<div>
  <p>
    <b>Lockdowns and uncertainty encouraged food waste prevention and redistribution</b>
  </p>
  <ul>
    <li>
      <p>
        <b>Seebo</b>
         reported strong growth in acquiring customers and revenue growth of nearly 400% YoY in 2020.
      </p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>
        <b>Misfits Markets </b>
        had a nearly 100,000-person wait list at the end of April 2020 that it cleared by early June. Active customers and order volumes grew fivefold YoY and the company shipped to more than 400,000 customers across the US.
      </p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>
        <b>Imperfect Foods</b>
         reported a doubling of customer order size YoY and triple-digit revenue growth in 2020. The company also partnered with airlines and movie theaters to purchase excess food.
      </p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>
        <b>Lean Path</b>
         launched a mobile food waste measuring device for Covid-era restaurant menus to track food waste.
      </p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>
        <b>Insignia Technologies</b>
         used its labelling and packaging technology to denote the freshness of face masks.
      </p>
    </li>
  </ul>
  <p>
    <b>Continuous business expansion despite the pandemic</b>
  </p>
  <ul>
    <li>
      <p>
        <b>Hazel technologies</b>
         launched operations in Chile in October 2020.
      </p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>
        <b>Food Maven</b>
        , introduced a pickup option in March 2020 and drive through and delivery bulk grocery service in Colorado in March 2021.
      </p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>
        <b>Hungry Harvest</b>
         announced plans in March 2021 to move to a larger distribution center to expand capacity for its new ready-made food product line of business.
      </p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>
        <b>Full Harvest</b>
        , partnered with Danone in 2020 to launch a yogurt made from food that would otherwise have ended up at a landfill.
      </p>
    </li>
  </ul>
  <p>
    <b>Successful funding rounds during the Covid chaos</b>
  </p>
  <p>
    Food waste startups completed  22 rounds of funding and raised around USD 534 million in 2020. This trend continued into 2021 with around USD 479 million raised in 7 rounds during the first four months of the year.
  </p>
</div>


COVID19-IMPACT

<p>Most startups in the food waste management industry focus on recycling food that is being wasted or redistributing them via online platforms. Most of these companies are in the growth stage, with successfully commercialized products and international expansions underway. In contrast, a smaller number of players focus on food waste prevention technologies such as packaging that extends shelf life, protective food coating, and devices that track and monitor food wastage. These startups are also mostly at the early or growth stage and have existed for several years or longer compared to players in the other segment. This dynamic can largely be attributed to the longer timeline required for food protection technologies.</p><p>However, food prevention technology companies have attracted nearly USD 623 million in funding, more than the recycling segment of the industry—in part due to high R&D, prototyping, and regulatory costs.</p>

<p>Recycling startups account for more than one-third of food waste industry disruptors and incumbents. The majority of these companies focus on recycling food waste into edible food and beverages. Despite having attracted the least amount of funding, these players are at either the early or growth stages of product development and customer acquisition.</p><p>Businesses focusing on redistributing surplus food via online platforms represent 33% of the industry’s disruptors and incumbents with several such as Misfits Market and Hungry Harvest reaching relatively high levels of brand awareness.</p><p>Waste prevention technology is a highly funded segment of the industry, after redistribution, with funding of around USD 623 million as of March 2021. The majority of these providers offer edible coating, smart packaging, or tracking systems to manage and prevent waste in the early stages of the food supply chain.</p>

<div>
  <p>
    Apeel Sciences produces edible coatings made of plant materials that extend the lifetime of fruits by 2-3x with the goal of preventing food wastages in regions where there is a lack of refrigeration. According to the company, US retailers that use Apeel experience a 50% reduction in waste alongside a 5%-10% growth in sales on average. As of July 2021, Apeel Sciences reported to have saved around 69 million pieces of produce from going to waste at retail stores by partnering with small family-owned farmers, local organic growers, grocery stores, and large food brands. As of August 2021, the company was offering its solution to a network of 30 suppliers and 40 retailers across eight countries, including the US, UK, Spain, Netherlands, and Kenya. The company focuses on expanding its market presence across North America and the EU.  
  </p>
  <p>
    The company’s early years were supported by a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant of USD 100,000 in 2012 and Andreessen Horowitz, which led the company’s 2016 Series B funding round. Celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and Katy Perry have also invested in Apeel.
  </p>
  <p>
    In May 2020, Apeel announced plans to expand to Sub-Saharan Africa, Central, and South America—all regions where food wastage is increasing. In May 2021, Apeel Sciences acquired startup Impact Vision for an undisclosed amount. Impact vision’s technology allows suppliers to see inside their fresh produce and ultimately reduce post-harvest loss, optimize distribution, while continuing to extend shelf-life. 
  </p>
  <p>
    In August 2021, the company raised USD 250 million in a Series E funding round led by Temasek at USD 2 billion valuation. The company expects to use the funds to expand its product distribution across the US, UK, and Europe by accelerating deployment of its product across its existing  supplier network and by partnering with 10 new suppliers by the end of 2021. The company also plans to use the funds to strengthen its data and insights offering and support its future acquisition plans.
  </p>
</div>


Apeel Sciences

<div>
  <p>
    Based in Israel, Wiliot provides self-powered sensor tags that look like stickers and can be attached to medicine, food, or agricultural products. These tags provide the manufacturer or retailer with product information such as location, humidity, and freshness. The information is stored on a cloud that users can access via the Wiliot platform and receive real time transparency updates. Wiliot claims that its sensing stickers can reduce food waste by 40%. 
  </p>
  <p>
    The company operates a Sensing-as-a-Service business targeting food brands and retailers. The first version of the sensor tag, called Wiliot V1.0, was launched in 2019. In 2020, the tags were further developed to integrate with bluetooth devices and improve the ability to access information from devices that have bluetooth connectivity. In November 2021, the V2.0 upgraded version of the tag was unveiled, which enhanced versatility and accuracy of the product. The company is planning to provide the tags at a cost of USD 500 per developer kit and is working with large retail companies to commercialize its product and is expecting to mass produce by the end of 2021.
  </p>
  <p>
    In July 2021, the company raised USD 200 million in an oversubscribed Series C funding round led by Softbank’s Vision Fund 2. Existing investors such as 83North, Amazon Web Services, Avery Dennison, and Verizon also joined the round. Following the funding round, the company is estimated to be valued at USD 1 billion. The new funds are expected to be used to expand its team at Caesarea, build a new R&D facility in Tel Aviv, and scale distribution channels to launch its Version 2 self-powered tags. Wiliot also has plans to expand  services to new markets such as Japan and Europe. 
  </p>
</div>


Wiliot

<div>
  <p>
    Based in Berlin, Choco is an ordering platform that connects restaurants and suppliers.  Choco’s app and web platform digitizes the ordering process of ingredients and increases communication to avoid ordering too much and reduces food waste. The Choco app can be used free of charge by both restaurants and suppliers but a premium is charged to suppliers if they wish to integrate the app into their enterprise resource planning systems. 
  </p>
  <p>
    As of July 2021, the company had over 10,000 active restaurants and suppliers on its platform across the US, Germany, France, Spain, Austria and Belgium. The company claims that it processes around 100,000 orders per month and saves its user over 2 hours per week.
    Over 2020 orders on Choco’s platform increased fourfold with annualized gross merchandise value reaching USD 900 million, up from USD 230 million in 2019. 
    In July 2021, Choco raised USD 100 million in a Series B funding round which valued the company at USD 600 million to continue its engineering recruitment efforts, further develop its technology, and strengthen its footprint across the US and Europe. Choco also expects to expand its services to new markets such as Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia.
  </p>
</div>


Choco

<div>
  <p>
    Hazel Technologies is a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-funded technology company that develops a packaging which releases vapors that slow the aging process and prevent fungus or decay. Its solution is claimed to double the shelf-life of produce. Hazel operates a B2B business that targets large enterprises and has reported treating 700 million pounds of produce as of 2019, saving about 60 million pounds from going bad in 2019 alone. The company has a target to save one billion pounds of produce from going to waste by the end of 2021. Hazel operates in 12 countries including the US and Chile (entered in October 2020). 
  </p>
  <p>
    Hazel works with around 160 produce companies including the likes of Mission Produce, Zespri, and Oppy. The company reported in 2019 that it plans to develop new products such as antimicrobial packaging for berries, grapes, and other fruit, and also expects to launch its shelf-life extension technology for meat products.
  </p>
  <p>
    
    Since 2016, the company has received a total of USD 900,000 from the USDA to develop its technology. Hazel received the USDA funding in December 2020 for solving the problem of unwanted sprouting in potatoes. In April 2021, the company announced that it had closed a USD 70 million Series C financing round led by Pontifax Global Food and Agriculture Technology Fund (Pontifax AgTech), and Temasek, to expand operations across Southeast Asia, Africa, and the EU. 
  </p>
</div>


Hazel technologies

<div>
  <p>
    Shelf Engine provides demand forecasting tools for perishable food items to reduce inefficiencies in the ordering system and minimize overall costs. According to Shelf Engine, more than 30% of highly perishable foods in grocery stores such as meat and vegetables expire before the sell-by date. Shelf Engine’s scan-based trade (SBT) technology guarantees sales and pays for any items that remain unsold. Via the SBT, Shelf Engine manages orders, pays vendors, and only charges the retailer for what sells while still paying suppliers for their full order and increasing its accuracy over time. Shelf generates revenue by charging a mark-up on the product from the vendor to the retailer.
  </p>
  <p>
    The pandemic benefited Shelf Engine as grocers found it difficult to manage orders during lockdown. In March 2021, Shelf Engine raised USD 41 million in a Series B funding round led by General Catalyst to further invest in its growing team of engineers, data scientists, and supply chain automation experts. As of March 2021, Shelf Engine operated in more than 2,000 grocery stores and claimed to increase profit margins by more than 50% by reducing food waste by as much as 32%.
  </p>
</div>


Shelf Engine

<div>
  <p>
    Seebo provides predictive quality and yield solutions using Artificial Intelligence to help manufacturers know the underlying causes of inefficiencies and wastages and also provide recommended solutions. Seebo’s customers include manufacturers across multiple industries including Barilla, Nestle, Mondelez, PepsiCo, Allnex, and Volkswagen, and the company claims that by using its solutions, customers achieve 25 - 75% gains in waste reduction.
  </p>
  <p>
    In March 2021, the Israeli company raised USD 24 million in a Series B funding round led by Vertex Ventures to fund its global expansion. Seebo reported strong growth in new customers and revenue, which grew 400% YoY in 2020.
  </p>
</div>


Seebo

<div>
  <p>
    Afresh began as a research project in 2017 to develop AI-powered software that optimizes the entire food supply chain. Specifically, the company offers an in-store solution for grocery stores that applies artificial intelligence to manage the freshness of food. According to the company, implementation of its technology has led to a 25-45% reduction of in-store food waste, and increased gross margin of fresh produce sales by 4 percentage points. The company generates revenue under a SaaS model. 
  </p>
  <p>
    Some of Afresh's key customers include Fresh Thyme Market, WinCo Foods, and Heinen’s. In 2019, the company also reported that it has established partnerships with three US grocery chains (names undisclosed), each with more than 100 stores in operation.  In September 2021, Afresh also collaborated with Bashas’ Supermarkets Inc. (a chain of grocery stores based in North America with over 100 stores) for a pilot project to incorporate Afresh technology to manage and extend the shelf-life of Bashas’ fresh products. 
  </p>
  <p>
    AFresh raised USD 13 million in a November 2020 funding round led by return investor Innovation Endeavors alongside Food Retail Ventures, Maersk Growth, and Impact Engine. The round valued the company at USD 100 million.  
  </p>
</div>


AFresh

<div>
  <p>
    Mori’s (previously known as Cambridge Crops) technology allows food to stay fresher longer by preventing oxidation and slowing microbial growth. The technology involves extracting protein from silk through a water-based process to form a natural, protective, edible, and tasteless coating for a wide range of food items such as produce, meat, fish, and processed goods. The company rebranded in 2020, to highlight its core Bombyx mori technology which is currently protected by 20 patents, and has obtained self-designated GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Further certifications from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are still pending.
  </p>
  <p>
    Following a rebranding in July 2020, Mori raised USD 12 million in a Series A funding round led by Acre Venture Partners. The round also attracted new investors Prelude Ventures. Mori intends on using the funding to build out its manufacturing capabilities and continue to develop commercial partnerships in multiple food categories.
  </p>
</div>


Mori

<div>
  <p>
    UK-based Winnow Solutions identifies and measures waste in commercial kitchens. The company records the reason for the waste, calculates the value of the wasted food, and keeps track of this data in the cloud. The company’s self-titled product shares technology with autonomous vehicles, using cameras to record and learn about food being wasted and calculate the financial and environmental cost of this discarded food. Winnow Vision also provides a Waste Monitor solution to help kitchen staff track how and what food is wasted to adjust their spending on food ingredients and eliminate overproduction.
  </p>
  <p>
    Winnow's last funding round raised USD 12 million in October 2019 shortly after the receipt of a USD 8 million loan finance from The European Investment Bank (EIB). Winnow’s customers include the catering company ISS and hotels such as Accor, Fairmont, and The Westin.
  </p>
</div>


Winnow Solutions

<div>
  <p>
    Chile’s Protera produces clean-labeled and animal-free protein ingredients using AI based techniques. The company’s proprietary “Madi” algorithm called to design new food ingredients, analyse the protein contents that go into such ingredients, and predict their properties. Using Madi, Protera can customize the protein ingredient for different food industry applications (such as chocolate, dairy, and vegetable fats), based on factors such as texture, flavor, and shelf life. 
  </p>
  <p>
    The company’s first product, Protera Sense, was developed to improve texture in food without adding fatty acids. The company also develops a chemical-free and vegan protein ingredient ( named as Protera Guard) that can prolong the shelf-life of food such as bread by 30 - 45 days (other clean ingredients are stated to prolong freshness by 7-15 days). The company has partnered with Bimbo Group (a mexican baked food producer with presence in over 33 countries) with product trials reportedly showing positive results. Bimbo also participated in Protera’s Series A round of funding in July 2021. Protera is looking to partner with more large food multinational companies to commercialize this product primarily across Europe by the end of 2021. 
  </p>
  <p>
    In July 2021, Protera raised USD 10 million in Series A funding led by Sofinnova Partners.
    The new funding would be used to scale production of Protera Guard, to further develop its AI-based protein technology, and accelerate the commercialization of vegan ingredients across industries. The company’s protein engineering team is in Chile, while the company is moving large-scale production and scaling its AI development team in Paris.
  </p>
</div>


Protera

<div>
  <p>
    BluWrap uses its patented oxygen management technology to naturally extend the shelf-life of perishable proteins. The technology can be used to protect food items, including fish, for fresh transport without the need for ice, polystyrene, or air freight. BluWrap uses fuel cells to actively reduce and consistently monitor oxygen while the product is shipped in refrigerated containers, extending the shelf life of fresh proteins beyond 40 days. The company’s packaging technology is patented and FDA approved. The company’s last funding round was in 2018 to reduce development costs and increase collaboration with partners using BluWrap technology.
  </p>
</div>


BluWrap

<div>
  <p>
    LeanPath is a provider of  AI-driven food waste tracking solutions including an integrated camera, a smart floor scale, and analytics software that cuts down food waste by raising awareness of daily wastage levels. The company mainly targets the ‘non-commercial’ and hospitality foodservice sectors such as corporate campuses, colleges, and hotels with clients such as Google, Sodexo, The Ritz Carlton, Pentagon City, and the MGM Grand Buffet. In May 2021, the company partnered with Sodexo Middle East to develop a platform as part of the latter’s ‘Better Tomorrow 2025’ initiative and commitment to reducing waste in the UAE. 
  </p>
  <p>
    The company reports 50% food waste reduction at Sodexo kitchens that have adopted its technology. That partnership expanded in May 2019 with a deployment to 3,000 sites worldwide within a year.  
  </p>
  <p>
    During the pandemic, LeanPath launched a mobile food waste measuring device for Covid-era menus which helps to track food waste in takeout and delivery contexts.  The company’s last round of funding was an October 2019 round of USD  7 million in debt from SaaS Capital. 
  </p>
</div>


LeanPath

<div>
  <p>
    Agricycle is a Wisconsin-based startup that operates a B2B model that offers small farmers and food-related companies solutions that minimize food waste. The company’s key product is called a dehydrator, which is a solar-powered mechanism that preserves fruits and vegetables by drying them. According to Agricycle, this technology can be deployed by even the small farmers and is also used by the company for its food brand— Jali Fruit Co, a dried fruit snack (made from harvested and dried jackfruit, mango, and pineapple). Agricycle has also launched another brand called, Tropicoal Ignition, which is an upcycled cooking charcoal made from by-products such as cassava root, coconut shells, and palm kernel shells that would generally be discarded. The company reports that via this product it has diverted nearly 330,000 kg of coconut shells from going to waste. 
  </p>
  <p>
    As of September 2021, the company reportedly sold the two brands to over 1,000 stores in the US. The company primarily works with farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean to source its raw materials and holds a supplier network of 40,000 farmers (as of September 2021). Agricycle expects to operate within a network of 100,000 farmers by the end of 2021. 
  </p>
  <p>
    In September 2021, the company raised a total of USD 2.4 million in a two-part seed funding round led by MaSa Partners and CSA Partners. The company has planned to use the funds to launch its new upcycled ingredient brand, “Field Better Ingredients”, which is an organic gluten-free flour made from excess fruits. The company is targeting consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers and bakeries for this product.
  </p>
</div>


Agricycle

Waste Prevention Technologies

<div>
  <p>
    Based in Israel, Save Foods produces a patented mix of food acids that protect fresh fruit and vegetables from microbial spoilage and pathogens. The company offers two products: SavePROTECT and PeroStar,  which can be diluted in water and applied on fruits and vegetables even using existing equipment such as sprayers. The chemicals are approved by the US FDA and have received the  Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) certification. Save Foods claims that its products are safe for consumption and has reduced spoilage by 50% at retail stores. The company also claims that using its products on lime is likely to result in 90% less decay and resultantly around 4% increase in profits.  
  </p>
  <p>
    As of June 2021, the company has conducted nine successful pilot trials with five commercial partners, and has treated more than 250,000 tons of fruit across the US, Mexico, Spain, Italy, and Israel. Save Foods’ commercial partners are SCiFarms, Mor International (Sharon Fruits), Planet Ag, and Sun Pacific (for the Cuties and 2B Fresh brands). As of September 2021, the company had seven patents granted and had seven more pending approval in Israel, the US, and Europe. Four of the pending patents are expected to be submitted for approval globally. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    In June  2021, SCiFarms (a lime producer in the U.S., Canadian and European market) announced that following the successful pilot with Save Foods, it will use SavePROTECT across all its packing houses. During FY2020, the company reported a YoY revenue growth rate of 32% achieving a total sales of USD 232,274. Operating losses during the year amounted to USD 1.3 million. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    In May 2021, the company raised USD 12 million via its IPO and was listed on NASDAQ. The company plans to use the IPO proceeds for research and development, to accelerate product commercialization and increase the scale of its business. 
  </p>
</div>


Save Foods

Startups that prevent food wastage by prolonging the lifetime of food or better managing food production through the supply chain. Companies that develop products such as sanitizers, containers, and machines that allow food to stay fresh longer are included here. Startups that develop algorithms to determine food preservation strategies are also included.

<div>
  <p>
    Clarifruit is an Israeli developer of an automated platform and mobile app that provides quality control data on fresh fruits and vegetables to growers, marketing companies, wholesalers, and retailers. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    Clarifruit’s cloud-based platform automatically analyzes fresh produce quality control data and performs real-time quality control inspections.  Its platform also includes data such as user info, inspection process duration, and quality standards. Clarifruit also uses sensors and an app called AclaroMeter to grade agricultural products for quality and value.
  </p>
  <p>
    
    Clarifurit’s investors include  Firstime Venture Capital and European Innovation Council. The company also received a USD  2.5 million grant from the European Union Horizon 2020 EIC program in 2020. In January 2020, the company also raised USD 6 million in seed funding led by Firsttime Ventures to develop next-gen products and fund an expansion across Europe, the US, and Asia.
  </p>
  <p>
    
    Clarifruit also reported gaining significant new customers in the EMEA region in 2020. The company also launched a new fresh produce quality control platform in December 2020 to provide an end-to-end solution for fresh produce management.  At the same time, Clarifruit announced plans to add a local team to the North American region in addition to its presence in Latin America and Europe. 
  </p>
</div>


Clarifruit

<div>
  <p>
    Plant Jammer is a Danish startup that provides an AI-driven vegan recipe app for consumers, brands, and businesses. The app allows users to pick their ingredients and personalize food preferences. Then, using AI, the app generates custom vegan recipes that can be prepared with ingredients that would otherwise go to waste. The company reports that it plans to further develop its technology to save one million tons of food waste annually by 2030. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    As of May 2021, the company’s free consumer app had over two million downloads and 200,000+ active monthly users across Germany, the UK, Denmark, and the US. 
  </p>
  <p>
    Food brands and companies can sign up with Plant Jammer and use its “Empty Your Fridge” widget for a monthly fee of EUR 999 per month. Plant Jammer also provides businesses with a dashboard with key performance data, such as click-through rates, net promoter scores, and visitor comments. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    In August 2021, Plant Jammer signed two large Danish food companies, Aldi Süd and RIMI Baltic, to use the widget on their website. At the time, Plant Jammer reported its goal to roll out the widget on 100 food business websites by the end of 2021 and 5,000 websites by 2023. As of August 2021, some of the businesses using the Plant Jammer widget include Aldi, Baltic, Barilla, Dr Oetker, Agrain, Arla, Wasa, and Eat Grim. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    The ‘Empty Your Fridge’ widget is a part of Plant Jammer’s plan to allow third-party businesses to license their application programming interface (API) and build their own customized brand experience (beyond recipes). The company reports that it has conducted a trial project with Meny, a Danish supermarket chain, to use the technology in one of its stores, to identify products that are close to expiry, and put them on a discounted sale. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    The company’s last round of funding was in August 2020, where it raised EUR 4 million (USD 4.7 million) from  Vækstfonden (Danish investment firm), Dr. Oetker, and Miele Ventures. The company expected to use the funds to expand its presence in the digital food space by licensing its API to third parties. 
  </p>
</div>


Plant Jammer

<div>
  <p>
    Netherland’s Orbisk (previously known as Zero Food Waste), offers an AI-based food waste monitoring system to monitor and reduce food waste, primarily for the hospitality sector (including foodservice operators, restaurants, and hotels). The system collects data on food being thrown away using cameras mounted on top of waste bins and a scale to weigh the amount of food being discarded. Using AI, Orbisk identifies and analyzes the type of food being thrown. The system also uses algorithms, with the assistance of data company, Sama, to provide insights on waste levels and predict potential food waste levels, associated CO2 emissions, and how they can be reduced. This system can be used during both pre-preparation (while cooking) and post-preparation (leftovers in dishes after food has been consumed) stages. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    The company brought its food waste monitoring system to market within two years of being established. In August 2020, the company was selected out of 378 applicants for the “Food Fight'' project organized by the EuroStars program, to form an international consortium, with two other selected companies: Aivero (3D video streaming company) and Eaternity (food labeling organization) to fight against food waste. Via the program, Orbisk secured a grant of EUR 1.2 million (USD 1.4 million), which primarily supported the commercialization of its product. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    As of August 2021, Orbisk’s solution was being used by 50 restaurants primarily across Europe. Some of the known customers include  Ramada by Wyndham, Accor, Albron, Bilderberg, The Student Hotel, Vermaat, and Appelin. The company claims that its customers are able to reduce food waste by up to 70% by using its monitoring system. The company also reports that it has the capacity to run 200 systems with the potential to 500 when demand comes through. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    In addition, Orbisk secured a partnership with Unilever Food Solutions in November 2020 to support Unilever's goal to cut food waste occurring through activities from the factory to the shelf by half by 2025. 
     
    In August 2021, the company raised EUR 1.05 million (USD 1.23 million) in a seed funding round led by FoodSparks (by PeakBridge). The company expects to use the funds to develop its AI-based food waste prevention solution, scale distribution to international markets, and achieve its target of launching its system in 500 kitchens by the end of 2021.
  </p>
</div>


Orbisk

<div>
  <p>
    Texas-based Nabaco is a food waste prevention technology startup that develops an edible and organic coating that extends the shelf life of fruits and vegetables. The coating, called NatuWrap, uses a nanotechnology similar to one employed to maintain the freshness of flowers. The company claims that NatuWrap 1) can triple the shelf life time of perishable fruits and vegetables  2) safe to consume  3) can be used on the produce at any stage of the supply chain (pre harvest or post harvest), and 4)  costs only one-fourth as much as similar shelf-life extension coatings provided by competitors like Apeel Sciences. 
  </p>
  <p>
    Nabaco primarily targets the US produce market and has partnered with producers like J&D Produce, Segovia Produce, and Jasmine Vineyards as well as grocers such as HEB, and Whole Foods Market to use its edible coating. In 2021, the company also exported its product to Ghana,via the distributor Whole Harvest. The company is also expecting to expand its services to Europe. In June 2021, the company raised USD 3.2 million in Series A funding from undisclosed investors. 
  </p>
</div>


Nabaco

<div>
  <p>
    UK-based Mimica develops the temperature-sensitive Mimica Touch indicator cap and labels to measure food freshness and predict when spoilage by measuring bumps on the surface of the product. The company claims that its technology extends the shelf-life of foods and reduces waste. 
     
    Mimica Touch is expected to be used on juices, milk bottles, and packaged meats. Since 2018, Mimica Touch has been used on a trial basis by the Danish dairy company Arla. As of April 2020, Arla was in the final phases of testing its product.
  </p>
</div>


Mimica

<div>
  <p>
    Based in India and established by former Google employees, Fountain9 provides F&B retailers and brands with a demand prediction engine, “Kronoscope,” that uses AI and algorithms to continuously analyze and predict demand levels. The company claims that its solution helps users avoid overstocking products while minimizing revenue loss by predicting out-of-stock situations and providing an automated procurement plan. As of mid-2021, the company was focusing on F&B brands and retailers in India, with plans to expand into the US and Southeast Asia. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    In August 2020, the company reported signing its first corporate customer, and in September 2020, it partnered with KPMG, Qentelli, and Reflexive Supply Chain to scale the distribution of its solution. In October 2020, Fountain9 was selected to work with the P&G innovation lab to further develop its technology. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    In July 2021, the company raised USD 1.9 million in a seed funding round from prominent investors, including 021 Capital, Y Combinator, Titan Capital, Globevestor, Harvard Seed Fund, and Germany-based Blue Impact Ventures. The funding is expected to be used to further develop the company’s Kronoscope product and expand globally.
  </p>
</div>


Fountain9

<div>
  <p>
    Based in Scotland, Insignia Technologies develops a range of smart pigments and inks that change color when exposed to carbon dioxide that is used to indicate when a fresh product should no longer be consumed. The product is mainly used in the food packaging industry, with time-temperature indicators (tti’s). Insignia’s technology can be inserted into plastic food packaging as well. 
  </p>
  <p>
    Their products include 1) After Opening Freshness Timer and 2) Leak Detection Indicators (which visually indicate a leak present in the packaging). The technology can also be applied to the pharmaceutical (e.g endoscopes), cosmetic, and chemical industries. During the COVID pandemic, Insignia Technologies developed a smart solution alerting users when to replace their face masks so that it is neither worn for too long nor thrown away too quickly. 
  </p>
</div>


Insignia Technologies

<div>
  <p>
    Wisconsin-based Pinpoint Software develops and sells: Date Check Pro, Date Check Pro (Healthcare), and Taskle. Date Check Pro, the company’s food waste product, gives retailers a notification when the products are approaching their expiry date and alerts when it’s time to move the products to a discount section. The Date Check Pro app and dashboard kick in when a product or group of items would result in a projected loss of USD 50 or more if expired. Date Check Pro software is provided on a subscription basis starting at USD 2,700 per year. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    As of June 2021, the company claims that it has deployed its Date Check Pro Software across thousands of retail, grocery, and convenience stores helping them avoid losses from expired products. The company also offers the  Date Check Pro software to the healthcare industry to reduce medical waste. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    In 2019, the company entered into a pilot program with Florida-based Southeastern Grocers (SEG), operators of Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket, and Winn-Dixie grocery stores to roll out Date Check Pro at 3 and later 9 SEG stores by 2020. Following the success of this pilot, Date Check Pro was rolled out to all 425 SEG stores, making SEG the largest retail partner for Pinpoint.  In November 2020, Pinpoint also partnered with Merchandising Consultants Associates (MCA), to expand the provision of its Date Check Pro software to retailers across the US and Canada. 
  </p>
</div>


Pinpoint Software

<div>
  <p>
    Freshsurety is a provider of smart containers, which are equipped with  sensors and use algorithms to detect the presence of ethylene which may spoil all the produce. The company also develops smart containers focused on Quick Service Restaurants (QSR’s) and grain bin management. 
  </p>
  <p>
    The company reported conducting early stage trials with Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods in 2017.  In April 2021, the company stated that they expect to reach 100,000 subscribers within 3 months at a revenue of USD 1,300,000 per month. 
  </p>
</div>


Freshsurety

<div>
  <p>
    Based in Switzerland, Kitro offers an AI-based, automated imaging solution for food waste analysis. Kitro’s camera device  can be installed on top of food bins to automatically identify and record all discarded food items, including weight, and make recommendations on how to reduce waste.
  </p>
  <p>
    Kitro’s first customer was the Zurich burger place Holy Cow in 2017. As of March 2021, the company has deployed more than 100 devices and to a clientele across 40 locations in Europe that includes several hotel operators, medical centers, canteens, and restaurants. Kitro is also launching a trial in Australia. The company also stated its plan to expand to Germany, Austria, and France by end of 2021.
  </p>
  <p>
    As of May 2021, the company’s largest customer is the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Campus in Lausanne, which deployed 30 devices across the school. Kitro also mentioned that it is in the process of raising funds for its expansion plans. The company’s last round of funding was in April 2019, when it raised USD 40,000 of debt for further expansion.
  </p>
</div>


Kitro

<div>
  <p>
    Based in California, SAVRpak is a developer of a peel-and-stick patch that can be inserted in food containers to prevent food from spoiling. Founded in 2020, the company provides its patented solutions to restaurants, food delivery apps, and food distribution companies. As of June 2021, the company sold its products via Sysco (a leading food products supplier). The company claims that its SAVRpak pouch reduces humidity in a container by 45% while still keeping food warm (if necessary) and helps extend food preservation by 10-14 days.
  </p>
  <p>
    In January 2021, SAVRpak won the Innovation Challenge, organized by P&G Ventures, and received USD10,000 prize money to fund its expansion. The company has focused on expanding its product reach through retail channels and expects to launch a consumer-facing product by H1 2022, allowing consumers to handle food waste at home. Additionally, SAVRpak also plans to target applications in grocery and agriculture markets. 
  </p>
  <p>
    In May 2021, the company raised USD 3.5 million in a Series A funding round led by entrepreneur and media personality Mark Cuban (who invested USD 1 million). SAVRpak aims to use the funds to expand its capacity to 50 million units per month ( from 1 million as of September 2020). 
  </p>
</div>


SAVRpak

<div>
  <p>
    Misfits Market operates a subscription-based service that delivers boxes of irregular or blemished organic fruits and vegetables at a discounted price. The company offers two subscription options: 1) the smaller starter box called the Mischief (4.5 - 6kgs) is priced at USD 22 and 2) the larger box, the Madness (8 - 10kgs) is priced at USD 35. Misfits states that it primarily focuses on suburban and rural US markets rather than urban areas. In April  2021, the company announced its goal to ship to all ZIP codes in the lower 48 states by 2022.  As of September 2021, the company operated in 43 states and delivered boxes to more than 26,000 zip codes.
  </p>
  <p>
    The company claims that its ability to sell the produce 40% below grocery store prices is its key advantage.  The company buys the produce from farmers and allows shoppers to customize the products for their boxes.
  </p>
  <p>
    Misfits gained a nearly 100,000-person waitlist by the end of April 2020. According to the company, it took until early June for the list to be cleared. The number of active customers and order volumes reportedly grew fivefold during 2020 with the company shipping to more than 400,000 customers across the country.
  </p>
  <p>
    In September 2021, Misfits raised USD 225 million in a Series C-1 funding round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2, valuing the company at USD 2 billion (up from USD 1.1 billion achieved in April 2021) and bringing its total funding raised to USD 526.5 million. The fresh funds were to be funneled toward Misfits’ nationwide expansion and to scale up the selection of items available for customers on its online grocery platform.
  </p>
</div>


Misfits Markets

<div>
  <p>
    Imperfect Foods operates an online grocery delivery platform designed to reduce food waste. The company collects surplus food that would otherwise be thrown away (from farmers, meat producers, grocers) which it redistributes to consumers via app or website. Customers are billed for what they order instead of subscription or service fees. The company has expanded the number of products available in the platform over time to include shelf-stable goods, dairy, meat, seafood (added in 2019) and personal care products (added in 2020). The company is now a national full-service grocer with hundreds of items.
  </p>
  <p>
    The company reported that average customer order sizes doubled year-over-year and that revenue tripled over 2020. In September 2021, Imperfect Foods partnered with Manhattan Associates (a leading supply chain software vendor) to use its Warehouse Management System (WMS) to streamline its distribution process amidst growing demand. Imperfect Foods expects to implement the “Manhattan Active” WMS at its pilot distribution center in Texas by Q4 2021 and then expand to its five other distribution centers.
  </p>
  <p>
    In January 2021, the company raised USD 95 million in a Series D funding round led by Insight Partners at a reported valuation of nearly USD 700 million. Imperfect Foods has also partnered with airlines and movie theaters to purchase excess food. As of January 2021, the company reported revenue of over USD 500 million from a  subscriber base of over 350,000 customers. In February 2021, the Series D round was extended by a further USD 15 million.
  </p>
</div>


Imperfect Food

<div>
  <p>
    Based in the UK, OLIO is a food-sharing app that connects neighbors, volunteers, and businesses willing to share surplus food. The location-based platform allows people to list and post a photo of surplus food items to be shared with others. As of September 2021, the company had over five million users and saved 25 million portions of food from going to waste. The company has set a target of 1 billion OLIOers by 2030.  
  </p>
  <p>
    OLIO implements a ‘freemium’ model where users pay a monthly fee of GBP 1.99 for extra features in its app, while its core service of neighbor-to-neighbor food sharing remains free. The company also charges larger businesses for the services they provide via their Food Waste Heroes Programme that picks up and delivers surplus food to communities in need. As of September 2021, the company had tied up with around 3,000 businesses via this program. Tesco is one of the prominent businesses involved in OLIO’s Food Waste Hero Programme and has launched the app across 2,700 of its stores across the UK, saving over five million meals, as of September 2021. By this time, the program also built a network of more than 30,000 volunteer participants collecting and redistributing surplus food to the businesses. 
  </p>
  <p>
    During the global pandemic, OLIO saw a surge in demand which led to the company introducing new business lines. One such initiative, OLIO’s MADE, is a marketplace for handmade products—a service for people looking to buy products available near them amidst lockdowns. During 2020, the company reported that it grew nearly 5x, given the increasing demand for its services. OLIO claims that 50% of its listings receive a request within 21 minutes of posting. 
  </p>
  <p>
    In September 2021, the company raised USD 43 million in a Series B funding round led by VNV Global and Lugard Road Capital. The company planned to use the funds to expand its team, and ramp up its “Food Waste Heroes” program by strengthening its presence in international markets. The company targets 10 key markets across Latin America, Northern Europe, and Asia. In addition, the company also stated that it plans to further diversify its offerings by adding a new marketplace in its app for borrowing small items such as DIY tools.  
  </p>
</div>


OLIO

<div>
  <p>
    Based in Sweden, MatSmart is an online marketplace that sells surplus production from producers including Unilever, Nestlé and Mondelez Sverige AB to consumers at reduced prices. The company was officially launched in Sweden in 2014 and expanded to Finland and Germany in 2017 and 2020, respectively. Reports in 2016 claimed that Matsmart was generating revenue of EUR 20 million, which had grown to over EUR 400 million by 2020, implying around 111% CAGR over 2016-2020. 
  </p>
  <p>
    The company’s last funding round was in March 2021 when it raised EUR 35 million, the biggest funding round in the company’s history. Prior to this in September 2019, MatSmartt raised EUR 17 million in a round led by LeadX Capital Partners and supported by investors such as Ingka Group (IKEA), Northzone, D-Ax, Norrsken. MatSmart stated that it aims to expand its services through the rest of Europe, with a focus on the Nordics.
  </p>
</div>


MatSmart

<div>
  <p>
    Based in Denmark, Too Good To Go operates a free mobile app that connects customers to restaurants and stores with unsold or surplus food. The company reports that it has saved over 93 million meals from being wasted since 2016 by partnering with more than 107,000 stores. Too Good To Go generates revenue by charging a flat commission of €1.09 (USD 1.20) on every sale. As of September 2021, Too Good To Go operated in 17 countries—including the US, and several EU members–and served around 50 million users. 
  </p>
  <p>
    The company began US operations in New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey in September 2020. Covid-19 has had a significant negative impact on the company, leading to a 62% decline in revenue during 2020. Nevertheless, the company expects its US services to expand significantly post-covid.  In May 2021, the company announced its West Coast expansion targeting Seattle, Portland, as well as other large cities such as Atlanta, and Los Angeles by the end of 2021. Portland services were launched in June 2021. The app was also expanded to restaurants in Chicago in July 2021, targeting over 100 restaurants to use the app. 
  </p>
  <p>
    As of September 2021, the company had 1.5 million users in the US served by over 5,000 business partners across 11 US cities including NYC, Boston, Jersey City, Washington DC, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Chicago and Austin. 
  </p>
  <p>
    In 2019, Too good to go acquired ‘weSAVEeat’, a similar Spanish food waste management app, to expand its services in Spain.  In January 2021, the company raised USD 31.1 million in its first venture round led by the VC firm blisce/. In July 2021, the company also entered into a partnership with LEON (a UK fast food chain), and Decathlon UK to launch the app to 37 LEON stores  and participating Decathlon stores across the UK. During the same time, Too Good To Go also launched its app in Toronto by partnering with 100 businesses in the city. 
  </p>
</div>


Too good to go

<div>
  <p>
    Founded in 2015, Food Maven operates an online marketplace and logistics platform to buy, sell, and donate excess food. The company buys surplus or imperfect food from distributors, manufacturers, and producers on a commission basis and gives a percentage of anything sold back to the original producer. 
  </p>
  <p>
    FoodMaven’s last funding was in December 2019, when it raised USD 15.3 million in a Series B funding round led by Tao Capital and Fine Line Group to expand its services in Texas with plans to eventually expand its services to other major US metro areas. In addition to its online marketplace, FoodMaven also introduced a pickup option in March 2020. In March 2021, the company announced the launch of drive-thru and bulk delivery services in Colorado.
  </p>
</div>


Food Maven

<div>
  <p>
    Based in Baltimore, Hungry Harvest accumulates excess and irregular produce from farmers and wholesalers at a low price to sell to consumers in customizable harvest boxes. The company gets its supplies from farmers, produce packers, wholesalers, and retail distribution centers. Since launching in 2015 the company has expanded to DC, Virginia, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Delaware, Florida, North Carolina, and Detroit. The company expands to new locations based on the volume of survey responses and social media requests.
  </p>
  <p>
    Hungry Harvest has also partnered with companies like Quaker, Wholesome Wave, Misfit Foods, to expand their business. As of April 2021, the company claimed to have recycled over 25 million pounds of produce.
  </p>
  <p>
    The company closed its USD 13.7 million Series A funding round in September 2020 led by Creadev to expand business reach and increase scalability. The company reported in March 2021 plans to move to a larger distribution center in Landover during the summer to help the company expand capacity for its new line of ready-made food products.
  </p>
</div>


Hungry Harvest

<div>
  <p>
    Based in Sweden, Karma is an online app that sells discount surplus food. The business involves identifying surplus food (uploaded via app) which is then marketed to users to customize their orders. Karma claims that its customers can expect an additional revenue of GBP 30 - 40,000 (USD 42,420 - 56,569) per year. The company started in Stockholm and plans to expand city-by-city starting in Sweden ahead of a European and eventual US expansion. As of January 2020, the company’s app was used in Sweden, the UK, and France.
  </p>
  <p>
    The company targets midsize restaurants as well as large grocery stores. The service has no upfront costs with Karma receiving a 25% commission on items sold with its app. As of January 2020, the company had over 4,300 outlets selling excess food via its app in Sweden and around 1,800 outlets in the UK, and 1,000 in France for a total of 350,000 Karma users. The company’s last funding round was in August 2018 when the company raised USD 12 million for its European expansion.
  </p>
</div>


Karma

<div>
  <p>
    Paris-based Phenix operates a web and mobile platform that provides food management solutions for selling or donating excess food or else providing them as animal feed or compost. In 2019, Phenix acquired Graapz, which resells unsold fruits and vegetables.
  </p>
  <p>
    As of June 2021, the company had over 10,000 partnerships to procure unsold goods and its app had over 2 million users and recovered over 44 million meals in Europe. The company also works with over 1,500 charitable organizations and has expanded to Denmark, Spain, Switzerland and Portugal since its launch in 2014. In June 2021, the company announced that it will enter Belgium by partnering with 1,000 retail outlets to use its app. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    The company had a venture round of funding in February 2020 that raised an undisclosed amount to expand the reach of the company’s B2B and B2C solutions. 
  </p>
</div>


Phenix

<div>
  <p>
    Full Harvest operates a food trading business-to-business (B2B) platform mainly targeting large-scale farmers (vegetable farms greater than 1,000 acres and fruit farms larger than 100 acres), who can sell irregular and surplus produce on the platform to food and beverage companies. 
  </p>
  <p>
    The success stories reported by Full Harvest include increasing the profit of a large US farm by 12% per acre; reducing the time a national consumer packaged goods (CPG) company needed to procure produce by 96%, and saving CPG companies an average of 15% on produce costs.
  </p>
  <p>
    In 2020, the company partnered with Danone to launch a yogurt made from food that would otherwise have ended up at a landfill. The company's last round of funding was in August 2018, raising USD 8.5 million to increase the reach of the platform with commercial buyers.
  </p>
</div>


Full Harvest

Redistribution

These startups ensure work to reroute surplus food to different sets of end-users including charity organizations and consumers seeking discounted items. This segment mainly consists of on-demand online platforms that connect producers, retailers, and restaurants with consumers via mobile app. 

<div>
  <p>
    Oddbox is a British startup that collects ‘wonky' fruits and vegetables directly from local farms and markets for redistribution to consumers on a subscription basis. Customers can customize their box by type of produce (fruit, vegetables, or both) and the size of the box and receive it on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. As of June 2020, Oddbox had partnered with more than 50 suppliers including some large UK produce suppliers, such as G’s Fresh, Produce World, and Thanet Earth to ensure a smooth supply of ‘wonky’ produce. Oddbox also donates any excess produce to food producer charities such as City Harvest and Brixton Family Fridge in the UK. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    As of August 2021, the company has delivered nearly 3 million boxes across the UK and saved around 18,834 tons of fruit and vegetables from going to waste. The company states that it aims to save 150,000 tons of produce from going to waste by 2025. 
    The Oddbox price starts at GBP 10.99 and the company claims that its boxes are priced 30% lower than similar box services. The company also reported that its revenue grew nearly 6x year-over-year during 2020 driven by the pandemic-induced demand for its produce boxes.
  </p>
  <p>
    
    In August 2021, Oddbox secured GBP 16 million (approximately USD 22 million) in funding from BurdaPrincipal Investments (BPI), the venture capital and private equity arm of Hubert Burda Media (a German media and technology company). The company expected to use the funds to strengthen its presence across the UK, improve customer experience, and increase share options for its employees.
  </p>
</div>


Oddbox

<div>
  <p>
    Spoiler Alert offers a B2B trading platform connecting food manufacturers and distributors with a network of discount channels to manage food inventory and reduce wastage through discount sales and donation processes for slow-moving and excess food inventory.
  </p>
  <p>
    In March 2021, Kraft Heinz partnered with Spoiler Alert to improve food waste mitigation efforts after getting its inventory to customers 75% faster by reducing inventory processing time. As of November 2016, Spoiler Alert reported that it had 200 organizations using their service throughout New England, growing by about 15% each month. The company’s last round of funding was in October 2018, when it raised USD 2.5 million from Maersk, the world's largest transporter of food.
  </p>
</div>


Spoiler Alert

<div>
  <p>
    Copia offers an on-demand app that allows users to schedule pickups of surplus food from restaurants, hotels, hospitals, corporate cafeterias, and other businesses which are re-distributed to local non-profit recipients. The app also enables tracking of surplus food, access to real-time data to prevent over-purchasing and overproduction.
  </p>
  <p>
    As of September 2020, Copia’s technology is reported to be used by companies such as The Cheesecake Factory, the Arizona Cardinals, Bloomberg, and the Compass Group. As of April 2021, the company claimed that it had recovered 3.4 million pounds of food and has served 3.2 million meals. 
  </p>
  <p>
    Copia also offers a Copia Connect platform to help nonprofits request food donation deliveries.  The company’s last round of funding was in July 2019 when it raised USD 1.5 million.
  </p>
</div>


Copia

<div>
  <p>
    Goodr offers an on-demand platform that enables businesses to measure and manage surplus food and waste for tax breaks. It also offers 1) turnkey solutions to collect and donate surplus food and 2) organic recycling services. 
  </p>
  <p>
    Goodr’s, core customers include airports, convention centres, and other foodservice vendors.  In November 2020, the company partnered with Wellstar Health Systems to provide a range of mobile food markets to communities in need to fight food insecurity.
  </p>
  <p>
    The company’s recent round of funding was in December 2020 for an undisclosed amount that went towards tech development.
  </p>
</div>


Goodr

<div>
  <p>
    Based in Canada, Flashfood offers an app that helps customers find groceries that are closer to the expiration date and purchase them at a discount.  Flashfood customers can search for stores in their area via the app, browse through deals, and place orders for delivery or pickup. As of May 2020, the app was reported to have over one million downloads. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    The app was piloted by US retailer Meijer in November 2019 and it also partnered with Hy-Vee to expand its footprint in the US in February 2019. Following the pilot project, Meijer was reported to have reduced food waste by 10% and thus went on to launch the FlashFood app across all of its stores in the Midwest. As of February 2021, FlashFood app was available in 240 Meijer supercenters. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    In May 2020, FlashFood also partnered with The Giant Company (a regional supermarket chain in the US) to offer FlashFood services to four supermarkets. Since then, The Giant Company has continued to add the FlashFood app to more of its supermarkets, totaling 30 stores as of June 2021. In June 2021, The Giant Company announced that it will launch the app across all of its stores in the US.
  </p>
  <p>
    
    In October 2020, the company partnered with Tops Friendly Market (a supermarket chain that operates 157 locations across New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont) to launch the Flashfood app in six of its stores. As of July 2021, the app was used by  44 Tops stores, diverting more than 150,00 pounds of food waste from landfills. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    In August 2021, Price Rite Marketplace (a chain of 62 supermarkets across the US) also partnered with Flashfood to launch the app in 4 of its New York locations.
  </p>
  <p>
    
    As of August 2021, Flashfoods was operating in Canada and ten states in the USA (including New York and Michigan) and claims to have sold over 25 million pounds of food across more than 1,000 locations throughout the United States and Canada. COVID delayed Flashfood’s 2020 rollout plans and the most recent round of funding was in February 2019 for an undisclosed amount. 
  </p>
</div>


Flashfood

<div>
  <p>
    Based in Ireland, Foodcloud connects businesses with charities so that surplus food is directed towards feeding the needy instead of going to waste. Businesses either deliver food to Foodcloud Hubs or Foodcloud collects the food using their refrigerated vans. After collecting the surpluses, the food is counted, uploaded to an IT system, and stored. While in storage, a food safety system ensures the food is in safe condition and hands it off to a charity by the next day. 
  </p>
  <p>
    The Foodcloud retail solution has stores upload descriptions of surplus foods using a scanner or app with a local charity linked to the store via Foodcloud’s platform receiving a notification about what is available to them. Foodcloud began working with FareShare, UK’s largest charity fighting hunger and food waste, in 2015 to distribute surplus food to those in need. The company has partnered with Tesco Central Europe and Poland to enhance technology across all its stores in Slovakia and Hungary. Foodcloud also partnered with OzHarvest in 2018, an organisation tackling food waste in Australia. In 2018, a charity app was introduced for UK charities to accept donations easily. 
  </p>
  <p>
    Nestle and Blackbox are Foodcloud’s key investors. The company’s most recent round of funding was in July 2020 when it raised USD 129,352 to develop its tech.
  </p>
</div>


Foodcloud

<div>
  <p>
    Barnana is a producer of various banana-based snacks, manufactured using “imperfect bananas” that are rejected for export. These bananas would otherwise go to waste. The products are made in the US from bananas that are sourced from Central and South American planters. By September 2021, the company had partnered with 1,524 farmers. 
  </p>
  <p>
    The company’s products are distributed via grocery retailers including Whole Foods, Costco, CVS, and Kroger in the US and can also be purchased online via the company’s website. By July 2020, the company reported that it saved more than 100 million bananas from going to waste. 
  </p>
  <p>
    The company reportedly saw strong growth and positive reviews for its snacks. According to the company, Barnana's chewy banana snacks became the fastest-growing snack in its category in the US, growing at a CAGR of 139% during 2012–2016. 
  </p>
  <p>
    In September 2021, the company acquired Agroapoyo, an Ecuador-based producer of snacks made from dehydrated organic produce, for an undisclosed amount. Agroapoyo has been Barnana’s supplier for more than eight years. The vertical integration with Agroapoyo was to help Barana create a “farm-to-shelf” company, ensuring a stable supply of organic bananas and plantains as well as expand its network of partnered farmers to over 5,000. The acquisition was also expected to support continuous growth in Barnana’s revenue while providing adequate support to farmers in shifting towards organic regenerative production methods.
  </p>
  <p>
    The company had its most recent round of funding in July 2020, raising nearly USD 5 million.
  </p>
</div>


Barnana

<div>
  <p>
    Rind is a producer of snacks made from the peels of strawberry, orange, kiwi, pineapple, and watermelon. The company mainly upcycles wasted organic fruits sourced from small family farmers in California. Rind sells its products via 1) redistribution apps such as Hungry Roots and Imperfect Foods, 2) retail outlets such as Whole Foods, Wegmans, and The Fresh Market, and 3) online via its website or Amazon. As of June 2021, Rind’s dried fruit snacks come in six flavors. The company has been focusing on expanding its product reach primarily across the Northeast USA. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    The company has reported five-fold revenue growth in 2020  and a target of tripling revenue in 2021. In June 2021, the company raised USD 6.5 million in a Series A funding round aimed at expanding production capacity alongside its sales, marketing and operations teams. The company also expects to launch a new line of chips in 2021.
  </p>
</div>


RIND

<div>
  <p>
    Mycorena uses a proprietary bio fermentation process to upcycle food waste from industrial waste streams into mycelium for the production of its flagship mycoprotein product “Promyc”.  Promyc can be used in a variety of foods such as whole cut meat analogs, burgers, nuggets, functional food, and nutritional supplements. 
    In 2019, Sweden-based Mycorena began commercial production of Promyc in collaboration with Arla Foods (Danish dairy company). The company claims that one 10 cubic meter Mycorena production unit has the capacity to produce 1,000 kg of Promyc per week. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    Mycorena distributes its products through B2B channels such as commercial kitchens, foodservice businesses and food manufacturers. In December 2020, the company partnered with the plant-based meat company, Kale United to launch gourmet plant-based meatballs (Svenska Göttbullar). 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    In June 2021, the company secured SEK 77 million (USD 9 million) in a pre-Series A funding round led by VEOS Group with participation from FBG Invest and Bånt AB. Mycorena earmarked the proceeds for the commercialization of Promyc, expansion of its team, R&D, and to commence the construction of its production facility in Falkenberg, Sweden. Set to open in mid-2022, the plan will reportedly be Scandinavia’s first large-scale mycoprotein production facility.
  </p>
</div>


Mycorena

Upcycling - Food and Beverage

Startups that recycle food waste into edible food and beverages.

<div>
  <p>
    Based in the UK, BioBean is a producer of coffee-derived biomass fuel using coffee grounds. The company partners with factories, coffee shops, transport hubs and offices to collect coffee waste grounds. The biomass fuels can be used by consumers as well as for industrial purposes.
  </p>
  <p>
    The company is known as one of  the UK’s largest recyclers of coffee grounds and has been a Certified B Corporation since October 2020. The company’s most recent round of funding was in November 2019, for GBP 1.2 million. The funds were used for geographical expansion into mainland Europe and to launch new products in the flavor and fragrance markets.
  </p>
</div>


BioBean

<div>
  <p>
    ReGrained is a producer of upcycled snacks (such as bars and puffs) from the grain waste originating from beer production. ReGrain says that its bars and puffs include a supergrain that is high in protein, dietary fiber, and micronutrients as well as lower in sugar and calories than traditional wheat flour. As of 2021, the company offers three flavors of snack bar: Honey Cinnamon, Chocolate Coffee Stout, and Blueberry Sunflower Saison.
  </p>
  <p>
    As of September 2018, ReGrained bars were sold at around 1,000 stores around the US and online. Further, the company launched savory snacks in September 2019. In addition,  leading manufacturers, such as pasta maker Barilla,  started to use these upcycled ingredients in their products in November 2018. 
  </p>
  <p>
    As a result of the coronavirus, ReGrained had to cancel plans to launch upcycled puffs with compostable packaging and they have already faced financing issues due to constraints such as work from home and lockdown.
  </p>
  <p>
    ReGrained also aims to expand to other countries such as Japan. In March 2021, the company partnered with Oisix, a Japanese food technology corporate venture, to commercialize new upcycled ingredients and introduce them into the Japanese market.  In June 2021, the company reported that it had become the first company to receive certification from the Upcycled Food Association (founded by upcycled food companies, including ReGrained, to create a certified standard for upcycled food products). 
  </p>
</div>


ReGrained

<div>
  <p>
    Renewal Mill is a producer of upcycled food ingredients using the by-products of plant-based milk.
  </p>
  <p>
    It’s product mix includes Upcycled Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix, Upcycled Sugar Cookie Mix, Upcycled Oat Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix, and an Upcycled High Protein Oat Milk Flour. They also participated in Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator in March 2021.
  </p>
  <p>
    As of March 2021, Renewal Mill’s ingredients are reported to be used by Fortune 500 food companies that sell the products in over 150 stores. These products are also available on Amazon and the Imperfect Foods and Misfits Markets food waste redistribution startups. The company’s recent round  of funding was in January 2019 when it raised USD  2.5 million to scale production and expand into new markets. 
  </p>
</div>


Renewal Mill

<div>
  <p>
    UK-based Dash Water produces upcycled sparkling water drinks made from fruits and vegetables that would otherwise go to waste. The company sources its fruits and vegetables by partnering with Feedback, a food waste charity organization that helps Dash Water find farmers with excess supply of “wonky” produce. As of August 2021, the company reported that it has saved 574,000 kg of fruits and aims to sell 150 million cans by 2025, saving 2,600 tons of fruit and vegetables. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    Dash Water drinks can be purchased from retail stores and online via the company’s website.  Consumers also have the option to subscribe to Dash Water to receive drinks on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis, at around a 15% discount. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    As of January 2020, the company’s products were available at 5,000 listed retail stores across Europe. Dash  Water entered the US market in June 2020 by partnering with Irish Nova (a text-to-order beverage platform) selling the product to over 80 stores across New York.  As of March 2021, the company exports its product to 20 markets including Belgium, Holland, France, Norway, and Singapore. In September 2021, the company reported plans to strengthen its presence across the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) region. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    Dash Water also launched production in Australia in September 2021  to use the Australian spring water for its drinks and produce its recyclable cans in Victoria. The company plans to  liste its products at 700 Woolworths stores (the biggest supermarket and grocery store chain in Australia) and 800 independent retail stores across Australia targeting sale of 1.5 million cans in Australia upon the completion of its first full-year transaction in 2021. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    The company’s last round of funding was in January 2020 when it raised GBP 1.6 million (USD 2.2 million) in a Series A funding round led by KM Capital. The funding was used to hire three new executives (sales, finance, and business development)  to support the company’s expansion across Europe. 
  </p>
</div>


Dash Water

<div>
  <p>
    Based in Canada, TrendiTech uses AI to develop robotic machines that can produce upcycled ingredients from organic fruits and vegetables. TrendiTech was formerly known as Trendy Vending, which launched a smoothie vending machine in 2020, to produce fresh fruit and vegetable juices. The vending machines are sold to food and beverage companies, entertainment facilities, established franchises as well as shopping complexes. TrendiTech following the name change, has products in the pipeline that support food waste reduction.  
  </p>
  <p>
    The company’ product Biotrim is an AI-based robotic mobile unit that can be directly driven to the farms or food distributors and allows them to process the food waste onsite into an upcycled ingredient called Bioflakes. The company claims that its Biotrim unit can upcycle around 300,000kg of food waste per year and targets farmers, grocery stores, and food service providers for this product. Bioflakes can be used in food and also for medicinal and feed purposes and are expected to be sold to bioplastic producers, textile manufacturers, as well as animal feed and soil enrichment manufacturers. The Biotrim unit and upcycled ingredient Bioflakes are expected to be launched by 2Q 2022. The company also plans to launch a new upcycled product called Enhanca by fall 2021. This is an upcycled powdered juice mix made from wasted fruits and would be upcycled using its Biotrim unit.  TrendiTech also expects to use Enhanca in its vending machine and launch the machine as a ‘hydration station’ that will provide juice made from Enhanca. 
  </p>
  <p>
    In June 2021, the company was selected as one of the 24 semi-finalists in the Food Waste Reduction Challenge organized by Canada’s Food Policy organization. Following winning this round the company received CAD 100,000 in support to bring its upcycled product to market. During the same month, the company raised CAD 2.25 million in seed funding led by WGG Capital Canada and Vestech Partners. The funding was expected to be used to accelerate commercialization of its Biotrim unit. 
  </p>
</div>


TrendiTech Inc.

<div>
  <p>
    Planetarian produces upcycled high fibre and high protein ingredients from defatted sunflower seeds—a waste by-product from sunflower oil extraction.
  </p>
  <p>
    Planetarian also partnered with Barilla in March 2019 to make chips from up-cycled ingredients and to test the production of dough-based products such as pasta bread, biscuits, tortillas and crackers. Planetarian plans to expand to Italy and across the US.
  </p>
  <p>
    The company’s most recent round  of funding was in December 2019 when it raised an undisclosed amount to fund consumer trials and enhance product application range.
  </p>
</div>


Planetarian

<div>
  <p>
    Based in Denmark, Reduced develops natural flavor enhancers from upcycled produce. Founded in 2020, the company was able to take four products to market—vegetable, veal, chicken, and shellfish stock—within its first year of operations. Reduced has collaborated with Danish food and agriculture companies including DANAEG, Kannegaarden, Himmerlandskod, Blue Lobster, Balkan Berries, Tvilling Fisk, Nordisk Tang, and Convi Foods to source excess produce. 
  </p>
  <p>
    Reduced sells to restaurants and foodservice companies as well as to consumers via Danish grocers. As of July 2021, the company’s product is available across 47 Irma grocery stores. 
  </p>
  <p>
    In July 2021, the company raised EUR 385,000 (USD 452,850) in a pre-seed funding round and plans to use the proceeds to build a production facility for its new line of natural flavor enhancers and begin mass distribution of its existing upcycled products.
  </p>
</div>


Reduced

<div>
  <p>
    Matriark upcycles imperfect vegetables collected from farmers and fresh-cut vegetable remnants from food service providers into broth concentrates. The company has also signed with food waste redistribution apps like Hungry Harvest to receive imperfect produce that can be upcycled. The company was founded by Anna Hammond, who received a grant in 2018 from Ricolab (an independent innovation laboratory, a part of Rico, a Swiss SME) to begin its research on upcycled vegetable broth concentrates. 
  </p>
  <p>
    The company officially  began in 2020, commercializing its upcycled products which included broth concentrates and purees (umami and carrot). The company claims that 1 carton of its concentrate saves  nearly 1 pound of vegetable waste from going to landfill.  
  </p>
  <p>
    Matriark targets individual consumers as well as large scale food companies who might want to bulk purchase these products. While the company mainly targeted food service companies, the launch of the product during the pandemic and lockdown resulted in the company looking up to hospitals and food rescue organisations to purchase its products. Matriark claims to be also focusing on signing up with  schools, hospitals, and other institutions which have cafeterias.  Individual consumers are able to purchase the retail size via food redistribution apps like Hungry Harvest and Imperfect Foods. In November 2020, Matriark partnered with Table to Table (redistributes food waste to those in need) to run a nimble processing facility, which will allow surplus to be redirected directly to the facility and then the product to be distributed directly to food banks and city service meal providers.  In May 2021, the company was selected amongst the 145 applicants for Kroger’s Zero Hunger Innovation Fund (second cohort) and received seed funding of USD100,000. 
  </p>
</div>


Matriark Foods

<div>
  <p>
    UK-based Rubies in the Rubble produces a range of products from mayos to ketchups using food waste. These products are made using fresh fruit and vegetables sourced from farms. The mayo uses a special ingredient, aquafaba, which is a plant-based alternative to eggs that is a byproduct of chickpeas.
  </p>
  <p>
    The company has kept a close collaboration with Virgin Trains since May 2019 to collect surplus apples from trains and transform them into chutney which it then re-supplies back to trains. Due to COVID,a plan of launching a ketchup to UK pubs in March 2020 had to be postponed. Rubies in the Rubble is expanding across the UK with plans to reach global markets such including the US and the rest of Europe.
  </p>
</div>


Rubies in the Rubble

<div>
  <p>
    Pulp Pantry uses fruit and vegetable scraps and pulps to create a range of snacks. Pulp Pantry has also partnered with nonprofits to ensure health and economic development and reduce food wastage. The company’s most recent round of funding was in May 2020, when it raised USD 150,000 to be used for further expansion.
  </p>
</div>


Pulp Pantry

<div>
  <p>
    Rise converts spent grains from breweries into organic products such as brownies, cookies, and pasta. The flour produced by Rise has high levels of protein and fiber.
  </p>
</div>


Rise Products

<div>
  <p>
    Founded in 2020, Resauce is a Danish startup that ferments excess fruits and vegetables to upcycle them into sauces, syrups, and jams with an extended shelf life of 3-5 years vs more common expirations for similar products of 1-2 years.  As of August 2021, the company’s market-ready product lineup includes tomato sauce, bean paste, and chili sauce. 
    Resauce initially planned to sell to restaurants, canteens, and supermarkets. However, due to the pandemic the company’s commercialization plans were halted. In June 2021, the company reported that it is taking a different approach, and expects to operate a B2B business model with food companies and farmers using Resauce to upcycle their food waste into their own fermentation products. 
  </p>
</div>


Resauce

<div>
  <p>
    Based in New Jersey and launched in October 2021, Do Good Foods is a meat producer that upcycles surplus food from grocery stores and supermarkets for use as nutrient-dense animal feed. The company is co-founded by members of Kamine Development Corporation, a US-based company that has over 40 years of experience in smart technologies and ideas. .
  </p>
  <p>
    The company unveiled its first product Do Good Chicken in October 2021, which will be produced in its first production facility in Pennsylvania. The chicken is said to be “sustainable,” as it is fed the upcycled feed produced by the company. The plant is said to have a capacity to process 160 tons of surplus food to produce feed for 25 million chickens per year. The facility receives surplus food from around 450 supermarkets within close vicinity of the facility. The product is expected to be available for purchase in supermarkets and other foodservice locations in the US by January 2022.
  </p>
  <p>
    According to the company, the upcycled feed will save around four pounds of food waste for every chicken. Do Good planned to build 20 similar facilities by 2025 and further expand its product range beyond chicken.
  </p>
  <p>
    As announced in October 2021, the company was backed by a USD 169 million investment from an asset manager Nuveen. The funding was used by the company to build its production facility and facilitate the launch of its new product. 
  </p>
</div>


Do Good Foods

<div>
  <p>
    Scrappy Pet Treats recovers and recycles eggshells from local restaurants and hotels and bakes them into healthy treats for animals called Scrappy & Scraps. The company operates as a B2B manufacturer selling to wholesale and retail stores and also as a B2C manufacturer selling directly to customers through online platforms like Amazon. The product is sold in three flavors across the US at USD 14.99 per pack.
  </p>
  <p>
    The company has partnered with stores like Whole Foods and Fine Foods to sell its products and claimed to have sold more than 836 pet treats and generated revenue over USD 12,500 as of October 2019. In a presentation published in October 2019, the company stated that it began with self-funding of USD 40,000 but would need to raise more funding to achieve growth. As of December 2019, Scrappy Pet Treats was stated to have diverted more than 10 tons of eggshells from the foodservice industries’ waste into pet treats.
  </p>
</div>


Scrappy Pet Treats

<div>
  <p>
    Founded in 2020, Take Two produces multiple flavors of barley milk from upcycled grains. The upcycled milk product can be purchased online and are also available at several supermarket chains across the Northwest US including Whole Foods, New Seasons, and Metropolitan Market. The company’s product is also available in Northern California and can be bought via the redistribution app Imperfect Foods. 
  </p>
  <p>
    In June 2021, the Oregon-based company also partnered with Sprouts Farmers Market, which has more than 360 stores in 23 states, to sell its product at USD 4.99 per 40 oz. bottle. 
  </p>
  <p>
    Take Two aims to save around 500,000 lbs of used grain in 2021 via its upcycled plant drink. The company expects to gradually expand its product base from plant-based beverages to ice cream, yogurt, and cheese.
  </p>
</div>


Take two

<div>
  <p>
    Fulcrum Bio Energy produces low-carbon and low-cost transportation fuel from household garbage. Fulcrum uses a thermochemical process to convert municipal solid waste (or MSW), feedstock into low-carbon renewable transportation fuels including jet fuel and diesel. The company’s fuel is used by third parties such as BP, United Airlines, the U.S. Department of Defense, and independent engineers such as Leidos and Black & Veatch. As of April 2021, the company had a capacity to produce 60 million gallons of fuel.
  </p>
  <p>
    The company's unique advantage appears to be its ability to secure large volumes of MSW by entering into long-term agreements with its waste service partners, Waste Management and Waste Connections, for the supply of  MSW feedstock throughout North America. These long-term contracts eliminate supply risks for Fulcrum while ensuring production at stable cost and pricing.
  </p>
  <p>
    In February 2021, Fulcrum announced plans to launch development activities for its first UK plant, a Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) plant. Apart from this expansion, Fulcrum's first commercial project, the Sierra BioFuels Plant located outside of Reno, Nevada, is in late-stage construction with operations scheduled to begin in 2021. The Sierra plant will be the first commercial-scale plant in the world to convert municipal solid waste to low-carbon transportation fuels. In addition to the UK plant, the company has planned projects in Indiana and in the US Gulf Coast region. The company’s last round of funding was in 2018 when it raised USD 20 million to develop its international plants.
  </p>
</div>


Fulcrum Bio Energy

<div>
  <p>
    Based in Israel, 3PLW produces pure ‘polymer grade’ lactic acid from food waste. The company has developed a proprietary biochemical production process based on Anaerobic Digestion Technology involving hydrolysis and fermentation. The lactic acid is then sold to food and beverage businesses as well as into industrial and personal care markets. The company has also formed partnerships with ‘Innovation Nation’ (R&D project to produce bioplastics from waste ) and ‘closing the loop’ (upcycling scrap and bioproducts) which have contributed to 3PLW’s growth. The company’s most recent round of funding was in June 2019 when it raised USD 5 million to develop food waste derived, high performance compostable packaging.
  </p>
</div>


3PLW

Recycling - Industrial Use

Startups that recycle food waste for industrial uses such as soil enrichment.

<div>
  <p>
    Based in Singapore, Inventure Chemical (also known as Inventure Renewables) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Inventure Pte limited that attempts to convert waste that occurs primarily in the agribusiness into biofuels. Inventure Chemicals converts low-cost algae feedstock such as palm fibre, corn, soft oil seeds, and cellulose into biodiesel (biochemical, next-generation biofuels, and bio materials) or ethanol using patented process technologies such as Mixed SuperCritical Fluid Technology, Soap Carbonate technology, and Biomass technology. The company has also been building plants in China since 2015. Inventure Chemicals also has operations in Indonesia and Malaysia, where it converts biomass palm waste to sugar.
  </p>
</div>


Inventure Chemicals

<div>
  <p>
    UK-based Keenan Recycling transforms food waste into electricity, heat, and fuel. The company also recycles food and garden waste into premium-grade compost. It collects food waste from a range of sources (restaurants, hotels, care homes, hospitals, prisons, and cafes as well as waste management companies, brokers, and councils) with a processing technology that ensures organic materials are separated from packaging.
  </p>
  <p>
    The company was initially started as a garden waste composting business near Aberdeen in 2001, and by 2021 it has expanded its operations across the UK to become one of the largest food and garden recycling businesses in Scotland. In September 2020, the company invested nearly GBP 4.5 million (USD 6.4 million) to acquire 39 new vehicles and also announced plans to 1) open additional depots in several throughout the UK  2) provide ‘green’ jobs to help the country recover from the pandemic. The company’s most recent funding round was a debt financing round in December 2019 and netted to GBP 540,000. 
  </p>
</div>


Keenan Recycling

<div>
  <p>
    ALT TEX (Alternative Textiles)  uses biopolymer technology to extract sugar from food waste to produce fabrics for sustainable textile brands. The Canadian company’s prototype products include yarns and polyester-like fabrics made from banana peels or pineapple leaves. The products are expected to be unveiled by mid-2022. 
    The company claims that its recycled textiles are biodegradable and carbon neutral. According to ALT TEX, one T-shirt made from its recycled fiber can divert 9 kg of carbon emissions. The company also claims that it has signed several pilot projects with fashion companies for its launch. ALT TEX has also partnered with various food manufacturers to receive food waste via donation programs.
    In May 2021, ALT TEX raised CAD 1.5 million (USD 1.2 million) in an oversubscribed pre-seed funding round. Key investors were Amplify Capital, Garage Capital, and also Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield. The funds were planned for accelerated commercialization, the purchase of a polyester melt extruder machine, expanded production space, and continued R&D operations.
  </p>
</div>


ALT TEX

<div>
  <p>
    UK-based Chemicle converts cheese whey components into bioplastic. Whey is a by-product of the dairy industry with high organic and microbial loads that complicate its disposal. RebelBio and SOSV are key investors and the company’s last round of funding was in October 2019 when it raised an undisclosed amount for further expansion.
  </p>
</div>


Chemicle

Disruptor Funding History

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Tech solutions for achieving global anti-wastage targets

Food Waste

<h3>Incumbents are mainly traditional waste management and food industry giants</h3><p>Most food waste industry incumbents are already established as providers of general waste management services and are now developing smart waste management techniques that involve recycling or redistributing food waste. Some leading food industry companies are also starting to adopt food recycling methods to prevent wastage including Kellog’s, Tyson Foods, Kroger, and Unilever.</p><p>There is a lack of incumbent activity in the food prevention technologies or online platform spaces, implying that these are still emerging trends within the industry. However, major IT firms like IBM are developing smart waste management solutions.</p><p>Overall, incumbents mostly appear to be developing their food waste management services in-house, although there are a few notable partnerships and acquisitions.</p>

<div>
  <p>
    Kellogg’s, an American multinational food manufacturing company, partnered with Seven Brothers Brewery (an independent craft brewery) in June 2019 to use recycled food waste to produce a limited run of craft beers. The primary ingredient for the line of beers was wasted cereal determined to be too big, too small, or overcooked. The line of beers included: 1) Throwaway IPA (Corn Flakes), 2) Cast Off Pale Ale (Rice Krispies) and 3) Sling it Out Stout (Coco Pops). The beers can be bought online and are available for distribution throughout the UK as of June 2019. As of November 2020, Seven Brother’s via its partnership with Kellogg’s has used 5,000kg of imperfect cereal, mainly from Coco Pops and Rice Krispies.
  </p>
</div>


Kellogg’s

<div>
  <p>
    Tyson launched its ¡Yappah! crunchy protein chip made of chicken and spent grains from breweries and vegetable scraps via its Innovation Lab in 2017. ¡Yappah! is the lab's first brand and debuted in Chicago. The product was available on Amazon Fresh in Chicago and Illinois as of April 2019. iYappah! chips are available in mojo, white curry, and cheddar flavors. Tyson also produces the packaging for this product using aluminum which is fully recyclable.
  </p>
</div>


Tyson Foods

<div>
  <p>
    Unilever entered into the food recycling space in 2017 by acquiring Sir Kensington, a New York-based food company that operates as one of its subsidiaries and produces Non-GMO Project Verified condiments including ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, ranch dressing, and "Fabanaise" vegan mayonnaise. The vegan mayonnaise, Fabanaise (introduced in 2016) is produced from food waste such as aquafaba, which is the brine water that naturally occurs when cooking chickpeas.
  </p>
  <p>
    Sir Kensington’s partnered with Ithaca Hummus to source its aquafaba and built an aquafaba supply chain by partnering with chickpea manufacturers across the industry ensuring a consistent supply of key ingredients necessary for the production of Fabanaise. Sir Kensington’s Fabanaise can be found at Whole Foods and online.
  </p>
</div>


Unilever

<div>
  <p>
    Kroger, the largest US supermarket by revenue, launched its Zero Hunger, Zero Waste food waste management initiative in September 2018. The plan included 1)  establishing a $10 million Innovation Fund to promote food donations 2) accelerate food donations to 3 billion meals by 2025, and 3) advocacy for public policy solutions to divert food waste from landfills. The company had its second round of the Innovation Fund in May 2021, and selected 10 startups including Food Forest, Imperfect Foods, mobius, and Replate to invest in.
  </p>
  <p>
    
    Kroger has also partnered with the Food Bank Network since September 2017,  Feeding America for over 30 years, and the World Wildlife Fund since October 2018 to accelerate its food donation programs. 
  </p>
  <p>
    
    In January 2020, Kroger revamped its 2025 Zero waste initiative plan to include working with analytics firms to track food waste levels and identify problem areas. The company is also working with Terra Cycle to reduce overall waste levels with recyclable packaging. 
  </p>
</div>


Kroger Co

<div>
  <p>
    Walmart started mandating that all of its food suppliers adopt standardized expiration date labels that divide food into two categories: “Best if Used By” for nonperishable products, and “Use By” for food that can spoil. With this standardization, Walmart was aiming to clarify food expiration dates, which is a key factor contributing to the increasing food wastage. Walmart also formed partnerships in Japan to recycle fish traces from meal preparation and fish waste into commercial products like pet food. According to the company they recycled 1.1 million pounds of fish waste through this program in 2017 alone.
  </p>
  <p>
    Walmart also aims to achieve zero waste in Canada, Japan, the US, and the UK by 2025. This “Project Gigaton” initiative encourages suppliers to measure and report food waste, adopt reprocessing, and increase donations and recycling. The company has also encouraged suppliers to standardize date labeling in line with the Consumer Goods Forum’s Date Labeling Call to Action. 
  </p>
  <p>
    In FY2020, Walmart joined the “10x20x30” initiative through which the 10 largest food retailers each encourage 20 of their key suppliers to halve food loss and waste by 2030. As a result, the company claims that it sold 300 million food units via the discount program and wasted 57 million fewer fresh food units in FY2020 relative to the previous fiscal year.
  </p>
</div>


Walmart

<div>
  <p>
    Founded in 1996, Republic Services is a public limited company that is the second-largest US recycling and non-hazardous solid waste disposal company. As of 2019, the company operated in 41 states, with a focus on gas-to-energy and renewable energy projects. The company has also partnered with the World Harvest Food Bank and Food Finders, to collect edible and safe surplus food for redistribution to families in need. Republic also works with World Harvest Food Bank and the Los Angeles Zoo to provide any excess food that can be given as animal feed. Apart from redistribution, the company also sends food waste to its composting facilities or recycles them via the anaerobic digestion process. In 2019, Republic processed 1.7 billion pounds of yard and food waste into around 275,000 tons of compost. The company sells the composts to a range of customers such as landscapers, golf courses, farmers, residential customers, and home improvement stores.
  </p>
</div>


Republic Services

<div>
  <p>
    IBM’s presence in the waste management industry extends across the company’s Intelligent Waste Management Platform, Tivoli Advanced Reporting & Management tool, and its Data Management & Analytics products. In 2019, IBM partnered with AngelHack to select developers to help create a solution that would reduce waste through grocery and food chains. In October 2019, the FreShip development project to track food waste emerged from the program. FreShip is a software and hardware platform that minimizes food waste by using IBM Watson AI capabilities to analyze images of food to constantly monitoring waste levels.
  </p>
</div>


<div>
  <p>
    Founded in 2008, Plant Response is a US biotechnology company that operates a portfolio of products for sustainable crop production. In April 2021, the company acquired WISErg to enter the sustainability business with a focus on food waste reduction. 
  </p>
  <p>
    Founded in 2011, WISErg produces nutrient feedstocks from food scraps that can be used for agriculture and other industries. The company’s Harvester product, commercially launched in 2014, is used on hundreds of farms in the US, Mexico, and Latin America to deliver additional yield and health benefits over traditional fertilizers. The fertilizer is also sold at retail stores such as Whole Foods. 
  </p>
  <p>
    Prior to the acquisition, WISErg has raised a total of USD 69.8 million over multiple funding rounds, the latest of which was a January 2018 round that raised USD 19.2 million.
  </p>
</div>


Plant Response Inc

<div>
  <p>
    Based in the Dominican Republic, Caribe Juice produces fresh juices using fruits from small farmers. The company entered the food waste management space by acquiring WTRMLN WTR in October 2020. WTRMLN WTR makes beverages out of discarded watermelons. Its flagship WTRMLN WTR product is a cold pressured watermelon juice. The company also makes WTRMLN SPORTWTR watermelon water enhanced with nutritional additives. WTRMLN WTR is sold across the US in retailers including Whole Foods. The company’s investors prior to acquisition include celebrities Beyonce and Chris Paul who actively promote the products. The company also reports that it has doubled revenue since its inception.
  </p>
</div>


Caribe Juice

In-house development

Acquisition

Partnerships

Investments

The Incumbents

Based in Israel, Wiliot provides self-powered sensor tags that look like stickers and can be attached to medicine, food, or agricultural products. These tags provide the manufacturer or retailer with product information such as location, humidity, and freshness. The information is stored on a cloud that users can access via the Wiliot platform and receive real time transparency updates. Wiliot claims that its sensing stickers can reduce food waste by 40%. 
  
  
    The company operates a Sensing-as-a-Service business targeting food brands and retailers. The first version of the sensor tag, called Wiliot V1.0, was launched in 2019. In 2020, the tags were further developed to integrate with bluetooth devices and improve the ability to access information from devices that have bluetooth connectivity. In November 2021, the V2.0 upgraded version of the tag was unveiled, which enhanced versatility and accuracy of the product. The company is planning to provide the tags at a cost of USD 500 per developer kit and is working with large retail companies to commercialize its product and is expecting to mass produce by the end of 2021.
  
  
    In July 2021, the company raised USD 200 million in an oversubscribed Series C funding round led by Softbank’s Vision Fund 2. Existing investors such as 83North, Amazon Web Services, Avery Dennison, and Verizon also joined the round. Following the funding round, the company is estimated to be valued at USD 1 billion. The new funds are expected to be used to expand its team at Caesarea, build a new R&D facility in Tel Aviv, and scale distribution channels to launch its Version 2 self-powered tags. Wiliot also has plans to expand  services to new markets such as Japan and Europe.

BluWrap uses its patented oxygen management technology to naturally extend the shelf-life of perishable proteins. The technology can be used to protect food items, including fish, for fresh transport without the need for ice, polystyrene, or air freight. BluWrap uses fuel cells to actively reduce and consistently monitor oxygen while the product is shipped in refrigerated containers, extending the shelf life of fresh proteins beyond 40 days. The company’s packaging technology is patented and FDA approved. The company’s last funding round was in 2018 to reduce development costs and increase collaboration with partners using BluWrap technology.

Clarifruit is an Israeli developer of an automated platform and mobile app that provides quality control data on fresh fruits and vegetables to growers, marketing companies, wholesalers, and retailers. 
  
  
    
    Clarifruit’s cloud-based platform automatically analyzes fresh produce quality control data and performs real-time quality control inspections.  Its platform also includes data such as user info, inspection process duration, and quality standards. Clarifruit also uses sensors and an app called AclaroMeter to grade agricultural products for quality and value.
  
  
    
    Clarifurit’s investors include  Firstime Venture Capital and European Innovation Council. The company also received a USD  2.5 million grant from the European Union Horizon 2020 EIC program in 2020. In January 2020, the company also raised USD 6 million in seed funding led by Firsttime Ventures to develop next-gen products and fund an expansion across Europe, the US, and Asia.
  
  
    
    Clarifruit also reported gaining significant new customers in the EMEA region in 2020. The company also launched a new fresh produce quality control platform in December 2020 to provide an end-to-end solution for fresh produce management.  At the same time, Clarifruit announced plans to add a local team to the North American region in addition to its presence in Latin America and Europe.

Netherland’s Orbisk (previously known as Zero Food Waste), offers an AI-based food waste monitoring system to monitor and reduce food waste, primarily for the hospitality sector (including foodservice operators, restaurants, and hotels). The system collects data on food being thrown away using cameras mounted on top of waste bins and a scale to weigh the amount of food being discarded. Using AI, Orbisk identifies and analyzes the type of food being thrown. The system also uses algorithms, with the assistance of data company, Sama, to provide insights on waste levels and predict potential food waste levels, associated CO2 emissions, and how they can be reduced. This system can be used during both pre-preparation (while cooking) and post-preparation (leftovers in dishes after food has been consumed) stages. 
  
  
    
    The company brought its food waste monitoring system to market within two years of being established. In August 2020, the company was selected out of 378 applicants for the “Food Fight'' project organized by the EuroStars program, to form an international consortium, with two other selected companies: Aivero (3D video streaming company) and Eaternity (food labeling organization) to fight against food waste. Via the program, Orbisk secured a grant of EUR 1.2 million (USD 1.4 million), which primarily supported the commercialization of its product. 
  
  
    
    As of August 2021, Orbisk’s solution was being used by 50 restaurants primarily across Europe. Some of the known customers include  Ramada by Wyndham, Accor, Albron, Bilderberg, The Student Hotel, Vermaat, and Appelin. The company claims that its customers are able to reduce food waste by up to 70% by using its monitoring system. The company also reports that it has the capacity to run 200 systems with the potential to 500 when demand comes through. 
  
  
    
    In addition, Orbisk secured a partnership with Unilever Food Solutions in November 2020 to support Unilever's goal to cut food waste occurring through activities from the factory to the shelf by half by 2025. 
     
    In August 2021, the company raised EUR 1.05 million (USD 1.23 million) in a seed funding round led by FoodSparks (by PeakBridge). The company expects to use the funds to develop its AI-based food waste prevention solution, scale distribution to international markets, and achieve its target of launching its system in 500 kitchens by the end of 2021.

Agricycle is a Wisconsin-based startup that operates a B2B model that offers small farmers and food-related companies solutions that minimize food waste. The company’s key product is called a dehydrator, which is a solar-powered mechanism that preserves fruits and vegetables by drying them. According to Agricycle, this technology can be deployed by even the small farmers and is also used by the company for its food brand— Jali Fruit Co, a dried fruit snack (made from harvested and dried jackfruit, mango, and pineapple). Agricycle has also launched another brand called, Tropicoal Ignition, which is an upcycled cooking charcoal made from by-products such as cassava root, coconut shells, and palm kernel shells that would generally be discarded. The company reports that via this product it has diverted nearly 330,000 kg of coconut shells from going to waste. 
  
  
    As of September 2021, the company reportedly sold the two brands to over 1,000 stores in the US. The company primarily works with farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean to source its raw materials and holds a supplier network of 40,000 farmers (as of September 2021). Agricycle expects to operate within a network of 100,000 farmers by the end of 2021. 
  
  
    In September 2021, the company raised a total of USD 2.4 million in a two-part seed funding round led by MaSa Partners and CSA Partners. The company has planned to use the funds to launch its new upcycled ingredient brand, “Field Better Ingredients”, which is an organic gluten-free flour made from excess fruits. The company is targeting consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers and bakeries for this product.

UK-based Mimica develops the temperature-sensitive Mimica Touch indicator cap and labels to measure food freshness and predict when spoilage by measuring bumps on the surface of the product. The company claims that its technology extends the shelf-life of foods and reduces waste. 
     
    Mimica Touch is expected to be used on juices, milk bottles, and packaged meats. Since 2018, Mimica Touch has been used on a trial basis by the Danish dairy company Arla. As of April 2020, Arla was in the final phases of testing its product.

Based in Scotland, Insignia Technologies develops a range of smart pigments and inks that change color when exposed to carbon dioxide that is used to indicate when a fresh product should no longer be consumed. The product is mainly used in the food packaging industry, with time-temperature indicators (tti’s). Insignia’s technology can be inserted into plastic food packaging as well. 
  
  
    Their products include 1) After Opening Freshness Timer and 2) Leak Detection Indicators (which visually indicate a leak present in the packaging). The technology can also be applied to the pharmaceutical (e.g endoscopes), cosmetic, and chemical industries. During the COVID pandemic, Insignia Technologies developed a smart solution alerting users when to replace their face masks so that it is neither worn for too long nor thrown away too quickly.

Based in Switzerland, Kitro offers an AI-based, automated imaging solution for food waste analysis. Kitro’s camera device  can be installed on top of food bins to automatically identify and record all discarded food items, including weight, and make recommendations on how to reduce waste.
  
  
    Kitro’s first customer was the Zurich burger place Holy Cow in 2017. As of March 2021, the company has deployed more than 100 devices and to a clientele across 40 locations in Europe that includes several hotel operators, medical centers, canteens, and restaurants. Kitro is also launching a trial in Australia. The company also stated its plan to expand to Germany, Austria, and France by end of 2021.
  
  
    As of May 2021, the company’s largest customer is the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Campus in Lausanne, which deployed 30 devices across the school. Kitro also mentioned that it is in the process of raising funds for its expansion plans. The company’s last round of funding was in April 2019, when it raised USD 40,000 of debt for further expansion.

Apeel Sciences produces edible coatings made of plant materials that extend the lifetime of fruits by 2-3x with the goal of preventing food wastages in regions where there is a lack of refrigeration. According to the company, US retailers that use Apeel experience a 50% reduction in waste alongside a 5%-10% growth in sales on average. As of July 2021, Apeel Sciences reported to have saved around 69 million pieces of produce from going to waste at retail stores by partnering with small family-owned farmers, local organic growers, grocery stores, and large food brands. As of August 2021, the company was offering its solution to a network of 30 suppliers and 40 retailers across eight countries, including the US, UK, Spain, Netherlands, and Kenya. The company focuses on expanding its market presence across North America and the EU.  
  
  
    The company’s early years were supported by a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant of USD 100,000 in 2012 and Andreessen Horowitz, which led the company’s 2016 Series B funding round. Celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and Katy Perry have also invested in Apeel.
  
  
    In May 2020, Apeel announced plans to expand to Sub-Saharan Africa, Central, and South America—all regions where food wastage is increasing. In May 2021, Apeel Sciences acquired startup Impact Vision for an undisclosed amount. Impact vision’s technology allows suppliers to see inside their fresh produce and ultimately reduce post-harvest loss, optimize distribution, while continuing to extend shelf-life. 
  
  
    In August 2021, the company raised USD 250 million in a Series E funding round led by Temasek at USD 2 billion valuation. The company expects to use the funds to expand its product distribution across the US, UK, and Europe by accelerating deployment of its product across its existing  supplier network and by partnering with 10 new suppliers by the end of 2021. The company also plans to use the funds to strengthen its data and insights offering and support its future acquisition plans.

Based in Berlin, Choco is an ordering platform that connects restaurants and suppliers.  Choco’s app and web platform digitizes the ordering process of ingredients and increases communication to avoid ordering too much and reduces food waste. The Choco app can be used free of charge by both restaurants and suppliers but a premium is charged to suppliers if they wish to integrate the app into their enterprise resource planning systems. 
  
  
    As of July 2021, the company had over 10,000 active restaurants and suppliers on its platform across the US, Germany, France, Spain, Austria and Belgium. The company claims that it processes around 100,000 orders per month and saves its user over 2 hours per week.
    Over 2020 orders on Choco’s platform increased fourfold with annualized gross merchandise value reaching USD 900 million, up from USD 230 million in 2019. 
    In July 2021, Choco raised USD 100 million in a Series B funding round which valued the company at USD 600 million to continue its engineering recruitment efforts, further develop its technology, and strengthen its footprint across the US and Europe. Choco also expects to expand its services to new markets such as Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia.

Hazel Technologies is a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-funded technology company that develops a packaging which releases vapors that slow the aging process and prevent fungus or decay. Its solution is claimed to double the shelf-life of produce. Hazel operates a B2B business that targets large enterprises and has reported treating 700 million pounds of produce as of 2019, saving about 60 million pounds from going bad in 2019 alone. The company has a target to save one billion pounds of produce from going to waste by the end of 2021. Hazel operates in 12 countries including the US and Chile (entered in October 2020). 
  
  
    Hazel works with around 160 produce companies including the likes of Mission Produce, Zespri, and Oppy. The company reported in 2019 that it plans to develop new products such as antimicrobial packaging for berries, grapes, and other fruit, and also expects to launch its shelf-life extension technology for meat products.
  
  
    
    Since 2016, the company has received a total of USD 900,000 from the USDA to develop its technology. Hazel received the USDA funding in December 2020 for solving the problem of unwanted sprouting in potatoes. In April 2021, the company announced that it had closed a USD 70 million Series C financing round led by Pontifax Global Food and Agriculture Technology Fund (Pontifax AgTech), and Temasek, to expand operations across Southeast Asia, Africa, and the EU.

Shelf Engine provides demand forecasting tools for perishable food items to reduce inefficiencies in the ordering system and minimize overall costs. According to Shelf Engine, more than 30% of highly perishable foods in grocery stores such as meat and vegetables expire before the sell-by date. Shelf Engine’s scan-based trade (SBT) technology guarantees sales and pays for any items that remain unsold. Via the SBT, Shelf Engine manages orders, pays vendors, and only charges the retailer for what sells while still paying suppliers for their full order and increasing its accuracy over time. Shelf generates revenue by charging a mark-up on the product from the vendor to the retailer.
  
  
    The pandemic benefited Shelf Engine as grocers found it difficult to manage orders during lockdown. In March 2021, Shelf Engine raised USD 41 million in a Series B funding round led by General Catalyst to further invest in its growing team of engineers, data scientists, and supply chain automation experts. As of March 2021, Shelf Engine operated in more than 2,000 grocery stores and claimed to increase profit margins by more than 50% by reducing food waste by as much as 32%.

Seebo provides predictive quality and yield solutions using Artificial Intelligence to help manufacturers know the underlying causes of inefficiencies and wastages and also provide recommended solutions. Seebo’s customers include manufacturers across multiple industries including Barilla, Nestle, Mondelez, PepsiCo, Allnex, and Volkswagen, and the company claims that by using its solutions, customers achieve 25 - 75% gains in waste reduction.
  
  
    In March 2021, the Israeli company raised USD 24 million in a Series B funding round led by Vertex Ventures to fund its global expansion. Seebo reported strong growth in new customers and revenue, which grew 400% YoY in 2020.

Afresh began as a research project in 2017 to develop AI-powered software that optimizes the entire food supply chain. Specifically, the company offers an in-store solution for grocery stores that applies artificial intelligence to manage the freshness of food. According to the company, implementation of its technology has led to a 25-45% reduction of in-store food waste, and increased gross margin of fresh produce sales by 4 percentage points. The company generates revenue under a SaaS model. 
  
  
    Some of Afresh's key customers include Fresh Thyme Market, WinCo Foods, and Heinen’s. In 2019, the company also reported that it has established partnerships with three US grocery chains (names undisclosed), each with more than 100 stores in operation.  In September 2021, Afresh also collaborated with Bashas’ Supermarkets Inc. (a chain of grocery stores based in North America with over 100 stores) for a pilot project to incorporate Afresh technology to manage and extend the shelf-life of Bashas’ fresh products. 
  
  
    AFresh raised USD 13 million in a November 2020 funding round led by return investor Innovation Endeavors alongside Food Retail Ventures, Maersk Growth, and Impact Engine. The round valued the company at USD 100 million.

UK-based Winnow Solutions identifies and measures waste in commercial kitchens. The company records the reason for the waste, calculates the value of the wasted food, and keeps track of this data in the cloud. The company’s self-titled product shares technology with autonomous vehicles, using cameras to record and learn about food being wasted and calculate the financial and environmental cost of this discarded food. Winnow Vision also provides a Waste Monitor solution to help kitchen staff track how and what food is wasted to adjust their spending on food ingredients and eliminate overproduction.
  
  
    Winnow's last funding round raised USD 12 million in October 2019 shortly after the receipt of a USD 8 million loan finance from The European Investment Bank (EIB). Winnow’s customers include the catering company ISS and hotels such as Accor, Fairmont, and The Westin.

LeanPath is a provider of  AI-driven food waste tracking solutions including an integrated camera, a smart floor scale, and analytics software that cuts down food waste by raising awareness of daily wastage levels. The company mainly targets the ‘non-commercial’ and hospitality foodservice sectors such as corporate campuses, colleges, and hotels with clients such as Google, Sodexo, The Ritz Carlton, Pentagon City, and the MGM Grand Buffet. In May 2021, the company partnered with Sodexo Middle East to develop a platform as part of the latter’s ‘Better Tomorrow 2025’ initiative and commitment to reducing waste in the UAE. 
  
  
    The company reports 50% food waste reduction at Sodexo kitchens that have adopted its technology. That partnership expanded in May 2019 with a deployment to 3,000 sites worldwide within a year.  
  
  
    During the pandemic, LeanPath launched a mobile food waste measuring device for Covid-era menus which helps to track food waste in takeout and delivery contexts.  The company’s last round of funding was an October 2019 round of USD  7 million in debt from SaaS Capital.

Based in Israel, Save Foods produces a patented mix of food acids that protect fresh fruit and vegetables from microbial spoilage and pathogens. The company offers two products: SavePROTECT and PeroStar,  which can be diluted in water and applied on fruits and vegetables even using existing equipment such as sprayers. The chemicals are approved by the US FDA and have received the  Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) certification. Save Foods claims that its products are safe for consumption and has reduced spoilage by 50% at retail stores. The company also claims that using its products on lime is likely to result in 90% less decay and resultantly around 4% increase in profits.  
  
  
    As of June 2021, the company has conducted nine successful pilot trials with five commercial partners, and has treated more than 250,000 tons of fruit across the US, Mexico, Spain, Italy, and Israel. Save Foods’ commercial partners are SCiFarms, Mor International (Sharon Fruits), Planet Ag, and Sun Pacific (for the Cuties and 2B Fresh brands). As of September 2021, the company had seven patents granted and had seven more pending approval in Israel, the US, and Europe. Four of the pending patents are expected to be submitted for approval globally. 
  
  
    
    In June  2021, SCiFarms (a lime producer in the U.S., Canadian and European market) announced that following the successful pilot with Save Foods, it will use SavePROTECT across all its packing houses. During FY2020, the company reported a YoY revenue growth rate of 32% achieving a total sales of USD 232,274. Operating losses during the year amounted to USD 1.3 million. 
  
  
    
    In May 2021, the company raised USD 12 million via its IPO and was listed on NASDAQ. The company plans to use the IPO proceeds for research and development, to accelerate product commercialization and increase the scale of its business.

Mori’s (previously known as Cambridge Crops) technology allows food to stay fresher longer by preventing oxidation and slowing microbial growth. The technology involves extracting protein from silk through a water-based process to form a natural, protective, edible, and tasteless coating for a wide range of food items such as produce, meat, fish, and processed goods. The company rebranded in 2020, to highlight its core Bombyx mori technology which is currently protected by 20 patents, and has obtained self-designated GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Further certifications from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are still pending.
  
  
    Following a rebranding in July 2020, Mori raised USD 12 million in a Series A funding round led by Acre Venture Partners. The round also attracted new investors Prelude Ventures. Mori intends on using the funding to build out its manufacturing capabilities and continue to develop commercial partnerships in multiple food categories.

Chile’s Protera produces clean-labeled and animal-free protein ingredients using AI based techniques. The company’s proprietary “Madi” algorithm called to design new food ingredients, analyse the protein contents that go into such ingredients, and predict their properties. Using Madi, Protera can customize the protein ingredient for different food industry applications (such as chocolate, dairy, and vegetable fats), based on factors such as texture, flavor, and shelf life. 
  
  
    The company’s first product, Protera Sense, was developed to improve texture in food without adding fatty acids. The company also develops a chemical-free and vegan protein ingredient ( named as Protera Guard) that can prolong the shelf-life of food such as bread by 30 - 45 days (other clean ingredients are stated to prolong freshness by 7-15 days). The company has partnered with Bimbo Group (a mexican baked food producer with presence in over 33 countries) with product trials reportedly showing positive results. Bimbo also participated in Protera’s Series A round of funding in July 2021. Protera is looking to partner with more large food multinational companies to commercialize this product primarily across Europe by the end of 2021. 
  
  
    In July 2021, Protera raised USD 10 million in Series A funding led by Sofinnova Partners.
    The new funding would be used to scale production of Protera Guard, to further develop its AI-based protein technology, and accelerate the commercialization of vegan ingredients across industries. The company’s protein engineering team is in Chile, while the company is moving large-scale production and scaling its AI development team in Paris.

Plant Jammer is a Danish startup that provides an AI-driven vegan recipe app for consumers, brands, and businesses. The app allows users to pick their ingredients and personalize food preferences. Then, using AI, the app generates custom vegan recipes that can be prepared with ingredients that would otherwise go to waste. The company reports that it plans to further develop its technology to save one million tons of food waste annually by 2030. 
  
  
    
    As of May 2021, the company’s free consumer app had over two million downloads and 200,000+ active monthly users across Germany, the UK, Denmark, and the US. 
  
  
    Food brands and companies can sign up with Plant Jammer and use its “Empty Your Fridge” widget for a monthly fee of EUR 999 per month. Plant Jammer also provides businesses with a dashboard with key performance data, such as click-through rates, net promoter scores, and visitor comments. 
  
  
    
    In August 2021, Plant Jammer signed two large Danish food companies, Aldi Süd and RIMI Baltic, to use the widget on their website. At the time, Plant Jammer reported its goal to roll out the widget on 100 food business websites by the end of 2021 and 5,000 websites by 2023. As of August 2021, some of the businesses using the Plant Jammer widget include Aldi, Baltic, Barilla, Dr Oetker, Agrain, Arla, Wasa, and Eat Grim. 
  
  
    
    The ‘Empty Your Fridge’ widget is a part of Plant Jammer’s plan to allow third-party businesses to license their application programming interface (API) and build their own customized brand experience (beyond recipes). The company reports that it has conducted a trial project with Meny, a Danish supermarket chain, to use the technology in one of its stores, to identify products that are close to expiry, and put them on a discounted sale. 
  
  
    
    The company’s last round of funding was in August 2020, where it raised EUR 4 million (USD 4.7 million) from  Vækstfonden (Danish investment firm), Dr. Oetker, and Miele Ventures. The company expected to use the funds to expand its presence in the digital food space by licensing its API to third parties.

Texas-based Nabaco is a food waste prevention technology startup that develops an edible and organic coating that extends the shelf life of fruits and vegetables. The coating, called NatuWrap, uses a nanotechnology similar to one employed to maintain the freshness of flowers. The company claims that NatuWrap 1) can triple the shelf life time of perishable fruits and vegetables  2) safe to consume  3) can be used on the produce at any stage of the supply chain (pre harvest or post harvest), and 4)  costs only one-fourth as much as similar shelf-life extension coatings provided by competitors like Apeel Sciences. 
  
  
    Nabaco primarily targets the US produce market and has partnered with producers like J&D Produce, Segovia Produce, and Jasmine Vineyards as well as grocers such as HEB, and Whole Foods Market to use its edible coating. In 2021, the company also exported its product to Ghana,via the distributor Whole Harvest. The company is also expecting to expand its services to Europe. In June 2021, the company raised USD 3.2 million in Series A funding from undisclosed investors.

Based in India and established by former Google employees, Fountain9 provides F&B retailers and brands with a demand prediction engine, “Kronoscope,” that uses AI and algorithms to continuously analyze and predict demand levels. The company claims that its solution helps users avoid overstocking products while minimizing revenue loss by predicting out-of-stock situations and providing an automated procurement plan. As of mid-2021, the company was focusing on F&B brands and retailers in India, with plans to expand into the US and Southeast Asia. 
  
  
    
    In August 2020, the company reported signing its first corporate customer, and in September 2020, it partnered with KPMG, Qentelli, and Reflexive Supply Chain to scale the distribution of its solution. In October 2020, Fountain9 was selected to work with the P&G innovation lab to further develop its technology. 
  
  
    
    In July 2021, the company raised USD 1.9 million in a seed funding round from prominent investors, including 021 Capital, Y Combinator, Titan Capital, Globevestor, Harvard Seed Fund, and Germany-based Blue Impact Ventures. The funding is expected to be used to further develop the company’s Kronoscope product and expand globally.

Wisconsin-based Pinpoint Software develops and sells: Date Check Pro, Date Check Pro (Healthcare), and Taskle. Date Check Pro, the company’s food waste product, gives retailers a notification when the products are approaching their expiry date and alerts when it’s time to move the products to a discount section. The Date Check Pro app and dashboard kick in when a product or group of items would result in a projected loss of USD 50 or more if expired. Date Check Pro software is provided on a subscription basis starting at USD 2,700 per year. 
  
  
    
    As of June 2021, the company claims that it has deployed its Date Check Pro Software across thousands of retail, grocery, and convenience stores helping them avoid losses from expired products. The company also offers the  Date Check Pro software to the healthcare industry to reduce medical waste. 
  
  
    
    In 2019, the company entered into a pilot program with Florida-based Southeastern Grocers (SEG), operators of Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket, and Winn-Dixie grocery stores to roll out Date Check Pro at 3 and later 9 SEG stores by 2020. Following the success of this pilot, Date Check Pro was rolled out to all 425 SEG stores, making SEG the largest retail partner for Pinpoint.  In November 2020, Pinpoint also partnered with Merchandising Consultants Associates (MCA), to expand the provision of its Date Check Pro software to retailers across the US and Canada.

Freshsurety is a provider of smart containers, which are equipped with  sensors and use algorithms to detect the presence of ethylene which may spoil all the produce. The company also develops smart containers focused on Quick Service Restaurants (QSR’s) and grain bin management. 
  
  
    The company reported conducting early stage trials with Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods in 2017.  In April 2021, the company stated that they expect to reach 100,000 subscribers within 3 months at a revenue of USD 1,300,000 per month.

Based in California, SAVRpak is a developer of a peel-and-stick patch that can be inserted in food containers to prevent food from spoiling. Founded in 2020, the company provides its patented solutions to restaurants, food delivery apps, and food distribution companies. As of June 2021, the company sold its products via Sysco (a leading food products supplier). The company claims that its SAVRpak pouch reduces humidity in a container by 45% while still keeping food warm (if necessary) and helps extend food preservation by 10-14 days.
  
  
    In January 2021, SAVRpak won the Innovation Challenge, organized by P&G Ventures, and received USD10,000 prize money to fund its expansion. The company has focused on expanding its product reach through retail channels and expects to launch a consumer-facing product by H1 2022, allowing consumers to handle food waste at home. Additionally, SAVRpak also plans to target applications in grocery and agriculture markets. 
  
  
    In May 2021, the company raised USD 3.5 million in a Series A funding round led by entrepreneur and media personality Mark Cuban (who invested USD 1 million). SAVRpak aims to use the funds to expand its capacity to 50 million units per month ( from 1 million as of September 2020).