The Kitchen FoodTech Hub is a seed investor and a Technology Incubator focusing on FoodTech. It invests in 3-4 new FoodTech startups each year. During the incubation period the startups benefit from close support from The Kitchen's team and a large range of experts. The Kitchen was established in 2015 by the Strauss-Group, an international food company based in Israel and is a member of the Israeli Innovation Authority incubators' program.

The Kitchen - FoodTech Hub

The Israel Innovation Agency, the Innovation Authority, was established in 1965 as the Office of the Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and was designed as a body that supports R & D conducted in the framework of government research institutes. Industrial development in order to increase industrial exports of high-tech products. The Chief Scientist focused on reducing the risk by participating in financing the project, which the private companies chose and led.

Israel Innovation Authority

ZORA Ventures backs Israel's leading scientists and founders designing deeptech B2B solutions to the world's most acute climate challenges. Our teams develop climate solutions innovations to be deployed by the world's largest companies across massive markets in order to ignite rapid change at unprecedented scale.  Our goal? Back a portfolio of best-in-class companies who will collectively offset or remove a cumulative gigaton of CO2e by 2040.

ZORA Ventures

A platform connecting global angel investors with startups based in, or relating to, Japan

Yakumi

iAngels is a women-led venture capital firm and one of Israel's most active and recognized investors. Combining a deep, proprietary due-diligence process alongside best-in-class reporting, iAngels provides a window into Israel's extremely rich startup world and has a proven ability to generate and deliver superior VC returns. iAngels believes in going beyond and backs those who do, partnering with some of the highest-caliber entrepreneurs in the nation.

iAngels

At SGInnovate, our mission is to help entrepreneurial scientists build Deep Tech startups. The world has hard problems to solve, and hard-tech answers are needed. We help entrepreneurs who want to solve hard problems build companies. We believe Singapore has the resources and capabilities to tackle hard problems that matter to people around the world. SGInnovate has been established to help ambitious and capable people to build 'technology-intensive' products borne out of science research. Our commitment is to use the full power of the Singapore ecosystem to achieve this mission.

SGInnovate

K3 Ventures is a Singapore-based venture capital firm that invests in technology start-ups with talented founders and a vision to develop and transform Southeast Asia. In partnering with K3 Ventures, companies leverage from their exclusive bamboo network that enables strategic opportunities to scale Southeast Asia with pilot projects and by championing adoption that establishes as part of their use case portfolio.  The wave of digital disruption on traditional businesses is inevitable and a necessary evil for progress. Yet technology startups often face obstacles from incumbent businesses and other stakeholders that can halt their growth. K3 Ventures bridges technology startups and incumbent businesses to create an ecosystem of collaboration and foundation for the creation of new market leaders.

K3 Ventures

Japan-Israel Hi-Tech Ventures is a venture fund operated by Singapore-based asset management firm Chartered Group.

Japan-Israel Hi-Tech Ventures

Aston Partners is a middle market, private equity firm whose mission is to invest in small to mid-size businesses.

Aston Partners

Welltech Ventures is the first and leading venture capital firm in Israel solely focused on the wellness space. Our high-level experience, thought leadership, vast global network, and founder-focused, fast-paced culture makes us the partner of choice for Israel’s most promising and profitable well-tech entrepreneurs. We’re focused on investing in early-stage startups that are harnessing new technologies to improve people’s lives in ways we never dreamed possible, innovating in areas such as remote care, preventive medicine, mental health, fitness, nutrition, sustainability, and longevity.

Welltech Ventures

Amai Proteins

Amai Proteins ('Amai' is 'sweet' in Japanese) is transforming the food and beverage industry by presenting healthy and tasty protein ingredients for everyday use. The Designer Protein Company first focus is Sweet Designer Proteins as sugar substitutes. Amai is taking sweet proteins found in the equatorial belt and is applying Agile Integrative Computational Protein Design (AI-CPD) and fermentation to make the proteins fit for the mass food market.

Amai Proteins is an Israeli alternative ingredients company specializing in sweet proteins. Its flagship product Sweelin is a calorie-free sweet protein made from the serendipity berry and claims to be capable of reducing sugar content by 40%–70% in food and beverages.&nbsp;

Extreme Tech Startup Spotlight: Amai Proteins

Amai Proteins, producer of 100% protein sweetener that reduces sugar in Food & Beverages by up to 70%, voted Global Winner at the 2022 Extreme Tech Challenge Competition

Israeli biotech startup Amai Proteins dealing with loss, grief, and uncertainty after

Amai Proteins finalizing initial closing of $100m round as it gears up for launch of ‘designer’ sweet protein in 2023

Empowering sustainable food innovation through food engineering tech

Alternative Ingredients

Amai Proteins succesfully completed world's first human clinical trial on effects of sweet proteins, with sweelin®

Amai Proteins, founded in 2016 by Dr. Ilan Samish, is an Israeli biotech startup developing novel designer proteins for the food industry. The company's flagship product is Sweelin, a 100% protein sweetener designed to significantly reduce sugar content in various food and beverage applications. Sweelin is produced using Amai's Pro3 Platform, which combines AI-driven Computational Protein Design (CPD), precision fermentation, and food technology. The protein is inspired by sweet proteins found in nature but engineered to be more stable and suitable for mass food market requirements.
Sweelin is claimed to be 3,000 times sweeter than sugar on average and can reduce added sugar in products by 40% to 70% without compromising taste. It is designed to be fully digestible, hypoallergenic, and stable across various pH levels and temperatures. Amai Proteins aims to address global health challenges related to sugar overconsumption while also reducing the environmental impact associated with sugar production.
As of December 2022, Amai Proteins had raised USD 17.5 million in funding and was in the process of finalizing an initial closing of a USD 100 million round. The company expected to achieve self-GRAS status for Sweelin in Q2 2023, with plans to submit the determination to the FDA for a "no questions" letter in 2024.

Amai Proteins is an Israeli alternative ingredients company specializing in sweet proteins. Its flagship product Sweelin is a calorie-free sweet protein made from the serendipity berry and claims to be capable of reducing sugar content by 40%–70% in food and beverages.&nbsp;The protein is produced through a proprietary Pro3 Platform that combines AI-powered Computational Protein Design (AI-CPD), microbial precision fermentation, and food technology. Unlike natural sweet proteins, such as monellin that lose functionality at higher temperatures, Sweelin claims to remain stable in up to 110 degrees celsius for 10 minutes and maintains stability across different pH levels with a proven one-year shelf life. Sweelin activates taste receptors for sweetness without triggering insulin responses and is readily digestible into amino acids. As of October 2024, Sweelin has received self-affirmed GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) and FEMA-GRAS (Flavor &amp; Extract Manufacturers Association) regulatory approvals for use as an ingredient and flavor in the US. The protein can be used in applications ranging from soft drinks and juices to dairy products, sauces, spreads, snacks, chocolate, chewing gums, and dietary supplements.Key customers and partnershipsAmai Proteins has established joint development agreements and material transfer agreements with several major food and beverage companies including Mars Wrigley, Danone, Ocean Spray, and PepsiCo. Through these collaborations, the company worked with partners to rebuild sweetening formulations for their products. The collaborations involved technical transfer to enable partners to implement the technology at pilot and large-scale production levels.

<div>
 
 California Cultured is a producer of cocoa products such as cocoa powder, chocolate, cocoa butter, and flavanols using plant cell culture technology by taking biopsies from selected cacao plants. The company developed its research based on Criollo cacao varieties, fine-tuning cell lines for specific flavors. In August 2022, the company announced that it was working on the development of cell-cultured coffee.
 
 
 As of December 2022, the company was building its 12,100 sq m facility in West Sacramento and had begun building its pilot plant. As of July 2023, the company was finalizing production methods, with the aim of a commercial launch by 2025&ndash;2026, following FDA approval.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 In 2022, California Cultured partnered with VTT, a Finnish national research institute, to develop cell lines for cell-cultured coffee. 
 &nbsp;In 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates">
 February 2023
 </a>
 , the company inked a 10-year commercial partnership with Japanese chocolate corporation Meiji to incorporate its cell-based cocoa into Meiji's products. This collaboration marked the first global use of cell-cultured chocolate.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 California Cultured received undisclosed investments from investment platforms focused on clean, lab-grown food such as CULT Food Science (February 2022) and Blue Horizon (March 2022). In October 2021, the company raised USD 4 million in seed funding led by Agronomics to expand its R&amp;D activities.
 
 
 
 .
 
</div>

California Cultured

Nukoko is a UK-based company that produces 100% cocoa-free chocolate peanuts made from locally sourced fava beans using a biotransformation and precision fermentation process. It also uses a microbial library of cocoa flavors to match chocolate in terms of flavor, thickness, and texture.As of October 2023, the company had opened a limited product launch and sold out the first batch of cocoa-free chocolate nuts, with a full launch planned for 2025 for the EU/UK markets as a B2B ingredients supplier. The company claims to produce 90% less carbon emission per kg than conventional chocolate&nbsp;and its chocolate alternatives contain 40% less sugar and higher protein, fiber, and antioxidants than traditional chocolate.&nbsp;

Nukoko

<div>
 
 Win-Win (WNWN Food Labs prior to 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/27014">
 February 2024
 </a>
 ) is a London-based producer of cocoa-free chocolate using plant-based ingredients such as grains/cereals and legumes through a proprietary fermentation process. The company's cocoa-free chocolate can be used in candy bars, confectionery, cookies, chocolate coatings, ice cream, and beverages. It claims to use 90% less water and emit 80%&ndash;90% less greenhouse gases than regular chocolate.
 
 
 In May 2022, Win-Win was operating on a lab scale, capable of producing between 300kg and 600 kg (~661 and 1,323 lbs) of chocolate per month. In November 2022, the company began expanding its facility in Hackney Wick, increasing its production space 8x. In November 2023, the company expanded its plant-based milk chocolate to bakeries, foodservice, confectionery groups, and CPG/FMCG companies 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/24144">
 worldwide
 </a>
 .
 
 
 The company had previously introduced limited-edition cocoa-free products via D2C channels: dark chocolate thins at GBP 10 (~USD 13) per box (May 2022) and the Waim! Bar priced at GBP 8 (~USD 9) for a pack of three bars (September 2022). In March 2023, the company finalized the recipe and process for a line of milk chocolate products that are cocoa- and dairy-free and contain both oats and tiger nuts. The company also experimented with an alternative chocolate ice cream bar at the H&auml;agen-Dazs Start-Up Innovation Challenge in June 2023.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 In September 2023, Win-Win partnered with the UK department store Fortnum &amp; Mason to showcase its cocoa-free chocolate and technology, including a demonstration and tasting during Fortnum's Harvest Week. In December 2022, the company partnered with Milan-based luxury gift service DLISH to include its specialty chocolate hazelnut gianduja, a northern Italian confection, in DLISH's holiday gifts. In December 2023, the company completed the 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/24805">
 CoLab Tech accelerator
 </a>
 with Mondelēz International and showcased its cocoa-free chocolate bars, truffles, and coated biscuits at Mondelēz's North American headquarters.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In February 2023, Win-Win raised GBP 4.5 million (~USD 5.6 million) in Series A funding to scale up manufacturing and increase headcount in anticipation of its UK retail launch.
 
 
 
</div>

Win-Win

<div>
 
 Planet A Foods is a Germany-based startup that makes cocoa-free chocolate ChoViva (formerly NoCoa/QOA) via precision fermentation of oats and sunflower seeds. It then uses proprietary micro-bacteria and flavor formation processes to create a vegan product that mimics the texture and flavor of chocolate. In addition to Germany, ChoViva focuses on Austria and Switzerland, with expansion plans to the US in 2024.
 
 
 Planet A Foods produces cocoa-free chocolates by blending cocoa-free ingredients: a cocoa powder substitute (ChoViva Concentrate) and a cocoa butter substitute (ChoViva Butter). ChoViva represents Planet Foods' debut cocoa-free chocolate product, created using Planet A Foods' cocoa concentrate alternative. The chocolate is produced in-house at Planet A&rsquo;s facility in the Czech Republic. As of October 2023, the ChoViva range included 21 products with prices ranging from EUR 0.5 to EUR 9.95 (~USD 0.53 to USD 10.48).
 
 
 Additionally, the company was in the process of developing its cocoa butter alternative through precision fermentation technology, using single-cell oils and fermentation byproducts. As of October 2023, the company was shipping this fat to early customers for R&amp;D purposes.
 
 
 The company asserts that its chocolate product could be 10x more sustainable, 20% cheaper, and emit about 92% less than conventional chocolate while also using 30% less sugar and 94% less water.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 In April 2023, the company partnered with German online retailer Confiserie Seidl to launch ChoViva, its first sustainable chocolate line. The brand sees itself as a B2B player, after partnering with oat cereal maker K&ouml;lln on a new line of vegan mueslis using the company's cocoa-free chocolate in September 2023. In December 2023, ChoViva teamed up with 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/24997">
 Lindt
 </a>
 to launch a special edition chocolate bar for Veganuary, named &quot;Soft &amp; Creamy Hazelnut.
 
 
 In 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/26955">
 February 2024
 </a>
 , Planet A Foods partnered with REWE Group, Germany&rsquo;s second-largest supermarket chain, to supply ChoViva for REWE Group&rsquo;s own-label cocoa-free products.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In its latest funding round in 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/26176">
 February 2024
 </a>
 , the company raised USD 15.4 million in Series A funding led by World Fund, with participation from Omnes Capital, Cherry Ventures, Nucleus Capital, and others. The funds were earmarked for additional scientist hires to bolster its 50-person team in Germany to increase the production of cocoa butter and palm oil alternatives on an industrial scale.
 
 
 
</div>

Planet A Foods

<div>
 
 Atomo Coffee is a developer of beanless coffee that comes in two flavors: 1) regular beanless coffee with 100 mg of caffeine per serving made from date seeds, ramon seeds, sunflower seed extract, pea protein, millet, lemon, guava, and defatted fenugreek seeds and 2) decaffeinated (decaf) beanless coffee. The company claims to be the world's first beanless coffee maker.
 
 
 The company&rsquo;s products are available for retail purchase at 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/23234">
 Gumption Coffee
 </a>
 in New York. In addition, the company began taking pre-orders for wholesale at a price of USD 20.99 per pound (as of October 2023).
 
 
 The company also plans to open a facility in March 2024 that can annually produce four million lbs of ground coffee, made from upcycled date pits (~80 million cups).
 
 
 Atomo's brews reportedly use 94% less water and produce 93% less carbon emissions than traditional coffee.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 In July 2022, the company partnered with Minor Figures, a vegan products company, to launch the 8-ounce canned Oat Milk Latte, a beanless cold brew, one of Atomo's first focus products.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In June 2022, the company raised USD 40 million in a Series A funding round for product development and to scale up manufacturing. In November 2023, the company secured an undisclosed multi-million dollar investment from Japanese beverage leader 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/24577">
 Suntory Holdings
 </a>
 to strengthen its international distribution.
 
 
 
</div>

Atomo Coffee

Companies providing technology related to fortification, cell culture, and fermentation and those supplying equipment including bioreactors and fermenters for the production of novel foods

Companies offering salt substitutes to reduce sodium content in foods and beverages

Companies developing natural sweeteners and solutions to reduce sugar content in foods and beverages

Companies creating natural flavor, texture, and coloring ingredients from plant-based sources like seaweed and algae

Companies producing chocolate without cocoa using ingredients like oats, seeds, and cell-cultured cocoa

Companies making coffee substitutes from ingredients like barley, date seeds, and sunflower seeds

Companies offering plant-based alternatives to honey and nut spreads, addressing dietary restrictions and allergies

Companies producing cooking oils and fats through fermentation, cell-cultured and plant-based extraction processes

Companies developing protein ingredients via cell-culture or fermentation for dietary supplements and food production, excluding plant-based or cell-cultured meat

Transforms raw materials into novel, sustainable food products with minimal environmental impact

Amai Proteins

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