Today we travel to the Uk to chat with Plant Based News co-founder Klaus Mitchell. We'll dive into everything alternative proteins and ask some tough questions about the future of our food system. Klaus will try to make sense of some of the biggest challenges we face today from policy to communication and education to innovation.  About Klaus Mitchell Klaus Mitchell has always had a passion for health and nutrition, initially coming top of his year for Human Biosciences BSc from the...

Today we talk to Alon Chen, co-founder, and CEO of Tastewise, the data platform the food & beverage industry uses to innovate faster, market better, and grow sales. Alon started young. He was a Developer at 12yo, a business owner at 15yo, Google's CMO in Israel and Greece, a Founder of Google Partners, and social activist for LGBTQ issues to date, and a global leader for the World Economic Forum. In this episode, we will dive into tastewise’s platform and learn how this is just the...

Today we talk to Deniz Ficicoglu, a food blogger turned entrepreneur. Today she is co-founder and CEO of Bettaf!sh, a fast-rising, plant-based-tuna startup with a regenerative twist. We’ll talk about how she’s building a whole new industry while saving our oceans by turning seaweed mainstream.  This German-based startup has rapidly grown in 5 countries in a year and is part of an expanding fish-free category that grabbed over $100 m in funding last year. In this episode, we will learn how...

In this episode, we talk to Carolina Puzo, founder and President of Muze a company that is aiming to transform the country's cocoa value chain through the circular economy and social impact. We will travel to Ecuador and learn more about Carolina's journey and purpose. We'll dive into the nutritional properties of chocolate, its potential circular applications, and the impact on both people and the planet that this ingredient can generate. About Carolina Pozo From the moment she founded the...

In this new episode, we will see what the future of food innovation looks like through the lens of a pioneer of the industry. Nadav has been actively shaping the agrifood tech ecosystem with his vision and through his network for years now. Together with a bit of startup and market talk, we will discuss Nadav's earlier achievements and the experiences and investments that led him to fund one of the hottest VCs in the space today.  About Nadav Berger Third-generation food entrepreneur...

Today we travel to the windy city to chat with Osa Osarenkhoe, co-founder and CTO of AI restaurant tech platform ClearCogs. This startup has already taken the Chicago startup scene by storm and aims to help restaurants reduce food waste and drive their overall sustainability. Osa is a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of impact-driven Fifth Star Funds Venture Capital, where he still sits on their investment committee.  This podcast discusses how technology and data can help the food service...

FoodTech Junkies travels to California to speak with food waste hero and upcycling pioneer Daniel Kurzrock. Ten years ago, out of a passion and a hobby, he co-founded Regrained, now Upcycled Food Inc, a company that makes nutritious and delicious upcycled ingredients. To further the movement, Dan co-founded the Upcycled Food Association, a non-profit focused on reducing food waste by growing the upcycling food economy. Today we will discuss the importance of circularity, regenerative...

What came first, the chicken or the egg? In this conversation, we bring one of the very best minds of the Startup Nation’s protein experts, Tammy Meiron, CTO of Fresh Start, an incubator aiming to impact our food system through innovation, and Jonathan Rathauser, Chief Egg Officer and co-founder of Precision fermentation startup Eggmented Reality. We will dive into the technology and this rising trend, the need for alternative ingredients, the making of a startup, and the need for...

What does the future hold for alternative proteins? Are they going to reach widespread adoption in the next few years?  Many seem to think so. A systemwide transition towards them would indeed benefit people and the planet. However, obstacles still stand in the way of a wider uptake. For animal-free to be successful with consumers, they must deliver on flavor, texture, sustainable sourcing, and price parity  - a tall order for many companies. Despite the hurdles, the game is still on, and...

Factoring people's well-being and overall impact into business choices is no longer a matter of values, but one of survival. There are several approaches to reconciling planetary health with profit. But one thing is for sure: working as a system and sharing knowledge is essential to expedite this process. On this episode of FoodTech Junkies, we dive into exactly this with FoodTech Magazine’s funder and now author Beatriz Romanos. She is a disseminator, innovation coach, mentor, and industry...

What are the nuances around the latest trends? How do we stop regeneration from becoming the umpteenth green-washing buzzword? How essential are human-centered design and circular design in food system transformation? In this exciting episode of FoodTech Junkies, we interview veteran agrifood consultants and Naked Innovations founders Ryan Edwards and Laurie Tan and dive into some of foodtech's hottest unspoken questions that we urgently need an answer to. About Laurie Tan and Ryan...

Today's guest is Joshua March, co-founder & CEO of Sci-fi foods. This Coldplay-backed startup is on a mission to empower humanity to eat sustainably. Their innovative approach consists of growing cultivated beef cells while combining them with plant-based proteins to achieve a better-tasting burger at a fraction of the cost. In our chat, we touched on the alt protein market, as well as their vision, mission, technology, and their latest funding round that brought in a new board member...

Eleven years ago, the news of a company building an urban farm using hydroponics on a NY roof circled the globe and made us all wonder. Today with farms across America, that same organization is one of the world's largest and most commercially successful ones in the sector. That company is  Gotham Greens. Today on Foodtech Junkies, we meet with its co-founder & CEO Viraj Puri to learn more about the company's roots, evolution and plans for the future. About Viraj Puri  Viraj Puri is...

Who knew that jackfruit could feed the world? Today we talk to Karana's co-founder Dan Riegler about the hidden potential of this biodiverse ingredient, the way their plant-based meat products are ethically sourced through regenerative agriculture and the importance of creating healthy, nutritious and affordable alternatives for all. About Dan Riegler Dan Riegler is the co-founder of Singapore-based start-up Karana, the first Asian alt protein brand offering minimally processed...

Today, farm animals consume 20% of the world’s protein, in direct competition with human consumption, while fish, water and soil resources are dwindling. Paris-based startup Ÿnsect has the answer: indoor insect farming. A pioneer in the field, this B Corp uses advanced technologies to breed mealworms and process them to produce high-quality proteins for livestock, pet food, and fertilizers. Furthermore, the company is currently building the world’s largest, most technological, and...

Journalist, editor, speaker, and podcast host Louisa Burwood-Taylor is a force to be reckoned with in the food innovation space. In this episode, we catch up with AgFunder's Head of Media and Research and Senior Editor of AFN to talk about the hits, misses, buzzwords, and promises of the agrifood tech renaissance. Together we discuss how to improve strategies for reaching future food goals faster. About Louisa Burwood-Taylor Louisa is Head of Media & Research for AgFunder and chief...

If food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. On this episode of FoodTech Junkies we speak with Julia and Jordy Kay. One was an architect and the other a winemaker, and both have become eco-warriors. Their latest project involves diverting food waste from landfills and converting it into an eco-friendly alternative to plastic, and is only the first step in a long term effort. Tune in to find out more! About Jordy and Julia Kay We're...

Restaurants and commercial kitchens have always faced challenges like staffing, inflation, food waste, and true costing. When the COVID pandemic hit, these and other issues were exacerbated and in many cases, spelled the end for many businesses. As we look to the future, both smaller restaurants and larger chains will need to deliver consistent quantity and quality in order to maintain their customer base. For some, the ability to pivot and think of new solutions has allowed them not only to...

What happens when you combine a powerful cultivation software with an AI and computer vision platform? No one would know better than the Founder of Artemis and Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Data Products at iUNU Allison Kopf, one of the 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30. She helps us understand how data-driven technology is transforming the agriculture business and paving the way for advances in inventory tracking, production planning, yield forecasting, pest and disease management, food safety,...

Following the largest Series A funding ever raised by a plant-based meat company, Singapore-based foodtech startup/multinational NextGen Foods is now ready to conquer the US. After that? The sky's the limit, thanks to a top-notch team and an innovative business model that has generated products like TiNDLE chicken. En route to the Food For Future Summit & Expo in Dubai, EPV founder and FoodTech Junkie Sharon Cittone connects with Alex Ward, food industry expert and COO of Next Gen, to...

What would it be like to have Mother Nature as your CEO? Amsterdam-based vegan cheesemaker Willicroft is on a quest to find out. Its mission to go beyond the net-zero has led to evolving practices, uncommon collaborations, and starting a movement to advocate for a better food system. On this episode, we chat with Willicroft's Founder Brad Vanstone, the grandson of a dairy farmer whose passion for regeneration, conservation, and cheese ignited an entrepreneurial spark. We'll ask him what it...

The pandemic has put food systems at risk throughout the entire global agro-food chain. Now more than ever, people realize the importance of growing food locally as a means to secure access, foster education, and cultivate economic growth. Few people know this better than Farm from a Box's Brandi DeCarli. Her system is helping to strengthen local communities around the world that need it most, by enabling them to grow their own nutritious food using clean technology. We sit down with her to...

The global food and agriculture system is much more than a web of faceless companies and corporations. It contains a wealth of success stories and innovations that can be scaled, adapted, and replicated to benefit farmers, communities, and industry across the world. Since 2013, Food Tank has been telling these stories and in the process, uniting actors across the food chain to inspire change and promote a healthier food system. Today, Food Tank co-founder Danielle Nierenberg shares her story...

Investors play a crucial role in fueling transformation within the food industry, and innovative business models and technologies can be lucrative investments. But contrary to many other fields, this isn't the major driver of investment in the food space. In this episode we sit down with Renske Lynde, Co-Founder of the accelerator Food System 6, General Partner of early-stage Venture Capital firm 1st Course Capital (1CC), and long-time advocate for healthy and sustainable food systems....

The food industry faces extraordinary challenges, and solving them is a Herculean task. For every entrepreneur that successfully navigates these choppy waters, hundreds of others struggle to stay afloat. And while every company faces a unique journey, there are some universal guidelines and rules that apply. The first one? Find a great mentor. In this episode of FoodTech Junkies, we set sail with The Kitchen FoodTech Hub's VP of Business Development Amir Zaidman for an honest and wide-ranging...