FoodBytes! Pitch 2020 awards 3 winners in virtual pitch competition

As part of the redesigned FoodBytes! Pitch program, startup founders in agriculture technology, food technology and consumer packaged goods took the virtual stage on Dec. 2, 2020, to compete for $10,000 and consulting services from FoodBytes! Pitch members.

The FoodBytes! Pitch cohort featured 45 startups from around the world pioneering breakthrough technologies and products, with 15 companies in each of the three sectors. The new virtual program consists of two weeks of private mentorship sessions, one-on-one connections and media opportunities for selected startups and partners. From the 45 companies that went through the program, 15 startups were advanced to the final stage of the competition, pitching to a live audience and a panel of expert judges.

Rabobank named three winners of FoodBytes Pitch! 2020:

CPG Award: Agricycle Global for Innovation in Food Loss Mitigation

From Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Agricycle Global supports a global network of rural female farmers by upcycling food loss into a portfolio of sustainable and ethical brands. Its first-to-market brand, Jali Fruit Co., offers wild-harvested tropical sun-dried fruits that are grown and wild-harvested by Agricycle's network of 35,000 farmers and hand-crafted by its women-led cooperatives in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean. Each woman in a Jali Fruit Co. cooperative is paid seven times the average daily local wage and empowered with on-the-job skills training like food safety and financial literacy.

Food Tech Award: Envara Health for Innovation in Clinical Nutrition

Envara Health is the maker of Encala, a medical nutrition product inspired by and developed for people with cystic fibrosis who struggle to absorb fat. Added to meals and beverages, the plant-based powder adds highly absorbable fat calories and essential fatty acids and helps the body absorb fat and fat-soluble vitamins that are already in the food.

AgTech Award: Swan Systems for Innovation in Water and Resource Management

Australia-based Swan Systems is a cloud-based precision irrigation and fertilizer platform that helps growers precisely schedule, monitor and optimize management of water, nutrients and crop health. Serving a variety of industries, the all-in-one solution helps growers make data-driven decisions about how much and when to irrigate, enabling them to apply only what is needed for optimal plant growth.

Learn more about the 45 companies selected to participate in FoodBytes! Pitch 2020.