SPACE-F hosted a ‘SPACE-F Batch 2 Accelerator Demo Day’ giving a stage for FoodTech startups joining Accelerator program to pitch their businesses to a bunch group of guests: embassies, investors, and key players in food ecosystem, both on-ground and virtually.
The ‘SPACE-F Batch 2 Accelerator Demo Day’ aims to drive growth within the Thai food industry. Dr. Pun-Arj Chairatana, Executive Director of NIA, said NIA is in the process of buildmaking “Bangkok as a FoodTech Silicon Valley”. SPACE-F is focusing on establishing nine food-tech trends to the world. They are:
1) Health and wellness
2) Alternative proteins
3) Smart manufacturing
4) Packaging solutions
5) Novel food & ingredients
6) Biomaterials & chemicals
7) Restaurant-tech,
8) Food safety & quality
9) Smart food services
“Building the competitiveness of the companies in the future requires more advanced and complex technology known as ‘DeepTech’ for business optimization. FoodTech is one of NIA’s key goals,” said Dr. Pun-Arj
Dr. Tunyawat Kasemsuwan, Group Director for Global Innovation at Thai Union Group PCL., said that “The Accelerator Demo Day is another exciting day as we get to see FoodTech innovations this year in particular and Thai Union is pleased to see the first step of their success today. We notice that customer demands are rapidly changing due to COVID-19. The pandemic has affected not only business operations but also consumer behaviors worldwide. Moreover, COVID-19 has impacted more on consumer awareness, attitudes, and behaviors related to food.”
Prof. Pattarachai Kiratisin, Director of Institute for Technology and Innovation Management, Mahidol University, said that “Food innovations are essential for human well-being. To serve a variety of demands, there are areas where food innovations could be placed. At Mahidol university, we have been extensively trying to push on research and technology in order to leverage the FoodTech ecosystem. We are proud to be a part of SPACE-F to support new generation startups who will be creating innovative solutions and changing our future. We love to see their journey.”
Mrs. Tongjai Thanachanan, Chief of Sustainable Business Development, Thai Beverage Public Company Limited, expressed that “We are pleased with all startups who have completed the SPACE-F Batch 2 accelerator program. We hope that startups will be able to get the most of the knowledge and experiences out of this program to further develop their own businesses. ThaiBev is proud to be part of the support to all the startup teams. We are committed to work jointly with both public and private sectors, to develop our country's competency and to drive innovation and technology in our food and beverage industry to be the leader in ASEAN and globally.”
Mr. Vasit Taepaisitphongse, Chief Executive Officer and President, Betagro Group, said “SPACE-F Batch 2 signifies the first step to upgrade the food industry by merging the food-related innovation to the state-of-the-art food technology to sustain the business growth. From the Accelerator Demo Day, Betagro witnessed the impressive results of the food-related innovation. It has also opened the new aspect to business and equipped the food industry with the capability to deal with changes in this Digital Disruption era. Betagro strongly believes that the success of more support and development to FoodTech startup members, the more access the consumers will have to good quality foods that sustain our lives.”
Mr. Subhasakdi Krishnamra, Country Managing Partner, Deloitte Thailand, said, “Today we have seen such interesting and innovative pitches and booth displays from the FoodTech startups. Deloitte is very pleased to join this program in collaboration with SPACE-F as it is a good opportunity to make a meaningful contribution as SPACE-F's purpose also aligns with Deloitte's World-class ambition to help those who may be potentially left behind and also to prepare the next generation for the future economy through practical knowledge. At Deloitte, innovation is highly valued as we believe it can bring positive changes to both business and society. I am very pleased to have met with many rising star FoodTech startups today and wish you all will grow and be very successful in this new venture.”
SPACE-F Batch 2 Accelerator Demo Day has gained the attention of investors and major companies. Startups set up trade show booths, showing off their products and services to audiences. After the presentations, there were some networking activities for the participants.
Here are nine potential startups that pitched at the event SPACE-F Batch 2 Accelerator program and successfully graduated from SPACE-F Batch 2 Accelerator program.
Advanced GreenFarm: A farm that produces Wolffia enriched with high quality protein.
Avant Meats: A startup that offers lab-grown fish for food and cosmetics industries.
DEZPAX: A company that produces custom-tailored, affordable, and eco-friendly packaging for SMEs and food services.
IXON Food Technology: A startup that utilizes a sterilized process, known as advanced sous-vide aseptic packaging (ASAP), to extend the shelf life of meat products up to 2 years at room temperature.
Karana: A startup that produces plant-based protein derived from jackfruit. The protein has pork-like taste and texture.
Nitro Labs: A craft brewer of non-alcoholic beverages like nitro cold brew coffee and teas.
ProfilePrint: A startup that produces a SaaS-based food analyser that uses AI to authenticate and recognize characteristics of food, such as taste profile and quality, by automatically using the molecular composition of the food.
Sophie’s Bionutrients: A company that has created an innovative controlled environment tank to produce high-quality and plant-based protein made up of microalgae.
Spira: This startup uses colorful carbon-negative microalgae to create sustainable food-safe pigments. The product can also be used as a substitute for animal proteins.