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The Desafía foodtech program focuses on soft landing solutions of innovative Spanish startups that bring revolutionary food solutions to the Netherlands, being adopted by Dutch industry leaders across the value chain. During the Desafiá program, participants will explore collaboration opportunities in the domain of food & agri with industry leaders like Rabobank, StartLife, Foodvalley, and more..
The program will kick off with the Food 4 Future event in Bilbao, where startups will connect with other innovative entrepreneurs and gain valuable insights into the latest trends and technologies in the FoodTech industry. Following this, the startups will participate in mentoring sessions with their Growth Advisors to gather knowledge about the Dutch market and participate in a range of activities that will help them to identify new opportunities and build strong connections with key industry players.
In June, participants will travel to the Netherlands for a two-week immersion program where they will have the opportunity to learn from industry experts, gain valuable insights into the local market, and connect with potential partners and investors. By the end of the program, participants will know everything they need to scale their business to the Netherlands.
We are delighted to present you the participating startups for this year’s participants;
Levprot Bioscience offers a unique protein portfolio for the food industry, including soy Leghemoglobin and k-Casein. These innovative proteins are derived from yeast cells and milk caseins, respectively, and have enhanced applications in food production. Levprot Bioscience specializes in developing cutting-edge proteins for the food industry.
Väcka a Barcelona-based FoodTech startup, produces plant-based cheese alternatives. Väcka’s cheese alternatives, such as Mözza and Pumpkin Chxddar, are made from fermented melon seed milk and extra virgin olive oil. With over 400 points of sale, including retail and food service outlets, Väcka offers innovative dairy-free options that replace almond milk and coconut oil with their unique ingredients.
Real Deal Milk is a FoodTech company that produces animal-free dairy products through precision fermentation. Their innovative process utilizes yeast cells to create casein and whey proteins found in milk. Their animal-free cheese aims to combat climate change, and animal abuse, and preserve food culture. Real Deal Milk offers a range of dairy alternatives that seamlessly replace traditional products.
Mommus is an artisan vegan cheesemaker based in Elche, Spain. They offer a variety of plant-based cheeses and spreads, including camembert, cream cheese, blue cheese, black garlic, smoked, and truffle flavours. Mommus Foods is recognized as one of the world’s best vegan cheesemakers and provides high-quality, healthy, and sustainable alternatives to traditional cheese.
GrinGrin Foods is a Spanish FoodTech company specializing in plant-based meat alternatives. Their product range consists of vegan burgers, meatballs, and sausages, all made primarily from protein-rich fava beans. These plant-based options are gluten-free, allergen-free, vegan, and non-GMO. Grin Grin Foods caters to vegan, vegetarian, and hybrid meat applications.
WEVO produces innovative plant-based eggs made from a blend of vegetable proteins, healthy fats, algae, and carbohydrates. These eggs offer a similar nutritional profile to traditional eggs but without cholesterol and with only one-third of the saturated fat. Wevo’s plant-based eggs are environmentally friendly, sustainable, and have a lower carbon footprint. Additionally, they eliminate the risk of pathogen transmission, such as bird flu.
GREEN&GREAT offers tasty plant-based alternatives to animal products for both food service and retail. Their products, like meat-like burgers, are made with recognizable ingredients and are 100% plant-based. The company prioritizes ongoing research and development in partnership with +Artica Innovación and the Spanish Technological Platform Food For Life to continually innovate and expand its range of plant-based offerings.
In June, participants will travel to the Netherlands for a two-week immersion program where they will have the opportunity to learn from industry experts, gain valuable insights into the local market, and connect with potential partners and investors. By the end of the program, participants will know everything they need to scale their business to the Netherlands.
Next step, the most promising solutions will go head to head at the Get in the Ring Bilbao, our iconic pitch battle in the Ring on May 16th, and the two chosen solutions will get a free ticket to the Global Meetup 2024! The winner will be announced on May 17th.
The Global Meetup brings together all of our global startup winners. We provide matchmaking sessions, pitch training, and networking opportunities over the course of a three-day event to nominate the finalists that will get in the ring. Over 500 global partners, policymakers and investors will be joining with the goal to support, invest and scale unconventional solutions to global challenges. During a spectacular show, these finalists will compete for the title of Global Winner.