The International Finance Corporation (IFC) will be supporting the 2024 edition of Future Food Asia as a strategic partner. Together with returning partners Cargill and A*STAR, and ID Capital, they will form the Jury for this year’s Future Food Asia Awards.
Ten Asia-Pacific based agri-foods tech start-ups will be selected as finalists by the jury through an extensive process that began in January 2024. The selection criteria include the importance of the problem addressed, technology and defensibility, impact, and capacity to scale. During this annual platform event and awards we will hear from experts on how technology can answer the problem of food sustainability, and all finalists will showcase their innovations, competing for the US$100,000 prize.
Global food systems are facing numerous challenges, including land scarcity, overfished oceans, climate change, and resource constraints. Tech innovation can be a key solution to help build sustainable, resilient, and equitable food systems.
With 4.5 billion people in a fragmented region, Asia needs a more developed innovation ecosystem to also address local challenges, such as its increasing urbanization, lower per capita GDP, vastly varying geographies, and evolving food consumption patterns. The Future Food Asia Platform, a first-of-its-kind, aims to foster collaboration, catalyse investments, and support agri-food tech entrepreneurs in the region to meet these challenges.
From India-based String Bio, winner of the inaugural award in 2017, to XSights Digital, based in Australia, winner of the last edition, the winners have addressed a diverse range of systemic challenges with poise, determination, pragmatism, and vision. They are inspirations for the next cohort of entrepreneurs the sector is in dire need of.
Isabelle Decitre, Founder, ID Capital said: “We are delighted to welcome IFC to the tight-knit community of stakeholders contributing to building the future of food, along with Cargill and A*STAR. As a leading financial institution IFC brings a long-term perspective on investing in this sector and signals the most promising sectors where high stakes meet high needs.”
“A strong agribusiness sector is necessary to meet the global challenges of food insecurity, climate change, and surging demand as the world’s population grows”, said Anup Jagwani, Global Head, Agribusiness at IFC. “This is why agribusiness is one of our priority sectors at IFC, and supporting emerging technologies that can help food systems develop sustainably and equitably is a key component.”
Bringing expertise spanning across agri-food tech, the Jury is composed of:
• Jing Yu, APAC Commercial Director, Specialized Nutrition, Cargill
• Poh Li Goh, Global Category Marketing Manager, Specialized Nutrition, Cargill
• Colin Lim, Acting Director, Food & Nutrition Cluster, A*STAR
• Anup Jagwani, Global Head, Agribusiness, IFC
• Marta Bogdanic, Senior Operations Officer, IFC
• Isabelle Decitre, Founder, ID Capital
For more information please contact: [email protected]
IFC:
Alec Macfarlane
[email protected]
+1 (202) 203 8324
About Future Food Asia
Future Food Asia is the platform developed by ID Capital, an investment and advisory company headquartered in Singapore specialized in the domain of AgriFoodTech. Through its awards, annual conference and other tailor made programmes it supports early stage innovators and startups contributing to building a future-proof food system across the entire Asia-Pacific region, where high growth meets high stakes. A pioneer in this vertical, ID Capital has contributed effort and capital in catalyzing the ecosystem in the region since 2016. ID Capital is also an Appointed Partner of Enterprise Singapore for its SEEDS Capital fund in the AgriFoodTech sector. For further enquiries please visit futurefoodasia.com and write to [email protected]
About Cargill
Cargill helps the world’s food system work for you. We connect farmers with markets, customers with ingredients and families with daily essentials—from the foods they eat to the floors they walk on. Our 160,000 team members around the world innovate with purpose, empowering our partners and communities as we work to nourish the world in a safe, responsible, sustainability way.
From the feed that reduces methane emissions to waste-based renewable fuels, the possibilities are boundless. But our values remain the same. We put people first. We reach higher. We do the right thing. It’s how we’ve met the needs of the people we call neighbors and the planet we call home for 158 years—and how we’ll do so for generations to come. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.
About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is Singapore’s lead public sector R&D agency. Through open innovation, we collaborate with our partners in both the public and private sectors to benefit the economy and society. As a Science and Technology Organisation, A*STAR bridges the gap between academia and industry. Our research creates economic growth and jobs for Singapore, and enhances lives by improving societal outcomes in healthcare, urban living, and sustainability. A*STAR plays a key role in nurturing scientific talent and leaders for the wider research community and industry. A*STAR’s R&D activities span biomedical sciences to physical sciences and engineering, with research entities primarily located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis. For ongoing news, visit www.a-star.edu.sg.
About International Finance Corporation (IFC)
IFC — a member of the World Bank Group — is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2023, IFC committed a record $43.7 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of global compounding crises. For more information, visit www.ifc.org