FoodBytes!, the startup business competition by Rabobank, a global food and agribusiness bank, is returning to New York City and startups can apply now through August 12.
The pitch competition, to take place on October 18, gives 20 pre-selected startups the chance of winning one of three awards: the Judges’ Choice Award, the People’s Choice Award, and the Highly Commended Award.
“FoodBytes! played a key role in our launch activities this year,” said Bruce Rasa, CEO and founder of AgVoice, a mobile voice-interaction service designed to improve sustainability, productivity, and accuracy of data captured in the agriculture/food supply chain and the winner of the 2017 FoodBytes! New York Judges Choice Award. “The valuable insights we received at FoodBytes! helped us identify the right strategies for our business growth and enabled us to improve our product to meet the needs of the new generation of ag professionals embracing smart technology.”
The two-day program begins with a mentorship intensive on Wednesday, October 17 led by industry experts on fundraising, public relations, branding, consumer trends, legal and go-to-market strategy. The three winning companies receive consultation prizes and innovation experiences with the FoodBytes! family of sponsors. They will also pitch leading executives at Rabobank’s Annual Food & Agriculture Summit in NYC on Thursday, November 29.
Past winners of FoodBytes! NYC also include 2017 People’s Choice Award winner ImpactVision, a software startup using hyperspectral imaging to help food supply chain companies determine the quality and ripeness of food products, which went on to raise $1.7 million later that same year.
Still a powerful force in agrifood tech investment, New York startups received $344 million in agrifood tech investment in 2017, according to AgFunder data, topped only by Massachusetts and California in the United States, with several of the city’s generalist tech VCs increasing their interest and activity in the space.
First launched in San Francisco in 2015, FoodBytes! has now taken place in seven cities across the globe, most recently in Montreal, Canada, where SmartCatch, a precision fishing technology startup won the Judge’s Choice Award and the People’s Choice Award went to data-driven apiary management technology Nectar. FoodBytes! is headed to London in September where the 20 pitching companies have already been selected.
FoodBytes! NYC is supported by presenting sponsor ADM – a specialty ingredients provider to food and beverage. Official sponsors include Polsinelli, an AM Law 100 firm focusing on food and beverage, food and agtech, and healthcare, The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. which focuses on investing in and refreshing healthy lifestyle brands, Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN which provides growers with customized efficiency tools to increase yield and reduce nutrient loss while protecting natural resources and
Apply to pitch at FoodBytes! NYC before August 12 at 11:59PM EST.
