Forward Fooding, a collaborative platform for the food and beverage industry based in Barcelona, recently published the fourth edition of the FoodTech 500 ranking. The list brings together the startups that are revolutionizing the food sector with disruptive technology and solutions for different stages of the production chain. It presents itself as “the definitive list of the world’s most inspiring AgriFoodTech companies.”
This year’s FoodTech 500 features 26 Latin startups from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Uruguay. These companies are making a difference with innovation and technology, as well as setting trends in consumer habits and practices for the production, distribution, and sale of food and beverages that are increasingly sustainable.
They have made their way into the market, while foodtech is a segment that is still developing in Latin America. However, it has had accelerated growth in recent years if we consider investment, new companies, and market penetration. According to Endeavor data, from 2011 to date, foodtechs have raised 1.7 billion dollars in investment, of which 64% was allocated during the pandemic.
Startups that stood out
According to Forward Fooding, the 500 companies on the list were chosen from among 2,000 startups from 67 countries for being pioneers in the industry and shaping the future of food with technology and innovation. Three verticals were considered for the selection: food, sustainability, and technology.
Below are the Latin American foodtechs that appear, maintaining the order of the original list.
Instacrops (Chile)
The startup developed a platform that allows farmers to monitor the state of their crops and receive real-time recommendations to improve them with the help of AI, computer vision, drones, and data.
Pink Farms (Brazil)
An indoor vertical farm for sustainable farming practices with greater precision and resource optimization. It studies each of the cultivated species to generate the necessary conditions for their growth and improve flavors while avoiding the use of pesticides.
Todos comemos (Colombia)
Operates under the food delivery model, providing integral solutions for food manufacturers to streamline their sales and deliveries, helping them to grow exponentially in different sales channels.
Perfekto (Mexico)
This startup gives a second chance to food that is not consumed due to imperfections. For this, it provides a home delivery service with fresh fruits and vegetables from the countryside, which are not sold because of their physical appearance but are in perfect condition to be consumed.
Puna Bio (Argentina)
Creator of the world’s first “extremophile bio-inoculant” (extremophile are microorganisms capable of developing in extreme conditions). Its product claims to improve yields consistently up to 15% in fertile soils, and allows the growth of crops in degraded soils.
Nude (Brazil)
Produces plant-based feeds that use cultivated oats as the main ingredient. Its food line is an alternative to dairy products with a focus on innovation, traceability and flavor.
Appjusto (Brazil)
Collective home delivery platform for restaurants and consumers. Helps mainly food businesses with the delivery of their orders.
Xilinat (Mexico)
A natural sweetener made from corn residues and a polyol extracted from plants and vegetables such as xylan or birch bark.
Food to save (Brazil)
The startup fights food waste in commercial establishments that have surplus production. Consumers can purchase them through this platform at affordable prices.
MightyGreens (Brazil)
It is the first Brazilian vertical farming company in a controlled environment. It develops sustainable technologies and processes for the production of local, pesticide-free, vegan food with high nutritional value.
Dyfferent (Peru)
Food brand based on vegetable protein with a presence in Peru, Chile, and Mexico. Its concept is focused on plant-based and seeks to normalize and massify the consumption of vegetable protein.
Nutri Co (Peru)
This startup has a line of nutritious and sustainable plant-based products, such as milk, cookies, bars, and shakes, among others. It relies on the use of AI algorithms during production.
Micobytes (Chile)
The company is the creator of the first line of food based on mushrooms. They claim that they have better health and environmental benefits and nutrients than traditional products.
Tomorrow Foods (Argentina)
Produces ingredients for food preparation based on plants, and in the process cultivates grains with the regenerative agriculture method.
Frankles (Chile)
The listing presents this foodtech as one that extracts natural and sustainable ingredients from plant industry waste, and does so using environmentally friendly solvents and machine learning.
Done Properly (Chile)
Develops natural ingredients through fermentation technologies. And with them, it helps food companies reformulate their products and make the transition to a healthier and more sustainable production core.
Asanté (Mexico)
This is a company that produces foods with fresh, plant-based ingredients and traditional Mexican flavors. These products use plant protein instead of animal protein.
Origino (Argentina)
Helps logistics companies improve traceability and tokenizes assets throughout the supply chain. This way they can give digital identity to each production unit.
Luyef Biotechnologies (Chile)
It is a food technology startup with a B2B model, which improves the taste and texture of plant-based foods that are an alternative to meat.
Naturannova (Chile)
This is another food technology startup that combines computational biology and bio-manufacturing processes to design and produce sustainable, and healthier than conventional ingredients.
Chefs Digitales (Uruguay)
Its platform works as a kitchen assistant and personal shopper. Through an app, users have access to thousands of recipes to prepare food. It has a machine learning engine that chooses the ideal recipe and searches for the best options to acquire the ingredients.
Pow! Foods (Chile)
It is in charge of developing 100% natural foods prepared from peas, corn and rice. For now, its product portfolio includes chorizos and sausages.
Kresko RNAtech (Argentina)
They list themselves as follows: “Through food, we train the body’s cells to cope with stressful and changing conditions”.
Bioeutectics (Argentina)
This company works to make industrial products and processes more environmentally friendly by providing sustainable, natural and high-performance solvents.
Food4You (Argentina)
Develops alternative and biotech ingredients for the plant-based food sector. It also designs and optimizes different combinations of bacteria to improve the technological, nutritional and functional properties of plant-based foods.
Wiagro (Argentina)
The Argentine foodtech developed a visualization and alarm system for farmers, which allows them to keep the seeds they grow safe and in good condition.
Main image: Pink Farms’ vertical farm in Sao Paulo, Brazil (Credit: Pink Farms)
You may also be interested in: Argentina, a Hub for AgriFoodTech Startups
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