscape. FoodNavigator speaks to Senior Innovation Director Karen Scott to find out how the company is leveraging agile innovation and identifying...
Plant-based drink disruptor Oatly says it is planning to take on the overall dairy category after securing $200 million in new equity from an investment group led by private equity giant Blackstone and a group of celebrities.
A UK study detailing the environmental benefits of vertical farming – and in particular, aeroponics – has listed ‘strategic areas of future research’ to underpin the system’s productivity and sustainability.
COVID-19 has accelerated food trends that were already on the rise prior to lockdown. So how can entrepreneurs best capitalise on these trends to attract early-stage funding? And in a growing field of competitors, how can investors pick the right horse?
Spanish food tech start-up Cubiq Foods has developed a vegan ‘smart fat’ that, it claims, behaves like animal fat within product formulations. Addressing some of the functional constraints of coconut oil, CEO and co-founder Andrés Montefeltro tells FoodNavigator...
The impact of COVID-19 on retail and food-to-go channels has challenged many food businesses. Yet challenger brands and start-ups with an agile mindset can use the crisis to their advantage, say a panel of experts.
As big and small food brands adapt to the 'new normal', many are exploring the direct to consumer (D2C) route as a means of growing sales. Coconuts Organic, a plant-based ice cream, is one of the small businesses doing just that.
Vertegrow and Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS) are investing in the development of a UK vertical farm. According to Vertegrow director Graeme Warren, investment in ag tech in general – and vertical farming in particular – is vital to delivering food...
In a ground-breaking series of webinars, FoodNavigator’s global editorial teams will address one of the most pressing questions facing the sector today: What will COVID-19 mean for the future of the industry?
Students in Demark aim to commercialise vegan alternatives to salmon and tuna in Europe, having developed 3D printing processes capable of printing plant proteins and binders in structured forms.
Working with the likes of Tesco and Albert Heijn, Spoon Guru uses its AI powered software to ease the path to purchase and transform food discovery. The company’s co-founder Markus Stripf tells FoodNavigator that the way people shop online is changing...
Purition is a UK protein shake manufacturer that wants to disrupt a breakfast offering that, co-founder Edward Taylor says, is too often characterised by ‘half truths’ and ‘nutrition myths’. What makes Purition different? “We play it straight down the...
Sustainable chips and a dip with a ‘consistency similar to tapenade’ have been developed by fermentation experts in Denmark. Both products are made almost exclusively from upcycled by-products generated during the beer brewing process.
Cell-based cultured protein is an industry still in its infancy. Food makers should look at the emerging field as an opportunity to collaborate and invest in the sector’s development, according to experts speaking at IFF’s Plantful Virtual Festival.
Redefine Meat today unveiled its trade-marked Alt-Steak, a plant-based 3D printed steak, with consumer testing to kick off in high-end restaurants this year. FoodNavigator speaks to co-founder and CEO Eshchar Ben-Shitrit to learn more about the path to...
In a ground-breaking series of webinars, FoodNavigator’s global editorial teams will unpick one of the biggest questions facing the sector today: What will COVID-19 mean for the future of the industry?
Personalised nutrition is a phrase that has attracted much attention, with futuristic visions of people consuming a diet tailored to their individual needs to deliver optimum health and wellness. But for this future to materialise it will require a complete...
Vegan Arborist is looking to help take plant-based food businesses ‘to the next level’ after launching a business and consumer platform dedicated to growing the market for more sustainable plant-based products.
Chilean biotech Protera Biosciences is heading for the city of lights, having closed $5.5m (€4.9m) Series A financing led by Sofinnova Partners. Europe, Protera CEO Leonardo Álvarez tells FoodNavigator, is known for its ‘vast expertise’ in producing enzymes...
Food scientist at the University of Nottingham are collaborating with local start-up Pola to develop an ambient version of the company’s frozen treats.
Growth hungry HelloFresh is defying concerns that rising consumer demand for meal-kit delivery services may wane as lockdown restrictions ease. However, its biggest threat remains online supermarkets, say analysts.
The challenge of responding to coronavirus has highlighted the need to leverage big data, predictive analytics and artificial intelligence in the FMCG space. However, AI start-up Spoonshot stresses, the long-term opportunities this technology can unlock...
The German branch of animal welfare charity PETA has announced the winners of this year’s Vegan Food Awards, set up to ‘honour outstanding innovations’ in the plant-based space. Scroll through the gallery to see who took out this year's best chicken,...
Surging awareness about plant-based products has seen a proliferation of meat analogues hitting the market. But to truly appeal to ‘meat-lovers’, Redefine Meat CEO and founder Eshchar Ben-Shitrit says the sector needs to look beyond innovation at a product...
Swedish start-up Hooked is developing what it claims to be the ‘world’s first’ plant-based shredded salmon product. The aim? To meet the ‘rapidly increasing’ demand for seafood with healthy, tasty, and planet-friendly alternatives, the founders tell FoodNavigator.
In the latest edition of our new product development trend tracker, FoodNavigator covers a new range of chunky tartare sauces, a selection of flavoured seitan products crossing the pond, and new meat-free formats from Richmond Sausages.
The coronavirus pandemic has placed considerable strain on small and medium sized food producers. Many have responded with ‘inspiring, creative and innovative solutions’. REFRAME takes us on a tour of how SMEs in the North Sea region have adjusted their...
Lockdown measures have driven an unprecedented surge in demand for recipe box services. Yet once the dust settles, so too will subscription numbers, suggests Philip Koh, co-founder of London-based brand design agency Without. “Meal kits are unlikely to...
German ingredients supplier Emsland Group has partnered with US start-up JUST, Inc to process mung bean protein for the latter’s plant-based scrambled egg alternative Just Egg.
