The selected startups are pioneering food innovation and the list includes some with dairy connections.
FoodBytes! looks for global food and agriculture innovators: The platform offers an opportunity for entrepreneurs to showcase their new products and technologies in front of investors, executives and media, as well as receive mentorship from food and agriculture industry leaders.
Startups include dairy
The 10 highest ranked startups based on criteria including sustainability, traction and innovation will have three-and-a-half minutes to pitch. The 10 second-highest-ranked startups will have a one-and-a-half minute slot.
In the second group are three companies with dairy credentials.
Natur+L XTD, based in Sainte-Hyacinthe, Quebec, is a company whose technology provides longer shelf life to fresh products of almost any kind, including cheese and yogurt.
XTD uses HPP (High Pressure Process) technology to help food processors lower their wastes at every level of the supply chain.
HPP uses pure cold water (mostly recycled) to pasteurize foods.
Another Quebec company, AmazStev Lifestyle Brands, based in Montreal, focuses on the development, production and commercialization of AmazStev UltraDulce, a portfolio of natural, calorie-free and bitter-free Stevia extract sweeteners that enable food and beverage manufacturers to develop clean- label, sugar-free products for health-conscious consumers.
From Boston, US, PowCow features one of the world's first Greek Style, high protein, low sugar frozen yogurt in three flavors: Heavenly Chocolate; Cool Coconut and Passionfruit & Mango.
Awards available
The companies are in the running to win one of three awards, which offer development opportunities to support their business growth, including innovation experiences and counsel from the FoodBytes! sponsors, as well as the opportunity to pitch leading food and agriculture C-suite executives at Rabobank's Annual Food & Agriculture Summit in New York City.
FoodBytes! by Rabobank is supported by Canadian dairy cooperative Agropur, with its open innovation platform, Inno Challenge, designed to reinvent dairy by accelerating promising startups.
Since FoodBytes! launched in 2015, more than 1,250 startups have applied to pitch from 35 countries to more than 3,000 attendees in North America, Europe and Australia.
FoodBytes! makes its Canadian debut on Wednesday, May 16 at New City Gas.