Meet The Startups Pitching At FoodBytes! NYC + Save 15% On Tix

This post is sponsored by FoodBytes! by Rabobank. 

Calling all food innovation nerds! Next-generation food pitch competition FoodBytes! by Rabobank is returning to NYC on Thursdsay, October 18 from 2-8 PM. Today, we’re sharing the 20 startups selected to pitch.

From food waste tech, to animal antibiotic-use reduction, to plant-based ingenuity, the new crop of pitch companies are pioneering solutions to major industry challenges.

Learn more about them below, and as a member of the FTC community, save 15% on tickets to see them pitch. Snag your discounted tickets today!

3.5 Minute Pitch Companies

1. Ingest.ai (Food Tech – New York, NY): Software that integrates all of a restaurant’s fractured third-party systems. Ingest.ai automates previously manual finance and operations functions, food ordering and staffing to help restaurants eliminate waste on all fronts.
2. Afresh Technologies (Food Tech – San Francisco, CA): A Fresh-first supply chain software company that uses cutting-edge technology to massively reduce food waste, increase freshness and multiply the profitability of perishable foods.
3. Dexai Robotics (Food Tech – Boston, MA): Automating activities in commercial kitchens and the food industry using flexible robot arms. “Alfred” automates food assembly by using utensils to scoop and pick ingredients, exceeding human capabilities in speed and precision.
4. Winnow (Food Tech – London, UK): Developer of digital tools to help chefs run more profitable, sustainable kitchens by cutting food waste in half.
5. SomaDetect (Ag Tech – Buffalo, NY): Deep learning and AI dairy company that provides real-time, automated analysis of milk quality without any addition of chemicals or consumables.
6. Pheronym (Ag Tech – Gainesville, FL): Agricultural biotechnology company that uses pheromones from nematodes (microscopic worms) to control agricultural pests and provide safe and eco-friendly pest control for farmers.
7. MicroSynbiotiX (Ag Tech – Cork, Ireland): An algal synthetic biology company developing a new drug delivery system to help prevent costly disease outbreaks in the aquaculture industry.
8. Ocean Hugger Foods (CPG – New York, NY): Creates delicious, plant-based alternatives to popular seafood proteins, aiming to reduce stress on the world’s oceans by giving consumers a sustainable alternative that mimics the taste, appearance and texture of fish.
9. BrainJuice (CPG – Austin, TX): A liquid supplement shot packed with the highest quality brain nutrients that supports focus, clarity, memory and good mood.
10. Sweetie Pie Organics (CPG – Raleigh, NC): Organic functional food products that make pregnancy and motherhood easier.

1.5 Minute Pitch Companies

1. Wasteless (Food Tech – New York, NY): Dynamic pricing system that allows supermarkets to price and sell products based on expiration dates, thus reducing food waste and optimizing shelf management.
2. Agragen (Food Tech – Cincinnati, OH): Maker of plant-derived “fish oil” made from Camelina that will be used in human nutrition and in aquaculture, replacing marine-derived fish oil.
3. Spinn (Food Tech – San Francisco, CA): Quality on-demand coffee roasted and brewed at home via their proprietary app technology.
4. water.io (Food Tech – Nes Ziona, Israel): Technology that turns any package into a smart one that generates data.
5. dropnostix GmbH (Ag Tech – Potsdam, Germany): Maker of rumen sensor health monitoring system for dairy farmers, helping them reduce the annual losses caused by diseases of dairy cows.
6. RIND Snacks (CPG – New York, NY): Sustainable and better-for-you snacks focused on the ‘power of the peel.’ Preserving the peels on USA-grown, non-GMO dried fruit maximizes nutrition while minimizing waste.
7. Rise Brewing (CPG – New York, NY): Brews nitro cold-brew coffee kegs and cans for offices, bars, restaurants and cafes. Its coffee is organic, non-GMO, fair-trade, single-origin, non-dairy, kosher and zero calories.
8. Pulp Pantry (CPG – Los Angeles, CA): Transforms neglected low-cost, high-value resources like juice pulp into nutritious foods that make it easy for everyone to eat fruits and vegetables.
9. OneForNeptune (CPG – San Diego, CA): Sustainable seafood jerky made from undervalued and underutilized white fish that is traceable to clean, small-scale U.S. West Coast fisheries.
10. Finer Flavors (CPG – Geneva, Switzerland): Fresh vegetable nut butters in convenient pouches.

Rootwave, Mimica and Biokind Take Top Prizes at FoodBytes! London

FoodBytes! made its European debut in London last week. Breaking new ground with animal feed, herbicide and packaging alternatives, get to know the crowned winners. Read more about the winners.