Editor’s note: GROW is an impact-focused agrifoodtech fund and accelerator based in Singapore. It is backed by AgFunder, which is AFN’s parent company.
Food lies at the heart of some of our biggest global crises and challenges. It’s estimated that food production is responsible for a quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, with agricultural practices recognized as a key driver of biodiversity loss and pandemic risk. A third of all the food we produce is lost or wasted along the supply chain, while millions around the world go hungry every day. Technological innovation is critical for us to transform our food system into one that can sustainably meet the demands of tomorrow.
Focused on driving this transformation, GROW has launched the second cohort of its flagship Impact Accelerator program. Representing some of the most promising technological innovations for the food and agriculture sectors, the diverse cohort was picked from over 270 applicants hailing from 58 countries. Seven out of the 10 teams have female founders.
The teams selected are:
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- ANINA Culinary Art (Israel) – Creating food laminates from unwanted produce to encapsulate ready-to-cook, nutrient-rich meals and cut food waste, one of the largest sources of GHG emissions.
- Biteback Biotechnology (Singapore) – Insect bio-refinery converting agro-industrial waste into a healthier drop-in replacement for palm oil, biofuels, and other functional ingredients.
- Braintree Technologies (Malaysia) – Robotic farming-as-a-service that transforms unattended land into agricultural spaces, raising smallholder incomes and reducing GHG and chemical emissions.
- Cellular Agriculture (United Kingdom) – Novel bioreactor design for production of cell-based meats, dramatically increasing yield and reducing costs for the future of animal protein production.
- Green Rebel (Indonesia) – The archipelago’s top selling plant-based protein brand, using local ingredients to create clean-label meat alternatives with distinct Asian flavors.
- Mayani (Philippines) – Ag e-commerce platform helping smallholders access new customers and markets, while digitalizing the supply chain to improve incomes and reduce food loss.
- Rainfed Foods (Canada) – Developing ingredients for plant-based foods using millet proteins – great-tasting and more sustainable than conventional ingredients such as almond, pea, and soy.
- Rubilabs (Nigeria) – Africa’s first cloud-based animal healthcare solution, building an app-powered vaccine delivery service to combat livestock death and disease.
- S4S (India) – Combining solar-powered dehydration tech with micro-entrepreneurship to transform social and supply chain inefficiencies in developing countries.
- Seadling (Singapore) – Producing functional ingredients for pet, aquaculture, and animal feed manufacturers from sustainably farmed seaweed.
The 20-week Impact Accelerator is backed by the GROW Impact Fund, AgFunder’s first fund mandated to measure not just commercial growth, but also the social and environmental impact of its portfolio companies. The program, delivered virtually from GROW’s headquarters in Singapore, provides these teams with the support they need to scale up rapidly and create lasting positive change across the globe. Each team will receive $100,000 in cash and $100,000 in-kind investment on founder-friendly terms. They will also benefit from bespoke coaching, mentor support, expert sessions, peer learning, and access to AgFunder’s unparalleled industry network.
Why did AgFunder launch an impact fund? Find out here
“GROW was established to catalyze change and push boundaries in the global agrifood system,” says John Friedman, Executive Director at GROW and AgFunder Asia. “Each of the companies selected for the Impact Accelerator and receiving investment from the Fund embody this mission, and bring a unique solution to the table. We are thrilled to welcome these 10 exciting companies into the GROW family and look forward to working closely with them to scale new heights and create lasting impact.”
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