Returning for its 8th edition, Future Food Asia, the premier platform celebrating innovation in AgriFoodtech in APAC, is proud to unveil the 11 startups selected for the finale of its annual competition. These finalists will be pitching for the 100,000 USD FFA Award in Singapore, May 15-16. Additionally the recipient of the Cargill ‘Nutrition For Tomorrow’ award will be announced at the conference.
The 11 FFA award finalists are BioApplications Inc (South Korea), KisuiTECH (Japan), Koralo (South Korea), MetaNovas Biotech (China), Miruku (New Zealand), Mushroom Material (Singapore/New Zealand), Qarbotech (Malaysia), PairTree Intelligence (Australia), Rare Earths Technology (China), Sagri (Japan) and Simple Planet (South Korea).
ID Capital attracted applications from more than 25 countries, with the majority focusing on enhancing food’s nutritional value and promoting more regenerative farming practices. This new balance reflects a natural evolution of how sustainability is framed, by financial and corporate investors alike. This year’s finalists exemplify the expansive potential of AgTech, showcasing innovations that extend beyond the realm of digital agriculture
The finalists have been selected following an extensive assessment process by the jury represented by 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 and Isabelle Decitre, Founder, ID Capital.
“A new wave of startups, characterized by their agility and adaptability, is emerging. They are adept at navigating more challenging funding landscapes, daring to confront their innovation propositions to the market quickly and smartly,” said Isabelle Decitre, Founder, ID Capital.
FFA 2024 has been made possible by continued support from partners Cargill, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), and International Finance Corporation (IFC).
Registration for the event is open at https://futurefoodasia.com/ffa-2024/.
Overview of the Future Food Asia 2024 finalists
BioApplications Inc (South Korea)
BioApp is the first company in the world to obtain plant-based vaccine approval and is committed to the health of the environment, animals, and ultimately people by growing plants to produce vaccines for animals and supplying eco-friendly, safe, and effective vaccines. BioApp’s green biotechnology can protect the environment, animals, and people and make all of them happy.
KisuiTECH (Japan)
KisuiTECH is dedicated to advancing agricultural sustainability through AI Robotic transportation and its modular attachments (grass cutter, pesticide sprayer, etc). Our open platform offers farmers comprehensive farm analysis, data analysis, and management tools, empowering them with sustainable practices. Committed to boosting profitability and enhancing quality of life, we support farmers in increasing productivity, combatting labor shortages, and expanding their operations.
Koralo (South Korea)
Koralo is the first company worldwide using its patented co-fermentation technology of microalgae and mycelium to create whole-cut seafood. Mimicking oceans Koralo creates clean label and highly nutritious New F!sh. Produced in both Europe and Asia, Koralo is making culinary waves in the new seafood market – taste it yourself!
MetaNovas Biotech (China)
MetaNovas Biotech is the first AI + life sciences startup to offer end-to-end, full-cycle R&D capabilities in the consumer health sector. We specialize in using artificial intelligence to analyze and decode complex biological data, positioning ourselves as a next-generation platform for the development and design of AI-driven active ingredients and products.
Miruku (New Zealand)
Miruku is reshaping the dairy industry with its molecular farming approach. It is programming plants to efficiently produce traditional animal-derived proteins and fats in oilseeds using the sun’s energy.. These cost-effective ingredients will enable the production of delicious foods and beverages with the sensory benefits of dairy but without the cow. In addition, Miruku’s climate-resilient crops will contribute positively to food security, environmental sustainability and the decarbonisation of our food supply.
Mushroom Material (Singapore/New Zealand)
Mushroom Material revolutionizes packaging with sustainable, 100% home compostable biomaterials, derived from agricultural waste and mycelium (root structure of mushrooms). We directly replace expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam) and match the material properties for impact resistance, thermal and acoustic insulation. Our scalable technology promises a global shift away from traditional plastics towards a greener future.
Qarbotech (Malaysia)
Qarbotech is an early-stage green tech company with its patented photosynthesis enhancement nanotechnology, an on-plant or in-soil solution to boost agricultural productivity – increasing crop yields by up to 60 per cent. The company’s unique formulation contains biocompatible organic compounds with properties like chlorophyll, thus increasing the photosynthesis rate of leafy plants. By optimising photosynthetic efficiency and shortening growth cycles, farmers and growers of all sizes can enhance their crop yield.
PairTree Intelligence (Australia)
Pairtree is Australia’s largest farm data integrator with over 100 sensor and app connections. Pairtree enables Agribusiness, Corporates, Advisers and Consultants to easily connect to their farming clients and then provide aggregated digital services for their clients or the supply chain. Pairtree’s ‘Paddock Connect’ is a geospatial and temporal (time) platform where data from across a farm/ region or reseller catchment can be used to provide improved decision support and insights. Pairtree allows farmers or groups to choose Agtech that suits their business and budget and then normalise that data for compliance, market access, productivity and stewardship. Our focus is Internet of Things (IoT) sensors (Weather Stations, Soil Probes, tracking), Farm management software and satellite imagery, which can all be stacked and accessed in one spot.
Rare Earths (China)
Rare Earths aims to improve the light functional performance of agricultural films by adding efficient and stable light conversion agents, in order to achieve the effect of increasing yield and income, early maturity, and improving quality of crops in greenhouses.
Sagri (Japan)
Sagri is a global impact start-up from Gifu University in Japan, and utilizes satellite data and AI to provide precise farm-level recommendations optimizing irrigation, fertilizer usage, and sustainable farming. Our satellite analytics reveal where and how to reduce costs and emissions per yield while capitalizing on agriculture carbon credits, enabling farmers to enhance productivity through data-driven sustainable practices.
Simple Planet (South Korea)
Simple Planet revolutionizes the food industry through animal cell-based ingredients. Leveraging advanced cell culture platform and stem cell engineering, we streamline the mass production of proteins and fats for enhanced taste and nutrition in all foods. Our mission is to address the climate crisis and food security challenges, paving the way towards a sustainable future.
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