Last week, members of our Executive Committee gathered in Fribourg to explore what the future Swiss Food & Nutrition Innovation ecosystem could look like; and build the backbone of the SFNV strategy.

DAY I – Exploring the future of the Swiss Food Innovation Ecosystem

We started this year’s retreat with an insightful tour of AgriCo: an innovation campus focusing on the future of bioeconomy and agrifood currently in development in the State of Fribourg. Following a presentation from our host Jerry Krattiger and the Cluster Food & Nutrition, our group had the opportunity to meet with entrepreneurs currently working on site: Beevt, Maison Amarella, Alver, Bloom Biorenewables and Low impact foods.

Following a short presentation from FoodHack, we reminded ourselves of our “why” and the pressing sustainability and health challenges in our global food system. We took this time to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of our ecosystem, and identify opportunities ahead of us to make a difference as a country.

 DAY II – Building the backbone of the SFNV strategy for the years to come.

On the second day, members of our Committee were put to work: from strategic alignment, to onboarding strategy, developing long-term support for startups or attracting food tech investment to Switzerland, everyone chipped-in ideas based on their area of expertise. 

Attendees included Jerry Krattiger from the State of Fribourg, Raphaël Conz from the State of Vaud, Jerome Barra from Firmenich, Aurelien Demaurex from EcoRobotix, Christian Schwab from EPFL, Alexandre Bastos from Givaudan, Ivonne Blossfeld from ETH, Camille Bossel from FoodHack and the SFNV team: Christina, Yasemin and Maelle. 

 Thank you Jerry Krattiger for hosting us; and to everyone else who took part in such an inspiring session.

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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

Latest News

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. 

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“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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