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.
Little Tummy hopes to disrupt the UK baby food sector with paediatrician-developed meals with more micronutrients and less sugar than other brands on the market.
Future Meat Technologies says its plan to sell grow-your-own cell-based meat to food companies will make cultured meat accessible and affordable at both the retail and consumer level.
The coronavirus pandemic has touched every part of our lives. With the social and economic consequences still largely to be felt, many commentators suggest it will mark a before and after point for society. In this edition of The FoodNavigator Podcast,...
Fast-growing, robust, sustainable, nutritious... it even tastes like bacon. Is there no end to seaweed's talents? Meet the firm establishing what it claims is the UK’s first and only commercial offshore seaweed farm.
A new consortium has been launched to support the development of sustainable production and processing techniques for insect-based products in North-West Europe. FoodNavigator caught up with ValuSect to find out more about how it plans to make insects...
Home delivery is here to stay, suggests analysis by a global law firm, which notes that the food delivery sector is holding up in testing markets as businesses look to diversify.
Researchers in Norway are examining how seaweed farming can be commercialised in the country. “Seaweeds may become a profitable piece of the green transition.”
Barcelona-based Novameat has entered the pork alternative space with a 3D printed plant-based pork muscle cut. “The alternative meat industry is moving beyond ground meat analogues,” CEO Giuseppe Scionti tells FoodNavigator.
Israeli start-up Remilk hopes to replace cows as ‘food factories’ with its microbe-based ‘milk’. Co-founder Aviv Wolff tells FoodNavigator the product is functional, versatile, and ‘behaves the same way as cow’s milk’.
HelloFresh has raised its earnings expectations for the full year after reporting a successful start to 2020 as increased numbers consumers dine at home amid coronavirus restrictions.
The development of fermentation technologies will help the plant-based manufacturers deliver products that are healthier and tastier, Dr David Welch, director science and technology at the Good Food Institute (GFI) suggests.
The Israeli start-up discusses its new sustainability plans, why it sees cultured meat as a 'necessity' and also why the sector can live in harmony with the traditional meat industry.
Start-up Fiid has witnessed tremendous growth in demand for its plant-based ambient ready meals in the wake of the coronavirus crisis and subsequent lockdown. “There’s potentially a silver lining for our particular category,” founder Shane Ryan tells...
Heura is one of Europe’s fastest growing plant-based brands. We spoke to CEO Marc Coloma, founder of Heura maker Foods for Tomorrow, about what is propelling the company’s success, the impact of COVID-19 and the future of plant-based innovation.
Seakura, an Israeli ag tech company, has developed a unique biomass production system that it believes will enable it to capitalise on growing demand for plant-based ingredients. We caught up with the company to find out more about its tech and international...
Plant-based products benefit from something of a health halo. However, the nutritional profile of these often ultra-processed foods is coming under increased scrutiny. FutureBridge forecasts four-up-and coming plant-based proteins that could disrupt the...
The cultured meat sector is set to eventually be buoyed by the coronavirus crisis as consumers become more interested in food solutions seen as sustainable and safe, believes the co-founder and managing director of cultured meat supplier Peace of Meat.
