6 months later: Where are our FoodTech 2022 Alumni?

Last year, the FoodTech Tasmania Program came to an exhilarating conclusion, leaving all our mentors and investors amazed. We had 10 passionate startups who took the stage and shared their creative pitches! Each founder demonstrated their commitment to revolutionise the food industry and foster a circular economy on an international scale.

Now 6 months later, we decided to check in with these startups and hear how they've been! They’re all achieving major milestones - read more below!

TotalCtrL: Built a food transparency platform that enables elimination of food waste and allows for increased traceability throughout the entire food value chain – from farm to fork.

• Big Achievement: Over the last 6 month TotalCtrl have recruited and onboarded a management team, kicked off their EU project with a goal of ensuring traceability from farm to fork, and closed partnerships and clients. They are now looking for one hotel chain and one restaurant chain partner outside of the Nordics to validate a fully automated inventory system in connection to the EU project.

Agristar Bio: Makes organomineral fertiliser from the biosolids of livestock or municipal water treatment stations.

• Big Achievement: Received first Grant Settlement disbursement of 430k EUROs for the Transform - Forest Management Project (Total Grant Size is 3.3m).

NovoNutrients: Turns waste CO2 into high-value, low-cost proteins and additives for aquaculture, food and pet food.

• Big Achievement: Woodside Energy Group Ltd has executed an Investment and Development Agreement with NovoNutrients valued at $3mm with intention to pilot and proceed to commercial scale in Australia. Read more about it here.

Transport Genie: Generates real-time alerts and leverage Blockchain technologies to keep an electronic record of activities throughout the transportation value chain.

• Big Achievement: Secured several contracts with big-ticket parties: such as:
  • Highlyfe POC trial (Canada’s largest Swine company). Read more about it here.
  • BAADER POC trial (One of the world’s largest poultry processing machinery manufacturers).

Tummi Yummi: Creates patent-protected, cage-free probiotic eggs that revolutionise good gut bacteria delivery through the cleanest protein available: the egg.

• Big Achievement: Received a research grant for product and shelf stabilization and efficacy underway Summer- Fall.
  • Tummi Yummi has been through two accelerators, the I-Corps Spanish Language National Science Foundation lean startup methodology and is finishing up the Social Enterprise Greenhouse accelerator in Rhode Island.
  • They’re laser focused on getting to market and will fundraise as such as their shelf life study yields positive results.
  • They also received their US patent.

envoPAP: Creates sustainable and commercially viable alternatives to single-use plastic and timber products with agro-based materials.

• Big Achievement: Signed contract with the leading box manufacturer in the UK.

FlyFarm: Combines in house designed robotics with the bioconversion power of insects to transform the protein landscape.

• Big Achievement: Closed a Pre Series A round of $3M AUD, secured Joint Venture commitment with major partner, began a pilot with a major Australian Retailer, Aldi and is now site scouting for 1st commercial facility.
  • Trials in progress with JBS Longford (paunch waste), Huon (fish waste) and Simplot (vegetable waste).

FreshBox: Designs, manufactures and deploys solar-powered cold storage solutions for fresh produce farmers, aggregators and market vendors.

• Big Achievement: Increased total number of solar-powered cold storage solution units installed to 36. Projected to close 2023 with a total of 100 installed units serving over 5000 fresh produce farmers and retailers in East Africa.

Awsum: Develops functional chocolate with ayurvedic herbs that offers enriched health benefits.

• Big Achievement: Selected as one of the beneficiaries of the Government of India backed Startup India Seed Fund Scheme in which Awsum will receiving a soft loan of 40 Lakh Indian Rupees (AUD 74K).

Clever Fruit Products: Creates fermented fruit ingredients for consumer brands who make functional foods and beverages, supplements, and nutraceuticals.

• Big Achievement: Have committed their 1st joint venture. Expanded production in Nova Scotia based on wild blueberry farms.
  • Negotiating supply arrangement with Canada’s largest fermentation research and co-manufacturing center, which would satisfy manufacturing capacity for the next 3-4 years.

It’s so inspiring to see how much can happen in just 6 months. Each of these startups have really utilised the tools they learnt from the FoodTech Program and taken the steps needed to continue growing, evolving and expanding.

We can’t wait to see all they will continue to accomplish.

Interested in being a part of our next FoodTech cohort? Apply Here.

Want to hear from previous program alumni how they are doing now? Watch their chats here.