Celebrating the Agropôle’s membership in Vaud technopoles

Celebrating the Agropôle’s membership in Vaud technopoles

Highlights of the event that marked the entry of Agropôle Switzerland into the Vaudois technopoles on September 9, 2021 🌱

Under the aegis of Innovaud, the Agropôle center of expertise for the sustainable food of tomorrow has entered the official list of Vaud technopoles last June, inline with the development of its new infrastructure.

More information: 

Learn more about the Agropôle: www.agropole.ch

Learn more about Innovaud: www.innovaud.ch

 

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FoodHack announces top 40 selected startups at upcoming Demo Day

FoodHack announces top 40 selected startups at upcoming Demo Day

FoodHack just announced the 40 FoodTech startups participating in its first ever Demo Day. The selected cohort is a glimpse into some of the most promising segments of FoodTech today.

The Batch 

  • 177 companies from 29 countries applied to pitch at FoodHack’s Demo Day.
  • The top 40 were selected by a panel of 19 independent analysts and top FoodTech VCs based on market opportunity, traction, team and impact.
  • The batch represents a diverse group, with startups hailing from 16 different countries, 35% female-led teams, and covering a wide array of high impact sectors across FoodTech, Biotech and AgriTech
  • Company stage: 7 pre-seed, 27 Seed, 6 Series A
  • All selected startups are on a mission, from supporting sustainability and fixing broken food systems, to promoting health and increasing efficiency through tech.

FoodHack’s co-founder and CEO Arman Anaturk commented on the Demo Day:
 2020 was the year FoodTech made the mainstream, but 2021 is the year we start to see what sectors in FoodTech are here to stay. After a thorough selection process, we’re excited to announce the final batch of selected companies which we feel represents the current state of FoodTech in 2021. 

This comes at a time when AgriFoodTech funding is set to reach an all-time high, with 34.5% growth YOY in 2020 and more expected in 2021 (Agfunder 2021 report). 

FoodHack’s Demo Days

FoodHack’s plan is to make these Demo Days a twice-a-year regular event, with the next dates already set for mid March 2022. “Our long term goal is to make these events the YC of FoodTech, synonymous with high quality startups. A successful Demo Day for us would be that post-event, a number of pitching startups will have closed funding from the attending investors, or collaborate with a fellow startup in the batch” said Arman Anatürk. 

The very first FoodHack Demo Day takes place October 6th through a virtual pitch competition. Whilst applications for startups have closed, accredited investors and VCs in FoodTech are welcome to apply to attend before the deadline of September 25th. 

Audience: They will join an audience of 200+ active investors in FoodTech, including London-based AgriFood Fund, Astanor, Stockholm’s EQT Ventures (which just led the record-breaking $50m investment into alt-dairy startup Formo) and Delivery Hero’s recently-launched venture arm, DX Ventures. 

 

Top 40 Startups pitching :

View the full list here

4 Swiss Startups selected :

B’ZEOS (🇨🇭 Switzerland)

B’ZEOS is a start-up offering sustainable/renewable, home compostable, marine degradable, bio-digestible and non-chemically modified packaging solutions made from seaweed extracts. Combating plastic pollution and helping companies to decarbonise industries.

 

Embion (🇨🇭 Switzerland)

Embion commercializes the next generation in biomass processing technology to meet the planet’s demand in nutrition, materials and energy supply. Embion’s aim is to become the technology leader for producing natural, sustainable and high functionality products.

 

KITRO SA (🇨🇭 Switzerland)

With artificial intelligence as the foundation, KITRO offers an automated food waste data collection and analysis solution for the food service industry.

 

Pick8ship (🇨🇭 Switzerland)

Pick8ship shelf-less robot fulfillment and delivery – revolutionary logistics system for fast urban e-commerce – game changer regarding efficiency and sustainability – flexibly scalable, ready in days not years.

View the full list here

This event is supported by the Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley

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Quantis launches Food Report to cultivate a sustainable and resilient food system

Quantis launches Food Report to cultivate a sustainable and resilient food system

Quantis’s latest “Dig In” report serves up as guidance to help companies at every stage of the food and beverage value chain to understand the most pressing food sustainability challenges; define strategic opportunities and prioritize actions; and set the bold environmental goals that will cultivate food system sustainability and business resilience.

Featuring 100+ pages of insights, 10+ case studies and interviews, and 18 useful infographics, the report delivers sustainability managers, executives and key corporate decision-makers a high-level vision of today’s food sector landscape, providing insight from Quantis’ deep contextual understanding, scientific expertise and extensive experience in food sustainability. 

Transformation of the food system is the strongest lever we have to limit global warming to 1.5°C by 2030, protect food security, and ensure the food and beverage sector continues to thrive in a resource-constrained world. 

Food-related activities account for an estimated 28% of global GHG emissions (estimation extrapolated by Quantis and calculated at 27.6%) and are key drivers of water scarcity, biodiversity loss, land-use change and eutrophication. Shifting current production and consumption models to align with social and planetary boundaries is vital for building a resilient food system and ensuring companies continue to thrive in a resource-constrained world. 

Quantis Food Report, food system,

Companies at every stage of the food value chain need ambitious sustainability goals and strategies based on robust metrics and science that fit into the wider global context. Dig In maps out how to do just that. 

Full of insights, interviews and business cases from industry leaders and sustainability experts, including Unilever, Mars, General Mills, Friesl and Campina, Bel Group, Del Monte Foods, Inc.WRAP UK and WRI, Dig In carves out a recommended pathway for businesses to become resilient and sustainable companies. This view will enable food and beverage players at every stage of maturity to map their strategic journey, prioritize topics and implement solutions to accelerate food system transformation.

 

The report digs into the most relevant issues for the food sector in an effort to help companies cut through the buzz and focus on the topics that will make a meaningful difference:

+      Science-based targets and planetary boundaries
+      Natural climate solutions, deforestation and land-use change
+      Soil health and regenerative agriculture
+      Innovation: product, packaging, and plastics
+      Food loss and waste
+      Water stewardship
+      Sustainable procurement
+      The power of authentic storytelling
+      Metrics-driven decisions and strategies

A formidable challenge lies ahead, yet if we get equipped with the understanding and tools, building a resilient food system that optimizes both planetary and human health is mission possible.

Learn more:

Watch our webinar with WWF and Mars for insights on transforming our food system.
Got questions? Let’s talk! Contact our team at digin@quantis-intl.com

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The valorization of biomass at the heart of the Fribourg Network Freiburg 2021

The valorization of biomass at the heart of the Fribourg Network Freiburg 2021

“Nothing is lost, everything is transformed!” The bioeconomy takes this principle literally. Flax-based composite materials in Formula 1 racing car seats, chicken feathers transformed into sustainable packaging or vanilla flavoring made from hazelnut shells: these are just a few concrete examples of the possibilities of the bioeconomy in the canton of Fribourg.

The 2021 edition of Fribourg Network Freiburg, the business magazine of the canton of Fribourg, explores the many facets of the bioeconomy through innovative examples. The magazine was unveiled at an event organized by the Fribourg Development Agency at the Swiss Campus for Agri and Food Innovation (AgriCo) in St-Aubin.

The bioeconomy encompasses all the activities of production, transformation, and valorization of biomass for the production of foodstuffs or innovative molecules and materials. It covers fields as diverse as food processing, construction, and biotechnology.

At a time when the challenges of climate change require innovative solutions, the canton of Fribourg has decided to make the bioeconomy one of the priorities of its economic strategy. To do so, it can rely on its rural past and its agri-food tradition, as well as on high-potential sectors such as biotechnology. As a reminder, the bioeconomy represents 30% of the canton’s GDP and 36% of its jobs.

Targeted investments have enabled the creation and development of research institutes, competence centers and innovation sites, such as the Smart Living Lab, a research center for the habitat of tomorrow, or the Biofactory Competence Center, providing training, technical consulting and modular system design to the biopharmaceutical industry.

According to Olivier Curty, State Councillor, Minister of Economic Affairs of the canton of Fribourg: “This exceptional dynamism reflects the cantonal government’s desire to support, through the bioeconomy, the pillars of the local economy such as the construction and agri-food sectors, but also strategic niche sectors such as human nutrition, bio-based products, and biotechnologies. The major investments currently being made on the AgriCo campus in St-Aubin are part of this ambitious economic development strategy.”

Launch event

The 2021 edition of Fribourg Network Freiburg was unveiled at a round table organized by the Fribourg Development Agency on Thursday, September 2, 2021 at the Swiss Campus for Agri and Food Innovation (AgriCo) in St. Aubin. Representatives of promising companies from the canton of Fribourg shared their experiences, in the presence of Sascha Heiniger, Head of Polestar Switzerland, among others.

For Jerry Krattiger, Managing Director of the Fribourg Development Agency, “The collaboration between Bcomp and Polestar is an exciting example of how the bioeconomy offers many opportunities. I can only motivate Fribourg companies to seize them.”

Fribourg Network Freiburg is continuing the formula successfully introduced last year. The business magazine of the canton of Fribourg has a tighter pagination and is strengthening its digital presence. FNF is now printed in English only. The 1,500 copies will be distributed to the international business community, Swiss embassies, and consulates abroad, as well as to the most important accounting firms and economic agencies in Europe, America. and Asia. The digital version in French, German and English is being enhanced. The website www.fribourgnetwork.ch will be enriched throughout the year with new editorial content and videos. The magazine will be available from September 2, 2021.

For more informations:

Association for a promotional magazine of the Canton of Fribourg

Olivier Curty, president of the association
State Councillor, Ministry of Economic Affairs of the canton of Fribourg
T +41 26 305 24 02

Jerry Krattiger, president of the publishing commission
Managing Director Fribourg Development Agency
T +41 26 304 14 00

Chrystel Domenjoz, designated publisher
M +41 79 698 29 47

Frank-Olivier Baechler,
editor in chief M +41 79 468 21 73

www.fribourgnetwork.ch

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Givaudan, Bühler, and Migros establish pilot plant for cultured meat

Givaudan, Bühler, and Migros establish pilot plant for cultured meat

Three companies Givaudan, Bühler and Migros have formed a new entity, The Cultured Food Innovation Hub, in Kemptthal near Zurich, to accelerate the development and market penetration of cellular agriculture products.

There are many arguments supporting the mass suitability of cultured meat: meat without slaughter or factory farming, a significantly better climate balance, no use of antibiotics, and ensured food security. The Cultured Food Innovation Hub will start operations next year.

The Cultured Food Innovation Hub will be a self-sustained, standalone company wholly owned by Givaudan, Bühler and Migros, located in The Valley in Kemptthal, a hotbed of innovation and technology just outside of Zurich. The new entity will provide facilities and knowledge to accelerate other companies on their cultured meat, cultured fish and seafood, and precision fermentation journeys. The Cultured Food Innovation Hub will be equipped with a product development lab as well as cell culture and bio fermentation capabilities to help start-ups develop and go to market with the right product. 

The significant increase in demand in recent years for plant-based foods all around the world has shown consumers’ broad concern for the environment, as well as their expectation of producers for healthful foods that are ethical and sustainable. In a world facing great challenges from climate change, combined with a population expected to exceed 10 billion people by 2050, the need for sustainable food cultivation and sourcing is critical.

Cellular agriculture for cultured meat provides the means for the farming of animal products without raising animals. Animal cells are used as a starting point, and then technologies such as fermentation are employed for the cultivation of meat products. The result is meat that is identical in structure and in taste to its animal counterpart with vastly reduced environmental impact and no mass farming or slaughter.

Cellular agriculture offers a solution in several areas from reducing land use and water, to animal welfare, to the safety and quality of the food chain. The three partners in this new venture are each committed to sustainability as individual companies; the combined effort enables the journey to a more sustainable food system,” says Ian Roberts, Chief Technology Officer at Bühler.

Fabio Campanile, Givaudan’s Global Head of Science and Technology, Taste & Wellbeing, says: “Bühler contributes with industry leading solutions that are used in the scale-up and production of thousands of food products around the world; Givaudan brings in centuries of experience and knowledge in every aspect of taste, including all kinds of meat alternatives, and deep expertise in biotechnology, to product development; Migros is known for its competence in customer interaction and market cultivation. The combination of the three partners is remarkable.”

“This truly unique partnership has the potential to be ground-breaking and to have an incredible, positive impact on the world,” says Matthew Robin, Managing Director Elsa-Mifroma at Migros-Industrie: “Consumers are beginning to understand the idea of cellular agriculture and the benefits it can provide; the market is poised for exceptional growth. When you put it all together it’s a winning combination for the planet.

The Cultured Food Innovation Hub will go live in 2022. 

For more informations:

Jeff Peppet, Communications Director, Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing
Givaudan Flavors Corp., Cincinnati OH-45216, United States
Phone : +1 513 948 5655
Mobile: +1 513 293 3740
E-mail: Jeff.Peppet@givaudan.com

Roland Pfister, Head of Communications Migros-Industrie
Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund, 8031 Zurich, Switzerland
Phone: +41 58 570 38 38
E-mail: media@mgb.ch

Burkhard Böndel, Head of Corporate Communications 
Bühler AG, 9240 Uzwil, Switzerland
Phone: +41 71 955 33 99
Mobile: +41 79 515 91 57 
E-mail: burkhard.boendel@buhlergroup.com 
Media team: media.relations@buhlergroup.com

About Givaudan
Givaudan is a global leading company in taste and wellbeing, and fragrance and beauty. With its heritage stretching back over 250 years, the Company has a long history of innovating scents and tastes. From a favorite drink to your daily meal, from prestige perfumes to cosmetics and laundry care, its creations inspire emotions and delight millions of consumers the world over. The Company is committed to driving purpose-led, long-term growth while leading the way to improve happiness and health for people and nature. In the fiscal year 2020, the Company employed almost 16,000 people worldwide and achieved sales of CHF 6.3 billion and a free cash flow of 12.8% of sales. Let’s imagine together on

www.givaudan.com.

 

About Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing
Powered by innovation and creativity, Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing aims to shape the future of food by becoming the co-creation partner of choice to its customers. Built on its global leadership position in flavours and taste, the Company goes beyond to create food experiences that do good and feel good, for body, mind and planet. With an expanded portfolio of products across flavours, taste, functional and nutritional solutions and a deep knowledge of the food ecosystem, Givaudan’s passion is to collaborate with customers and partners to develop game-changing innovations in food and beverage. Let’s imagine together the future of food.

Learn more at www.givaudan.com/taste-wellbeing

 

About the Migros Group
With annual sales of CHF 28.7 billion in 2019, the Migros Group is both the largest retail company in Switzerland and with over 106,000 employees the largest private employer as well. The owners of Migros are its more than two million cooperative members, organized into ten regional cooperatives. These members run the Migros Group’s core business, its retail sales. Over 50 percent of the products offered in the Migros stores are own brands, a large number of which are manufactured by its own industrial group. The Migros Group also owns other commercial enterprises such as the Denner discount chain or the online store Digitec Galaxus, as well as the travel company Hotelplan and Migros Bank.

Migros was founded in 1925 by Gottlieb Duttweiler. The founder himself attached great importance to sustainable value creation, with ethical considerations and the assumption of social responsibilities playing a major role in his business philosophy. For example, one of the stipulations in his philosophy was that a fixed percentage of the Migros cooperatives’ annual revenues should be used for cultural and social activities. And with CHF 118 million contributed each year, Migros is the largest private promoter of cultural activities in Switzerland. 

www.migros.ch

 

About Bühler
Bühler is driven by its purpose of creating innovations for a better world, balancing the needs of economy, humanity, and nature. As a relevant solution partner for the food and mobility industries, Bühler is committed to reduce energy, waste, and water in its customers’ value chains by 50% by 2025. Billions of people come into contact with Bühler technologies as they cover their basic needs for food and mobility every day. Two billion people each day enjoy foods produced on Bühler equipment; and one billion people travel in vehicles manufactured using parts produced with Bühler technology. Countless people wear eyeglasses, use smart phones, and read newspapers and magazines – all of which depend on Bühler process technologies and solutions. Having this global relevance, Bühler is in a unique position to turn today’s global challenges into sustainable business. Bühler contributes to safely feeding the world and is doing its part to protect the climate, producing solutions that make cars, buildings, and machinery more energy efficient.

Bühler invests up to 5% of turnover into research and development. In 2020, some 12,500 employees generated a turnover of CHF 2.7 billion. As a Swiss family-owned company, Bühler is active in 140 countries around the world and operates a global network of 100 service stations, 33 manufacturing sites, and application and training centers in 24 locations.

www.buhlergroup.com

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The FIT launches a new programme for start-ups in the food, nutrition and hospitality sectors

The FIT launches a new programme for start-ups in the food, nutrition and hospitality sectors

With the launch of a Food & Hospitality Vertical, the Foundation for Technological Innovation (FIT) is for the first time implementing field-specific support for start-ups.

The Food & Hospitality Vertical includes two programmes: FIT Food & Hospitality by EHL for digital start-ups (previously known as FIT Digital by EHL and launched in 2019) and the new FIT Food Tech, launched in association with Nestlé, aiming to foster collaboration and investment between food-industry and early-stage tech start-ups in the local innovation ecosystem. B’ZEOS is the first start-up to take part in the FIT Food Tech.

Switzerland has long been a hub for the food and nutrition industry. Western Switzerland is home to major multinationals (such as Nestlé, Givaudan and Firmenich), top-class universities (such as EPFL, EHL and UNIL), advanced R&D centers and over 80 start-ups in the food industry. In Switzerland, this industry has the second-highest number of patents behind pharmaceuticals. Organizations within the Canton of Vaud in particular have been rolling out a number of initiatives to support food and nutrition research; these include EPFL’s Integrative Food & Nutrition Center, EHL’s Innovation Village and the Nestlé R&D Accelerator. In 2020, a consortium comprising the Canton of Vaud, EPFL, EHL Group and Nestlé – all of which are FIT sponsors or partners – launched the Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley association.

Building on these initiatives, the FIT launches the Food & Hospitality Vertical, which includes the new FIT Food Tech in partnership with Nestlé, alongside the Food & Hospitality by EHL programme. “This Food & Hospitality Vertical is a significant milestone for the FIT, as it is our first field-specific support. In addition to our partnership with EHL, we are pleased to include a new programme with Nestlé. The aim is to provide start-ups with the support of a world leading multinational company in its sector with future investment opportunities”says David Kappeler, Director & Head of Investments of the FIT.

The FIT Food Tech aims at initiating potential investments and bringing together food-industry and start-ups. As part of the programme, the FIT will allocate loans of CHF 100’000.- to start-ups in Western Switzerland that have an innovative, sustainable and scalable business idea in the field of food and nutrition. FIT Food Tech is launched in partnership with Nestlé and it is open to other companies in the sector that might want to join. These corporates participating in the new FIT Food Tech will have the option to invest in the start-ups.

Closely related to the field of nutrition, the hospitality sector – including travel, tourism, and entertainment – offers significant potential for digital innovations. Therefore, just like the initial FIT Digital by EHL programme, Food & Hospitality by EHL will continue supporting digital start-ups addressing key challenges within these industries, with grants of CHF 20’000.- and loans of up to CHF 200’000.-. The start-ups participating in this programme will benefit from the infrastructure and network of EHL’s Innovation Village.

The FIT Food Tech and FIT Hospitality & Food by EHL programmes give start-ups options to speed up their business development activities and facilitate market entry. Applications to both programmes are open, with following characteristics:

FIT Food Tech
This programme targets start-ups with an innovative technological solution and looking to collaborate with a leader in the food industry. Companies active in the following areas are particularly welcome in the FIT Food Tech programme:

  • Plant-based food & beverages;
  • Personalized nutrition;
  • Affordable and healthy nutrition;
  • Sustainable packaging.

For more information or to apply for the programme:
fondation-fit.ch/en/fit-food-tech

FIT Hospitality & Food by EHL
The FIT Hospitality & Food by EHL programme is proud to support talented individuals and start-ups that provide digital-based solutions to key challenges in the Food & Hospitality industry (including travel and entertainment) and that wish to join the 20 start-ups already members of the EHL Innovation Village.

Since 2019, four start-ups have benefited from FIT Hospitality & Food by EHL: OriginFood, Freelane, Smeetz and PrivateDeal.

For more information or to apply for the programme:
fondation-fit.ch/food-hospitality-ehl

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