Announcing the Results of the TFF Challenge 2021

The Results Are In! Introducing the Finalists of the TFF Challenge 2021:

• 10 Startups named as Global Finalists and will advance to the TFF Academy & TFF Summit
• 13 “Topical Track” winners and runners-up will receive special prizes from Good Food Institute (GFI) APAC, Danone, DSM, Cargill
• 1 idea will join the TFF Boost™ venture-building program

Basel, Switzerland | 17.06.2020 — Thought For Food (TFF) is thrilled to announce the results of the TFF Challenge 2021, the world’s largest and most diverse innovation challenge dedicated to food systems transformation.

5000+ participants, 1400+ high-quality teams, 120+ countries – and ultimately 10 teams selected as Global Finalists. Leveraging cutting-edge technologies like AI, computer vision, biotech, and digital, and incorporating regenerative and circular approaches into their business models, the Finalists’ solutions represent some of the most innovative and impactful startups in the world, and are making our food and agricultural systems more sustainable, healthy, and inclusive on the ground in every region.

Without further ado, we introduce the amazing startups selected as TFF Challenge 2021 Finalists (in alphabetical order):

• BMTA&C (Morocco): solar-powered cold storage to prevent food waste
• Cultured Decadence (USA): cultured lobster to save our oceans
• CurubaTech (Colombia): digital platform to improve supply chain transparency
• Humica (Mexico): regenerative agriculture through soil biotechnology
• Infinity Box (India): circular packaging system for food delivery
• Invisible Foods (The Netherlands): AI-powered platform to prevent food surpluses
• IZagro (Brazil): digital agronomy platform for small and medium-size farmers
• Rambler (Thailand): automated vending machine to support organic farmers and make nutritious food easily accessible.
• The Live Green Co. (Chile): AI-powered engine to replace animal and synthetic food additives with plant-based alternatives
• Zuhura Solutions (Kenya): Solar-powered street-food vending cart to safely heat and distribute food

These teams will now join the TFF Academy™, a three-month, personalized acceleration program that takes next-gen, agri-food-tech startups to the next level through hands-on mentorship and support in areas like pitching, storytelling, business model development, customer validation, and industry introductions. The Finalists will also be invited to the award-winning TFF Summit™ event in October, where they will pitch their solutions and share their visions on the global stage for the chance to win cash prizes from TFF and partners.

More details about the teams, including their Founder stories, traction, and investments to date will be released in the coming weeks. Subscribe to the TFF newsletter to stay up to date.

Topical Prize Winners Named

This year, TFF also worked with visionary leaders across the food and agricultural sector to run “topical tracks” as part of the TFF Challenge that were focused on discovering innovative solutions in strategic areas of interest. The winners of these tracks were selected by the partners to receive special awards.

Next-Gen Cropportunities with GFI APAC:

• Winner: MILS (Myanmar) – technology, agronomic advice, buying schemes, and processing technologies to expand opportunities for smallholder farmers in the plant-based food sector.
• Runner-up: Floatmeal (Japan / Thailand) – innovative vertical farming system to improve the efficiency and quality of duckweed farming.

Nutrition in Africa with DSM:

• Winner: Vetsark (Nigeria) – data platform enabled by predictive analytics to help farmers capture, record, and analyze farm production and financial data in real time.
• Runner-up: Kairos (Ethiopia) – Innovative, affordable aquaponic system for fish, vegetable, and poultry farming.

Circular Economy of Food with Danone:

• Winner: The Regeneration Fellowship (Uganda/Global) – incubator focused on coaching, supporting and financing food system entrepreneurs to integrate regenerative practices and business models.
• Runners-up (3 teams): Deeply Rooted (USA), Green Girls (Brazil); Yomba Superfoods (Venezuela) – three social ventures fostering deep impact on local communities.

Resilient Restaurants with Cargill:

• Winner: The Rocket Hub (Thailand): Cloud multi-brand hub providing stocking space and full-operation service system to support SME restaurant businesses.
• Runner-Up: B2B (China): Hygienic, zero-waste logistics solution for restaurant delivery.

Inclusive AgTech:

• Winner: FlyingThings (Malawi) – Manufactures low-cost, fixed-wing autonomous drones made from 3D printed parts to enable remote sensing and deliveries.
• Runner-Up: CropFleet (Belarus) – Automated drone system to improve the safety, effectiveness and sustainability of crop protection.

TFF Boost™ will support an Open-Source Future for Plant-Based Innovation

The TFF Boost™ program, launched in 2020, will take on venture-building in 2021. As part of this, TFF will help bring to life the “Next Billion Burgers” idea, which was submitted by Nigel Teh of Singapore. TFF will work closely with Nigel by connecting our global community of talents and providing access to technical know-how and enabling technologies. Together, we will develop and launch this new company that will accelerate the development of plant-based products in markets around the world.

What’s Next

“If there was ever a year to be part of driving food system innovation, this is the one. Investment is flowing into the sector, and global leaders are putting food and agricultural transformation high on their agendas in the lead up to the UN Food Systems Summit. The urgency of climate change, and the tragic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that we need more innovation and collaboration to reach more people in more places – and this is exactly what TFF is set up to do,” stated Christine Gould, Founder and CEO of Thought For Food.

“There is truly no better feeling than to see thousands of creative, purpose-fuelled entrepreneurs in every part of the world stepping up to take part in the global TFF Challenge. The best part is that this is just the beginning! We now get to work closely with these teams, and welcome all of the TFF Challenge participants as new members of our global community. Together, we are driving next-generation solutions, values and approaches that are solving the biggest challenges facing our planet. Watch out world!”