THE MAGNIFICENT 99+1 SHAPING THE GLOBAL FOODTECH
Foodtech aka Agrifood-Tech. Niche or Mainstream? Maybe halfway at the moment, but surely, it's becoming ever more popular year after year.
What’s the writer’s dream? It is for Foodtech in Italy to become as widely discussed as topics like pancetta/guanciale or a controversial penalty call in a sports match.
A SET OF BRASS BALLS
It's undeniable that food innovation is capturing the attention of the general public, step by step. Credit must be given to the members of this complex ecosystem, which consists of thousands of people worldwide. Selecting just 99 of them has been a challenging task, requiring deep knowledge of the ecosystem and a certain boldness. This was the case with the "99+1 shaping the Italian foodtech."
Naturally, for every 99 happy people, there will be 999,999 people who are not included, but that's part of the game.
THE HARDEST PART
Why is this so challenging? One could randomly pick 99 people based on their connections, customer network, likes and dislikes, but creating a meaningful list is a whole new challenge. Here's a glimpse of the methodology used:
Geographical distribution: Representation from all continents, with some being more prominent than others.
Gender equality: While a 50/49 split would have been ideal, a 42/58 split is acceptable.
Sector representation: A balance of startups (farm-to-fork), investors, and enablers.
Sharing knowledge: Efforts were made to avoid individuals who are too self-promotional.
Engagement/Followers: Linked to the previous point.
THE MAGNIFICENT 99
Enough preamble, here's the list in strict alphabetical order. Thanks to #86, my long-standing friend Sharon Cittone, for assisting in crafting the list.
Adit Palicha - Zepto - India. Is quick-commerce a trend that has come and gone within the span of a pandemic? In Europe, yes; in the USA, maybe; but not in India, where it's thriving.
Aleh Manchuliantsau - Planetarians - USA. Undoubtedly one of the smartest foodtech serial entrepreneurs, capable of elevating the ingredients sector to new heights.
Alex Shandrovsky - California Cultured - Israel. The future of chocolate? It could be (even) cultivated, and he is well-versed in this area.
Alexandre Bastos - Givaudan - Switzerland. If the flavor and fragrance market is still riding the wave in such a challenging market, it's partly thanks to him.
Amir Zaidman - The Kitchen - Israel. Certainly a benchmark for the birthplace of global foodtech.
Andrea Cova - Soul-K - Italy. Have you heard of "Food-As-A-ServiceⓇ"? You will soon, thanks to him.
Andrew D Ive - Big Idea Venture - USA. A spiritual and financial guide for every early-stage foodtech entrepreneur.
Andy Kleitsch - Atomo - USA. Coffee revolution? Beanless coffee? A technological response to the threat against one of the world's most beloved beverages? Yes, we can!
Angela Tay - AgFunder - Singapore. The Asian powerhouse of the most reliable agrifood-tech fund.
Angelina Achariya - Innovation Gametech - Australia. The gold standard for agrifood-tech in the Down Under.
Anuj Maheshwari - Temasek - Singapore. No revolution without money. Therefore, there won't be any food revolution without the support of reliable VCs led by trustworthy executives, such as him.
Arturo Elizondo - The Every - USA. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? It doesn't matter, because he's up next.
Barbaro Guy Levi - Sestante Capital - USA/Montecarlo. In search of a passionate and articulate foodtech expert? Look no further.
Beatriz Jacoste Lozano - Km Zero - Spain. Is it possible to gather all the most influential food innovation people under Spain's sunshine? Of course. Get in touch with her.
Beatriz Romanos Hernando - TechFood Magazine - Spain. Media, books, coaching, mentoring - all focused on foodtech.
Benjamin Njenga - Apollo Agriculture - Kenya. Skills, passion, and technology put at the African small farmer’s disposal. What a mission.
Bernat Ananos Martinez - Heura - Spain. Plant-based marketing and vegan activism should be a twin-track matter. But he doesn’t care and blends them.
Bjoern Witte - Blue Horizon - Switzerland. A pioneer and one of the most inspirational leaders in impact investing.
Bodil Sidén - Kost Capital - Denmark. Girl power and Nordic organization shaping the next food system.
Bonnie Brayton - Fulcrum Global Capital - USA. A diverse background including research, management, and investing to elevate Agtech investments to the next level.
Bruno Meireles De Sousa - Rockstart - Germany. The Man. From corporate to mentoring, still in the holy name of Foodtech.
Camille Bossel - FoodHack - Switzerland. How about organizing top events and launching an investment syndicate to transform the food system? Great job.
Christina Senna Jakobsen - Swiss Food&Nutrition Valley - Switzerland. What a challenging mission: making Switzerland a benchmark for food innovation. But she’s getting there.
Dan Altschuler - Unovis - USA. Probably the food system venture capitalist with the highest level of kindness worldwide.
Daniel Skavén Ruben - Solvable Syndicate - Sweden. Undoubtedly, one of the most reliable and listened-to voices in foodtech.
Danielle Nierenberg - Food Tank - USA. Copying her LinkedIn bio could be enough: “a world-renowned researcher, speaker, and advocate, on all issues relating to our food system and agriculture.”
Daphna Nissenbaum - TIPA - Israel. The Baroness of compostable packaging. The heroine we need but don’t deserve.
David Messina - Rumin8 - Australia. The war on global emissions? He’s gonna fight it with…cattle farting.
Didier Toubia - Aleph Farms - Israel. A leader in cellular agriculture, capable of leading the world in protein transition.
Elysabeth Alfano - Vegtech Invest - USA. “The Voice,” similar to another famous Italo American. The voice of alternative proteins.
Emma Osborne - Citizen Kind - USA. Revolutionizing the food system requires, among other things, people and skills. And she knows how to get them.
Eshchar Ben-Shitrit - Redefine Meat - Israel. Redefining meat - the word is enough.
Ethan Brown - Beyond Meat - USA. The pioneer. There is no other way to define the man who practically crafted a brand-new sector.
Fengru Lin - Turtle Tree Labs - Singapore. The milk revolution? It starts in Singapore, thanks to her.
Gaston Paladini - Moolec - Argentina. All of us are hearing more about molecular farming, thanks to him.
George Peppou - WOW - Australia. The cellular agriculture voice from the other part of the world.
Gerard Chia - Clay Capital - Singapore. A brilliant foodtech venture capitalist with a reliable and longstan ding track record.
Gil Horksy - Flora Ventures - Israel. It’s hard to operate in this sector without knowing or having met him at an event.
Giulia M. Stellari - Fall Line Capital - USA/Netherlands. A venture capitalist with an innate passion for cr eating a more sustainable food system.
Giuseppe Scionti - Nova Meat - Spain/Italy. Living proof that Italian food culture can be a benefit in crafting new food, such as 3D-printed meat.
Gunhild Anker Stordalen - EAT Foundation - Norway. Simply the leading voice in food innovation and sustainability.
Hadar Sutovsky - ICL Israel. One of the highest expressions of girl power applied to food innovation.
Helga Dögg Flosadóttir - Atmonia - Iceland. The green nitrogen revolution? It comes from Iceland and she’s the Kingpin.
Henry Gordon Smith - Agritecture - USA. The beauty of innovation in agriculture - a handsome dude.
Itay Dana - Novella - Israel. An authentic foodtech geek, always one step ahead, a genius in agrifood-tech.
Jamal Maxey - Pitch Lounge - Germany. A real community builder as a point of reference for food startups worldwide.
Jennifer Stojkovic - JoyFul - USA. Condensing her path in one phrase is pretty hard, so maybe it’s better to do it in one word: Genius.
Jennifer Baarn - Agra - Kenya. One leader of the African agricultural revolution.
Johan Jorgensen - Sweden Foodtech - Sweden. If Nordics play a prominent role in the food revolution, we have to give thanks to him.
Josh Tetrick - Just - USA. Plant-based or cell-based? No matter, he’s able to do both with excellent results.
Katrina Fox - Journalist - Australia. One of the most powerful plant-based storytellers in the world.
Lia Carlucci - Food Campus Berlin - Germany. A set of huge skills and a reliable career to shape the future of food.
Leila Strickland - BioMilq - USA. Can breastfeeding be a foodtech matter? Absolutely yes, check it out with her.
Luiz Cacon Filho - Superbac - Brasil. A pioneer of foodtech, active in the sector even before the word was coined.
Lynsey Wegner - Pairwise - USA. With great power comes great responsibility, especially in the field of gene editing. However, she is capable of handling it.
Maarten Bosch - Mosa Meat - Netherlands. Being a professional in cell-based technology in Europe is an incredibly challenging mission that only the brave like him can accomplish.
Maija Itkonnen - OneGo - Finland. She has the future of eggs in his hands. And they’re the right hands.
Marc Oshima - Aerofarms - USA. A solid background at vertical farming’s disposal
Marina Schmidt - R2G Media - Portugal. "Where communication related to agrifood sustainability finds its highest expression.
Mathias Muchnick - The NotCo - Chile. Making plant-based pop and still surfing the wave? No problem.
Mathilde Do Chi - Forward Food - Netherlands. Food law sounds pretty complicated nowadays but for her, it’s a piece of cake.
Matilda Ho - Bits x Bytes - China. A pioneer in agrifood-tech investments, and not just in the Far East.
Matteo Vanotti - xFarm Technologies - Switzerland/Italy. The first customer who later became a close friend is never forgotten, especially after becoming the leader in European Agtech.
Matthieu Vincent - DigitalFoodLab - France. What would global foodtech be without a charming and elegant French touch? You got it.
Max Leveau - Forward Fooding - Italy/France. A valuable job for collecting foodtech data at a global level and for the Italian ecosystem.
Maxime Walter - Capagro - France. Shining a spotlight on European investments in agrifood technology.
Mette Lykke - Too Good To Go - Denmark. The undisputed leader in fighting food waste is a real heroine.
Michelle Nazareth - Omnivore - India. What about the huge growth of India in agrifood-tech? Let’s give thanks to such illuminated investors like her.
Mila Valcarel Pato - Eatable - Spain. Here's a strong dedication and enthusiasm to transform Spain into a leading food innovation hub.
Myoko Shinner - Freelance - USA. "The Queen, aka the most influential person in the plant-based sector.
Nadav Berger - PealkBridge - Israel. A skilled chef, a beloved father and husband, and in his spare time, one of the most influential global investors.
Nicholas Morin Forest - Gourmey - France. What about reinventing a signature French dish like foie gras to be cruelty-free? It requires skill and courage.
Olivia Fox Cabane - KindEarth - USA. The greatest contribution in mapping, picturing, and supporting the alternative proteins ecosystem.
Pasi Vainikka - Solar Foods - Finland. Maybe not the kindest guy on Earth, but a genius, pioneer, and benchmark for air proteins.
Patrick Brown - Impossible Foods - USA. A man able to create the best plant-based burger in the world deserves unconditional respect.
Paul Bevan - Magic Valley - Australia. He’s making Australia a focal point for cellular agriculture, a true “Magic Valley of Oz.”
Peter Kruger - Agrifood-tech Italia - Italy. The Italian pioneer is one of the most talented and visionary enablers at a global level, revolutionizing foodtech.
Praveen Penmetsa - Monarch - USA. He is the perfect bridge between electric vehicles and agriculture.
Rob Madziva - Digital Mobile Africa - Tanzania. In Africa, he is the Sultan of Agrifintech, making a significant contribution to small farmers.
Ryan Pandya - Perfect Day - USA. Eclectic and visionary, he holds the future of dairy in his hands.
Ryan Bethencourt - Wild Earth - USA. The pet-foodtech industry has arrived, and he is a leading candidate to spearhead this sector.
Sandhya Sriram - Sprout Agtech - New Zealand. She is respected and acknowledged as one of the most talented agrifood-tech entrepreneurs in the world.
Sarah Nolet - Tenacious Ventures - Australia. The financial backbone of the Australian Agtech ecosystem
Saskia Hoebée - Five Seasons Ventures - France/Netherlands. An explosive mix of foodtech and finance paired with a reliable track record.
Semi Hakim - Kök Project - Turkey. One of the shiniest foodtech enablers of Eurasia.
Sharon Cittone - Edible Planet Ventures - Italy. Lady Food Innovation is a leader in the global ecosystem and a valuable friend.
Sonalie Figueiras - Green Queen Media - China. Curious to see how her company aligns perfectly with her definition: Green Queen Media. Is it a good match?
Taly Nechushtan - Innovopro - Israel. A long-standing career and a ton of experience in the marvellous world of foodtech.
Tessa Clarke - Olio - UK. The Princess of Food Waste fighting, at the intersection of foodtech and charity.
Tony Hunter - Future Of Food Cons - Australia. Probably the first person that comes to mind when discussing food innovation in Australia.
Tyler Huggins - Meati - USA. The pioneer of mycelium aims to become the benchmark for fungi proteins."
Uju Uzo Ojinnaka - Traders of Africa - Nigeria. Fully committed to creating value and wealth in the African food system
Uka Eje - ThriveAgric - Nigeria. He strives to make Africa great starting with agriculture.
Uma Valeti - Upside Foods - USA. A real medicine doctor committed to agrifood-tech. What an honor.
Valeria Bonadio - Agrolend - Brasil. She aims to create sustainable and resilient Brazilian agricultural communities through investments.
Victor E. Friedberg - FoodShot - USA. The absolute doyen of global food innovation.
Whitney Routman - Aliment Capital - USA. One of the brightest minds in sectorial venture capital.
William Taing - Beanstalk Agtech - Australia. What a quest. Unleash the true potential of agriculture to reshape the food system.
Zhong Xu - Deliverect - USA/Belgium. Digitalize the foodservice is such a tricky mission, but it looks so easy for him.
THE 100th WHEEL
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