As 2024 draws to a close, we wanted to take a moment to look back at some of our key highlights – both as individual innovators and as an ecosystem. In the year that Switzerland was ranked leading innovation nation for the 14th time in row, we feel that there is plenty to celebrate. From powerful partnerships to significant funding rounds and exciting new facilities that strengthen Switzerland’s innovation infrastructure. 

Teaming up for impact

This year has seen remarkable collaborations and partnerships driving forward food system transformation and sustainable innovation.

The FAO and SFNV signed a Letter of Intent to promote meaningful change in global food systems, while SFNV also teamed up with Switzerland Global Enterprise to highlight Switzerland as a global hub for food and nutrition innovation. Partnering with SFNV, Nestlé and Tetra Pak hosted a State of Play event, focusing on the future of sustainable packaging. A second State of Play event, held in Kemptthal near Zurich, organised in partnership with The Cultured Hub, brought together key stakeholders to explore the future of cultured foods.

In the realm of advanced technologies, Planetary SA partnered with Konica Minolta to develop AI-powered fermentation solutions, and Food Brewer collaborated with Fruitful AI to automate cell selection and media screening. Agilery and Helbling combined forces to offer integrated solutions at the intersection of food and technology, while Bühler expanded its expertise in sustainable fermentation through the acquisition of Esau & Hueber.

Sustainability-driven partnerships flourished, with Vege’tables, Planted, and New Roots uniting to promote plant-based diets, and Haelixa working with regenagri to implement forensic DNA marking for supply chain integrity. Givaudan fostered innovation by collaborating with startups through its Plant Attitude Challenge. ZFV continued to champion food service innovation alongside Yumame, Steasy, and Food 2050.

On the agritech front, GAMAYA and TerraviewOS combined AI platforms to address sustainability challenges, showcasing the power of cross-industry collaboration in building a more resilient and responsible food system.

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Securing investment to scale

This year, we were thrilled to see many Valley partners secure significant investments  despite a challenging funding environment. 

sallea raised CHF 2.29 million to accelerate the development of plant-based scaffolds for cultured meats, while Cultivated Biosciences secured CHF 4.4 million to further their yeast cream development for dairy alternatives. Plant-based protein innovation continues to thrive as Luya raised CHF 5 million to scale its upcycled protein products made from okara, and Fabas Foods AG secured CHF 1.3 million to develop protein extracts from peas and beans.

In the vertical farming space, UMAMI raised CHF 4.3 million to grow its indoor farming operations in Zurich, and B’ZEOS advanced its efforts in sustainable packaging by securing a seed round and strategic partnerships. Sundays beverages raised CHF 504,000 in a successful crowdfunding campaign, setting the stage for bold expansions in their Swiss-made beverage line.

These successes highlight the growing momentum and investor confidence in innovative food solutions, helping to transform visionary ideas into market-ready products.

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Strengthening our innovation infrastructure

This year, Valley partners have contributed significantly to strengthening food innovation infrastructure by opening a series of new facilities both in Switzerland and across the globe. 

Planted built an additional facility to boost their capacity, while FoodYoung opened a groundbreaking innovation facility in Balerna. Bühler inaugurated a Grain Innovation Center and collaborated with Givaudan and MISTA to open an advanced extrusion hub. Upgrain launched Europe’s largest food upcycling facility. 

The Valley team was thrilled to partner with both ZFV to power their Living Lab – a platform to accelerate food service innovation – and with ALDI SUISSE to launch the Retail Shelf initiative that attracted 100+ applications from startups across Europe. 

And last but not least, The Cultured Hub – a cutting-edge “scale-up as a service” facility by Givaudan, Bühler, and Migros – opened its doors, showcasing the power of collaboration in driving sustainable food solutions. 

These developments show the vital role of facilities and the wealth of knowledge in their associated networks in helping startups move from a great idea to a marketable product.  

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Never miss a Swiss food innovation morsel.

Just as in other countries around the world, female founders in Switzerland continue to be underrepresented and typically receive less funding than their male counterparts – even when research suggests that companies founded or co-founded by women tend to outperform those started by men alone. This is not only a societal and systemic issue for gender equality – it’s also a missed opportunity for the economy.

So, in the run up to International Women’s Day, we wanted to explore what more could be done to inspire inclusion and unleash everyone’s potential to shape the future of food. We spoke to 4 Swiss female founders and innovation enablers to get their take. Here’s what they said.

Ingeborg Gasser-Kriss, Director at Founder Institute Switzerland

“Founder Institute supports female entrepreneurs globally through the Female Founders Initiative. Here in Switzerland, I regularly host a roundtable of women entrepreneurs who share their inspiring stories to encourage other women. I am thrilled that among the 9 graduates of our Fall 2023 cohort, 5 are women! Additionally, we would love to welcome more women entrepreneurs and investors as mentors or speakers in our program – please reach out!”.

Find out more about the Founder Institute Switzerland and apply to be part of their Spring 2024 cohort here.

Eliana Zamprogna, Founder of Yumame Foods AG

“As a female entrepreneur, I am delighted by the growing number of women embracing entrepreneurship with fresh ideas. The business triumphs and the supportive networks we create not only contribute to a prosperous economy but also pave the way for future generations of women to shatter glass ceilings and thrive. I wish for more financial support for businesses led by women today, and envision a future where their success is the norm.”

Follow Yumame Foods on Instagram here.

Carrol Plummer, Co-founder and CEO Vivent SA

“As a mechanical engineer and entrepreneur, I deeply believe in creating technology that helps solve major, global issues. I was supported in my early career by some great bosses and in turn I am keen to support and mentor women and minorities to establish exciting careers in technology and STEM. Switzerland is a great place to start a new business and I’m happy to discuss how to get started or what it is like to work as an entrepreneur.”

Find out more about how Vivent’s solutions let you listen in to what plants are saying here. 

Sharon Wulff, Co-founder of Agrinorm AG

“As a woman founder, trust your gut amidst entrepreneurship’s challenges. Value feedback as input, not directives. Listen, reflect, then decide what’s best for your business. Remember, your intuition and understanding of your venture are paramount. Trusting yourself empowers you to make decisions aligned with your vision, leveraging your unique insights as your startup’s greatest asset.”

Find out more about Agrinorm’s smart quality chain management solution here.

Never miss a Swiss food innovation morsel.

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