It is only to be expected that the Netherlands, being the world’s second-biggest food exporter, hosts approximately 70 FoodTech startups. These FoodTech startups harbor various food cultures and innovations, ranging from cultured meats to vegetable-based food. They may also incorporate ag-tech startups and other similar business models. Nevertheless, some of these initiatives particularly stand out amongst the others, and below is a compiled list of the ones that we think you should get acquainted with.
Why Are FoodTech Startups Getting So Much Attention?
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FoodTech startups are essentially business ventures that utilize advanced technologies like the internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) to remodel and renovate the agriculture and food industries to improve sustainability and productivity. They get so much attention because of their crucial role in the future of the world’s food resources. Imminent global population growth constantly demands ways of sustainable food production to meet the necessary resources by the ever-increasing human population to survive. FoodTech startups are currently the best candidates that could provide a sustainable solution to this global food crisis thanks to the new ways of food production that they offer.
The Top 5 Food Technology Startups to Watch in the Netherlands
Here is the 5 food tech startups to watch in Netherlands:
1- The Protein Brewery
The FoodTech startup that tops our list is The Protein Brewery. It was founded in 2017 in Breda and followed the plant-based protein trend. This FoodTech startup has introduced a groundbreaking way of producing proteins wherein they ferment crops through biosynthesis. The result is an animal-free protein resource, which they call Fermotein and hope will help nourish the ever-growing world population. Thanks to this product, the Protein Brewery acquired substantial funding (around €22 million) and has become one of the most outstanding FoodTech startups in the Netherlands, if not the best one.
2- Meatable
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The second FoodTech startup on our list is Meatable, launched in 2018 with the catchphrase ‘guilt-free meat.’ This FoodTech startup stands against industrial farming due to its detrimental nature that puts animals’ health and that of human beings in danger. Meatable, in turn, offers an alternative and harmless meat production method where they use artificially growing cells of different types of cattle. This method has earned them over €10 million in funding. Their opti-ox technology, which they use to speed up meat production processes considerably, makes them even better as a cutting-edge FoodTech startup.
3- Mosa Meat
Another FoodTech startup that participates in the ‘guilt-free meat’ movement is Mosa Meat. Similar to the process adopted by Meatable, this FoodTech startup also uses the muscle cells of cattle. The extraction of cells is done through a small biopsy while the animal is under anesthesia. What makes their technology exciting is that they can make almost 100.000 quarter pounders from just one sample, making it one of the most prolific FoodTech startups in the industry. Based in Maastricht, Mosa Meat FoodTech startup has raised €7.5 million and will continue to help reduce the harmful emissions caused by the livestock industry.
4- Picnic
The fourth FoodTech startup on our list boasts an automated pizza assembly system from Amsterdam. Picnic‘s main focus is to produce pizza in high volumes, and it can make nearly 300 12-inch pizzas in an hour, making it as prolific as Mosa Meat. The system of this FoodTech startup can fit into a variety of kitchen settings, and users pay for it on a subscription basis. Picnic’s software also provides backend data and cloud analytics that are crucial for sustaining high production speed and reducing food waste, making it a solid FoodTech startup that contributes to sustainable food production.
5- Connecterra
The second FoodTech startup that hails from the capital is Connecterra. This FoodTech startup is more of what may be called an ag-tech initiative. Connecterra’s mission as a FoodTech startup is to aid sustainability in agriculture. They use artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive intelligence to increase productivity and eradicate the negative environmental effects of animal agriculture. With nearly €20 million funding, Connecterra FoodTech startup empowers farmers amidst the supply chain issues and helps them challenge vegetable-based alternatives.
