Five innovative Australian startups have been shortlisted from a record number of international applicants to take part in Rabobank’s prestigious global food and agri startup ‘discovery program’ FoodBytes! Virtual Pitch 2020.
Rabobank today unveiled the 45 companies selected to participate in FoodBytes! Pitch 2020, its global food and ag startup discovery program that helps entrepreneurs scale their impact through mentorship and connections to corporate leaders and investors.
Since originally launching in 2015 as a pitch competition, FoodBytes! has become a go-to network for food and agribusiness startups shaping the way we eat and produce food. FoodBytes! Pitch is part of the redesigned FoodBytes! innovation platform, which contributes solutions to food system challenges through collaboration between startups, large companies, and investors.
For the first time, the FoodBytes! Pitch cohort features 45 startups pioneering breakthrough technologies and products — with 15 companies in each of three sectors: consumer food and beverage (CPG), food tech, and agtech. The selected companies stood out from nearly 340 applications based on their innovative solutions for a more sustainable food supply, including upcycled products to fight waste, alternative proteins, and regenerative agriculture technologies to reduce water use and carbon emissions.
The Australian-based companies are among 45 food and agri startups, from across 14 countries shortlisted from a field of 340 applicants from around the world, to enter into the program, which facilitates mentoring and showcases food and agri startup companies to corporate leaders, investors, and the wider market.
The 2020 cohort is the most diverse yet: 31 per cent of the FoodBytes! Pitch 2020 startups are BIPOC-founded or led, and woman-founded or led companies to make up one-fifth of the Pitch class. The 45 selected startups hail from a total of 15 countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, India, Israel, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Singapore, South Korea, and Switzerland.
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