How PowerAPI is making life easier for thousands of European restaurants and F&B companies

May 18, 2022 | Ecosystem news, Headline, Member Highlight, Member news

How PowerAPI is making life easier for thousands of European restaurants and F&B companies

Valley member PowerAPI lets F&B businesses manage their entire tech stack from a single OS and platform through a Unified API. After closing a $2 million seed funding round last year, the team has just been nominated for the TOP 100 Swiss Startup Awards.

Hello. Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name’s Verónica Stacey and I’m the CMO at PowerAPI. I’m very passionate about all things hospitality. I joined PowerAPI two years ago now and I’ve seen the team grow from under 10 employees to over 20 today. I develop, manage and oversee all our marketing activities.

Can you pitch Foodetective in just 20 seconds?

Many F&B businesses use 12+ softwares to manage their day to day business activities – from delivery and stock management to HR, marketing and finance. But this means that data is often fragmented across these systems. PowerAPI powers restaurants’ digital transformation through a Unified API and enables them to bring together all the data they need on a single platform.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Personally, I love opening the window and letting the sun in..! But in all seriousness: our mission. We want to make restaurant owners’ and managers’ lives easier. As a startup we have to get up every morning and continually figure out the best way to do this.

Most of our team members have a background in hospitality, but we all consider ourselves epicureans. We’re all very passionate about building a technology that helps restaurant owners to work smarter, so that they can focus on what matters most: creating great food and an outstanding customer experience.

What does a typical day at work look like for you?

Every single day is different. We have offices in Geneva and Paris, but I work remotely from Spain. So most days will usually include at least a few calls. This might be reviewing our strategy with the executive team or chatting through ideas for business development with colleagues. In the afternoon I usually connect with the marketing and design team to oversee progress on priority projects for the month and take some time to tackle individual items on my to-do list.

What were your key achievements in 2021?

2021 was a very exciting year for us. In May, we closed a $2 million seed round. This allowed us to optimize our product and strengthen our universal API that enables our partners to integrate their solution into PowerAPI seamlessly. In September, we even bagged a place in TNW’s list of Europe’s hottest scaleups.

Throughout the year, we also started working with lots of great new partners, including Coca-Cola HBC and Nestlé Pro and successfully implemented over 65 integrations, working alongside many market leaders like Uber Eats and LightSpeed.

What projects are you and your team working on this year?

This year we’ll be focusing on opening our API and developing our intelligence feature. This will automate as many admin tasks as possible to save our clients time and money and maximize revenues and margins by using historical data and patterns. We hope that this feature will help us become the online smart manager of every business we serve. We’re also continuing to fundraise to accelerate our rollout. This year, we’ll be looking to raise $4 million.

Tell us about how you work with others in the ecosystem to innovate?

Given that we’re building a Unified API for the RestoTech industry, partnerships are at the heart of our work. All kinds of software solutions as well as wholesalers can integrate into our platform. We’ve recently started working with Reckitt. Opening up our API will make partnerships and integrations even easier. Our operating system spans the entire value chain from suppliers to end customers through integrations. So we can offer F&B businesses a holistic solution through partnerships.

How do you support the Swiss ecosystem beyond your core business offer?

We do quite a few things! We organize internships and training sessions with hospitality schools or the Global Food Venture program. We also partner with companies that don’t necessarily have a technology to integrate but provide services that contribute to the ecosystem such as Biohuile. We’re always happy to share our knowledge on what is happening in the industry.

logos of sustainable food partners
How can the SFNV community help you achieve your goals?

We’re always eager to connect with new partners. We work with a huge range of companies across the food ecosystem from wholesalers and delivery partners to companies offering food waste solutions. If you’d be interested in finding out more, please do reach out. 

SFNV will soon be launching its third Impact Platform on Food Systems 4.0. What’s your perspective on the role of digitalization in shaping the future of food? 

Today, digitalization is present from the ground or root, to suppliers, to software, to the end user. It’s clear that the entire supply chain is rapidly shifting from paper-based to digital solutions. I predict that the future of food will be based on data-driven insights – meaning less fragmentation and more more engaged and informed stakeholders. 

Tell us something we didn’t know about your company.

Our company has a B2C page: superapp which lists over 20,000 restaurants across Europe. Restaurants that have a profile on our software also have a consumer-facing page on our directory to boost their visibility through content and to showcase all their user-facing services. This page is automatically filled with information they’ve provided in the software, like their menu, opening hours and the delivery platforms they use and is enriched by our community of content creators who write reviews and guides.

Connect with Verónica on LinkedIn or visit the PowerAPI Business website to find out more.

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Bossy Céréales SA opens new factory to meet growing demand for textured vegetable proteins

May 16, 2022 | Ecosystem news, Headline, Member news, Press-releases

Bossy Céréales SA opens new factory to meet growing demand for textured vegetable proteins

SFNV member, Bossy Céréales, has been innovating in the food and nutrition industry for over 170 years. This month they opened a brand new state-of-the-art site in Cousset to meet the growing demand for textured vegetable proteins (TVP).

Ramping up production fourfold

Bossy Céréales, one of Switzerland’s market leaders in textured vegetable protein (TVP), has opened a cutting-edge 12,000m2 production facility dedicated to TVP dry extrusion technology. The project has been five years in the making and has attracted over CHF 35 million in investment.

By the end of 2022, the site will boast three Bühler extruders allowing Bossy to quadruple its overall production capacity from 5,000 tonnes per year to more than 20,000 tonnes per year.

With the factory set to meet the growing demands of the rapidly expanding TVP market, Bossy Céréales aims to position itself as a frontrunner in dry extrusion textured vegetable proteins by 2025, both nationally and at a European level. Four new production lines, planned to be operational by the end of 2022, will bring them a step closer to this goal. 

bossy cereales opens a new factory
Catering for the burgeoning meat substitutes market

The high protein and fibre content and unique texture makes Bossy’s products an attractive substitute for meat-based recipes. The company is therefore eager to partner with key players in the meat production industry.

Thanks to their competitive pricing compared to traditional meat and lower environmental footprint, these products also provide an opportunity for Bossy to increase their market share, while supporting the transition to a more sustainable food system.

“Our new factory will allow us to work with cutting-edge technology that is unique to Switzerland,” says Simon-Pierre Kerbage, CEO of Bossy Céréales. “The main product on our new production lines will be a 100% plant-based meat substitute made from TVP. I strongly believe that the future of food lies in these proteins and we look forward to being a part of it.” 

Rising from the ashes

Six years after a fire ravaged the site, Bossy has made a steady recovery, gradually rebuilding and expanding the facility, to bounce back with fully automated production lines that will soon be operating 24 hours a day.

In view of the high demand for their products, Bossy are planning to double staffing within the next two to three years, as well as finalize contracts for several thousands of tonnes per year from autumn 2022. They will also be looking to recruit 30 to 40 new team members to run the site and drive new product development.

Find out more on the Bossy website.

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Embion is selected as a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum

May 12, 2022 | Ecosystem news, Headline, Member news

Embion is selected as a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum

Valley member Embion has made it their mission to catalyze the world’s transition to zero wasted resources. To do this, they specialize in upcycling industrial food production by-products through their platform technology. This week they were selected to become a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer.

The story so far

Embion founders – Georgios Savoglidis, Sviatlana Siankevich and Georgios Fengos, share a common vision of using smart technology to catalyze the world’s transition to the sustainable use of food resources.

The company – an EPFL spin-off founded in 2016 – aims to harness the best of nature and accelerate next-generation nutrition innovation for all, empowered by its platform technology, while addressing sustainable development through cutting-edge innovation in plant-based technology. It enables the production of highly functional ingredients from biomass for animal nutrition, food and beverages, nutraceuticals and cosmetics.

After securing seed funding from strategic investors from Switzerland, United States and Asia in 2019, Embion registered its first product, PREMBION, in the EU market in 2020, designed to pave the way to antibiotic-free farming and increased feed efficiency. In 2021 the team went on to close a successful CHF 4.5 million Series A funding round, led by global brewing group ASAHI Group Holdings Ltd., allowing them to grow their team and scale their production capabilities.

Becoming a Technology Pioneer

The World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneers are early to growth-stage companies from around the world that use new technologies and innovation to tackle the world’s most pressing issues – from sustainability and climate change to healthcare.

This year’s cohort includes start-ups from 30 countries, with Vietnam, Rwanda and Czech Republic represented for the first time. Embion was selected in recognition of its contribution to empowering access to next gen nutritional innovation.

Saemoon Yoon, Community Lead, Technology Pioneers at the World Economic Forum: “Embion and its fellow pioneers are at the forefront of industries that are critical to solving some of our world’s most complex issues today. We look forward to their contribution to the World Economic Forum in its commitment to improving the state of the world.”

CEO Georgios Savoglidis: “It’s a great honor to be acknowledged as a pioneering company by the World Economic Forum. It is confirmation that the speed of technology development, commercialization and consumer adoption are pushing the wheels of innovation and that our platform technology can offer a new production method that provides for pure and stable products from a renewable source. Products that represent a new frontier in nutrition and health. We look forward to contributing to the Forum dialogues on this challenge.”

What’s next?

As a Technology Pioneer, Embion’s CEO Georgios Savoglidis will be invited to participate at World Economic Forum activities, events, and discussions throughout the year. Embion will also contribute to Forum initiatives over the next two years, working with global leaders to help address key industry and societal issues.

In the coming months, Embion is now planning to build on their successes by connecting with like-minded investors who can help them further scale their work and collaborate with corporate partners to create joint product development projects in the food and feed industries.

Find out more on the Embion website.

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MagicTomato invites supporters to invest in its nationwide expansion

May 4, 2022 | Ecosystem news, Headline, Member news

MagicTomato invites supporters to invest in its nationwide expansion

SFNV member MagicTomato has made it their mission to democratize access to local and sustainable food. Now they’re inviting both Swiss consumers and institutional investors to invest in their solution to strengthen food ecosystems across Switzerland.

The story so far

Back in 2016, Paul Charmillot had a vision. He wanted to create a solution that made it quick and easy for busy consumers to enjoy top-quality, local and sustainably-produced food. And with just CHF 60k in the bank and the support of tech innovation incubator Fongit, he did just that.

Initially this meant a lot of long days doing anything and everything to get the business off the ground – from tracking down the best local producers to developing the website, preparing orders and dealing with client queries.

But this upfront investment certainly paid off. MagicTomato has grown rapidly. Today, Magic Tomato’s team of 40 provides local and sustainable food to over 5000 consumers across Vaud, Geneva, Fribourg, Thun, Bern, Yverdon, Biel and Neuchâtel and brought in over CHF 7 million of orders last year.

As a certified B-Corp, Paul and his team are also deeply committed to having a positive social and environmental impact. In 2021, their business activities averted 46 tonnes of food waste and made over 30,000 deliveries with a fleet of electric vehicles.

After a longstanding collaboration with Label Bleu, the two companies decided to join forces at the end of last year, strengthening the team’s network and laying the foundations for expansion across Switzerland.

Investing in local food ecosystems

MagicTomato is now looking to raise CHF 1 million by inviting customers, supporters and more institutional investors to invest in their solution. Through a partnership with Taurus, Swiss residents can buy participation certificates using blockchain technology.

For Paul, this funding solution felt like the most natural fit for the platform: “Our customers are already shaping their local food ecosystems through their purchasing decisions. Investing in our platform alongside more institutional investors like Fongit is another way that customers can actively drive positive change and enable more Swiss residents to benefit from local and sustainably-produced food.”

The campaign was launched on May 2 and potential investors can choose from three packages, starting from just CHF 150. 

Big plans for 2024

The MagicTomato team will use the funds raised to support the structural and digital development of the platform and to accelerate the creation of new ecosystems across Switzerland.

This year, the team plans to expand to German-speaking Switzerland, Chablais and Valais but has also set their sights on developing networks in Ticino in the near future. By 2024 they aim to pay out more than CHF 22 million to local artisans and producers. 

Paul is confident that this development will enable MagicTomato to make a bigger contribution to supporting local and sustainable food systems: “We believe that sharing our governance and capital with all our stakeholders will drive our mission-driven company forward and ultimately generate more impact.”

Follow MagicTomato on Linkedin or view their fundraising page to find out more.

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planetary raises CHF 7.5m to build microbial fermentation capacity globally and scale the new food evolution

Apr 20, 2022 | Ecosystem news, Member news, Press-releases

planetary raises CHF 7.5m to build microbial fermentation capacity globally and scale the new food evolution

Valley member, planetary, has closed one of Europe’s largest early-stage investment rounds in the food industry. Their Swiss Manufacturing and Innovation Center will give fermentation front-runners the capacity to scale.

Geneva-based food-tech company planetary has raised $8.1 million (CHF 7.5m) in seed funding, led by leading Agrifoodtech investor Astanor Ventures and followed on by XAnge, Blue Horizon, Nucleus Capital and others.

In the race to advance product quality, viability, and mitigate climate impact, fermentation companies dedicated to alternative proteins raised $1.7 billion in investments in 2021 (GFI). The technology enables a scaled and cost-efficient production of sustainable, diverse and authentic analogues to animal derived foods and ingredients. Yet, industrial scale bioprocessing capacity remains a bottleneck to the industry and is largely unavailable.

David Brandes, co-founder and CEO, planetary: “By building an interconnected fermentation capacity network, we aim to open global and local market access to fermentation partners whilst reducing their operational risk and capital exposure.”

planetary set out to de-bottleneck the food fermentation industry by providing industrial-scale bioprocessing capacity and by building out infrastructure and developing related manufacturing IP. The added capacity will be made available to fermentation front-runners and brand owners (“originators”) following a contract development and manufacturing (“CDMO”) business model. Starting operations out of their Swiss Manufacturing and Innovation Center, MiC, the company aims to enable fermentation players to scale up and mass produce at low cost through the installation of industrial fermentation capacity, and to ultimately operate a global network of automated production plants.

“Fermentation technology is essential to creating the alternative protein products that can meet consumer demand for taste and nutrition. Current fermentation capacity is a major hurdle to the development of these products on a large scale. We are excited to support the development of planetary’s innovative infrastructure technology to address this need.” George Coelho, co-founder and Partner at Astanor Ventures. 


About planetary
planetary SA is an emerging Geneva, Switzerland based contract development and manufacturing partner (“CDMO”) building bioprocessing, downstream and formulations capacity globally. The company aims to provide capacity for both microbial precision and mycelial biomass fermentation players by operating a global network of interconnected production sites powered by upscaling specific IP. planetary is looking to establish partnerships with fermentation frontrunners and discuss both capacity and go-to-market opportunities in Switzerland and Europe alike.
Visit their website.

About Astanor Ventures
Astanor Ventures is a global impact investor that backs ambitious entrepreneurs with disruptive, scalable solutions that will create systemic change across the agrifood value chain, from soil to gut. They partner with founders that are committed to restoring balance and sustainability to the land and oceans, prioritizing nature and culture, nurturing change and feeding growth. Astanor has invested in 35 agrifood tech companies across the world, including: Ynsect (French insect farming unicorn), Apeel (US food waste unicorn), Infarm (German vertical farming leader), Modern Meadow (US advanced biomaterials company) and v2food (Australian plant-based protein leader).
Visit their website.

About XAnge
XAnge is a leading European venture capital firm based in Paris and Munich. We invest in European early-stage innovative technology companies operating in the fields of Digital consumer, Enterprise & Data, Fintech, and Deeptech. Since its creation in 2003, XAnge has backed more than 200 fast-growing companies in their entrepreneurial journeys. We work alongside visionary founders with strong values and International ambitions such as Ledger, Odoo, Lydia, Believe Digital. XAnge is the Venture arm of Siparex, an independent investment group with €2Bn under management.
Visit their website.

About Blue Horizon
Blue Horizon is accelerating the transition to a New Sustainable Food System that delivers outstanding returns for investors and the planet. The company is a global pioneer of the Future of Food. As a pure play impact investor, Blue Horizon has shaped the growth of the alternative protein and food tech market. The company invests at the intersection of biology, agriculture and technology with the aim to transform the global food industry. Blue Horizon was founded by Roger Lienhard in 2016 and is based in Zurich. To date, the company has invested in more than 60 companies. Its business model offers an attractive opportunity to invest in the evolution of the global food system while contributing to a healthy and sustainable world.
Visit their website

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Uplyfe: An AI-powered health coach helping 40k users to eat and live smarter

Apr 6, 2022 | Ecosystem news, Member Highlight, Member news

Uplyfe: An AI-powered health coach helping 40k users to eat and live smarter

Valley member Uplyfe uses AI to power its precision nutrition app, which empowers individuals to take control of their health goals. We spoke with Dr Isabelle Rottman, founder and CEO, about onboarding 40k users and how actors across the food ecosystem can benefit from the platform.

Describe Uplyfe in a single sentence. 
Uplyfe is an AI-powered health and nutrition platform that allows both healthy and chronically ill users to take control of their own health, in collaboration with medical service providers.

Why did you decide to found your company?
When my dad was diagnosed with diabetes, he received a lot of conflicting advice. Healthcare providers often work in silos, making the system difficult for patients to navigate. Advice needs to be both scientific and evidence-based, as well as simple enough for the average member of the public to understand. This is where Uplyfe come in. 

And how does it work? 
The user picks a health goal that motivates them. That could be improving their diet or implementing habits like daily blood pressure checks. Our AI-powered health coach then gives them personalized advice that reacts in real time to their health data, goals and needs. Users can choose to share this data with their health providers. But we don’t give diagnoses or replace professionals. We see ourselves as part of the individual’s broader network of support. 

What gets you out of bed in the morning? 
The fact that we’re offering a solution that our users value. We’ve recently onboarded our 40,000th user. The wave of lifestyle-induced chronic diseases has made the lives of so many people more difficult. We’re doing our best to make things a little easier for them.

What are you and your team working on at the moment?
We’re currently working on introducing the option of continuous glucose measurement. The data will allow users to get real-time nutritional recommendations based on their individual blood glucose response. We’ll be able to automatically track our users’ food intake by recognizing their individual blood glucose signatures for a specific meal or food. That will eventually automate food tracking and make meaningful precision nutrition interventions much more powerful.

What achievement are you particularly proud of? 
1 in 3 users checks in daily, and 74% of our users take up a more active lifestyle as a result of using the app. Anyone who has worked in the sector will know that ‘stickiness’ is the holy grail of the app world. We seem to have stumbled across some features – like our self-scanning food feedback feature – that really work for our users and keep them coming back.

How have you collaborated with others to strengthen your offer?
We recently received CHF 350,000 from Innosuisse, the Swiss innovation agency, to test the impact of our solution. We collaborated with Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz and Luzern to confirm a correlation between app usage and positive health outcomes. We’ve also worked with CSS insurance to explore weight loss results for users with diabetes or cardiovascular conditions. We found that users typically lost 9.2% of their body weight in six months.

How can Valley members and the wider ecosystem get involved in your work?
On our B2B2C health platform we offer eight highly personalized nutritional plans covering 28 conditions, from osteoarthritis to menopause and type 2 diabetes. We’re always on the lookout for partners who are interested in offering their interventions to users in our programs or looking to develop co-funded projects. By working together we can achieve so much more than working in silos, and create personalized solutions for an even broader set of users. Please do reach out if this sounds like you!

Connect with Isabelle on LinkedIn or visit Uplyfe to find out more.  

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