Announcing the Final 15 Startups Competing in FoodBytes! Pitch Virtual 2020

Welcome to the November FoodBytes! Bulletin.

Announcing the Final 15 startups competing in FoodBytes! Pitch 2020 virtual event on December 2; FoodBytes! alum continue to make the news for pioneering innovations like edible spoons and spirits upcycled from whey; don't miss upcoming community events in food & agriculture and more.
Let's dive in.

Today, we reveal the 15 food and agriculture startup finalists who will advance to present at the FoodBytes! Pitch 2020 virtual competition on December 2. The finalists were chosen as top innovators from the cohort of 45 startups. They include five innovators in the following sectors: Consumer Food and Beverage (CPG), Food Tech and AgTech.

Nearly half of the FoodBytes! Pitch 2020 finalists (47%) are BIPOC-led or co-led, and 60% are woman-led or co-led. The startups represent a total of five countries, including the United States, Australia, India, Norway and Singapore.

Click here to learn more about the finalists taking the virtual stage and sign up for your complimentary ticket to the show below.

An Inside Look at the Future of Food
The goal of feeding the ever increasing population combined with the need to use resources in a sustainable manner presents many challenges - but it also provides many opportunities. Check out the FoodBytes! alumni working towards that goal, written up by Food Business News.

FoodBytes! Alumni Raise $470M Almost Doubling Annual Take
"The evolution of FoodBytes!...reflects how widespread acceptance of climate change, and that food systems are antiquated, has translated into increased investor focus on opportunities related to hastening systemic change in agriculture.” Read more from FoodBytes! Global Head Anne Greven in Agri Investor.

Arable raised $20M in a series B led by Prelude Ventures geared towards global expansion.
InnovoPro raised $15M in a Series B led by Jarusalem Venture Partners with participation from Rabobank F&A Innovation Fund.
Else Nutrition received $3.77M in a private placement with participation from NewH2.
Yooji raised $8.88M in funding from investors including Danone Manifesto Ventures.
TrapView, a startup with the largest database of pest data and algorithms in the world, raised $4.38M in a Series A2 from Kubota, Ottre Venture and Pymwymic.

Community Opportunities Header

The Upcycled Food Association’s free event, The Future of the Upcycled Food Industry, is on Thursday, November 12 at 1:30pm EST. Tune in for updates on the fast-growing upcycled food industry, which seeks to prevent food waste by utilizing otherwise wasted foods.
Thought for Food is running a Topical Week on 'Alternative Proteins' from November 23-29 to get past the hype and high-level messages that dominate headlines and webinars, and deep-dive into the technologies and startups shaping the food space. Register for the live conversations here.
Food-X Deadline extended for one week only! Nov 16 is the last chance to apply to Food-X winter 2021 program: a global community of entrepreneurs, expert mentorship, and capital for food tech startups.
Our friends at Food Foundry will be hosting Table Talk, a panel-style discussion on Tuesday, Nov. 17 11am PST | 2pm ET.

FoodBytes! Pilot Program
If you’re a corporation looking to future-proof your business, FoodBytes! can help. Pilot is a customized collaboration program with a structured approach over a 6-9 month period. We broker and support tailored programs that match emerging companies with industry leaders to tackle high-impact innovation objectives.

Want to learn more?

Click through below to our latest social media posts to catch up on our weekly startup reports, alumni news and more.