Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Fairs & Events

Webtalk Recording: AI Food System – Driving Change Through Intelligent Systems

In our latest webtalk, industry leaders delved into the transformative potential of AI in the food sector, highlighting its game-changing role in new product development and waste reduction. Panelists shared their “AI moments,” revealing how advancements in artificial intelligence are accelerating development timelines—from 9 months to as little as 90 days and less—and enabling companies to stay competitive by optimizing processes and improving efficiency. The conversation also explored how ingredient and food companies can leverage AI to harness data for better decision-making, while acknowledging the limitations of these technologies. With powerful examples from the agricultural sector, the panel discussed how the industry is more open to sharing data and the importance of peer-to-peer learning and collaboration in unlocking the full potential of AI. Despite the …

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Fairs & Events

Session 10 of the ‘update’ Webtalk Series: AI Food System – Driving Change Through Intelligent Systems

The international business webtalk series ‘update’ discusses the most pressing issues of the ongoing protein transition. Based on the latest news, data, and facts, the future of the industry will be put forward and discussed with key market players in this series of talks. AI Food System: Driving Change Through Intelligent Systems March 20th, 10:30 AM CT (CHICAGO) | 5:30 PM CET (BERLIN) | 4:30 PM GMT (LONDON) Artificial intelligence is transforming the global food system, from farm to fork. Farmers are leveraging tools like ChatGPT for decision-making, while advanced systems guide optimal cultivation techniques, and AI applications analyze variables such as nutrient content, yield, and spoilage detection. In the alt-protein sector, companies like Reoat are using AI to perfect plant-based recipes, such as their AI-designed waffle, while Aleph …

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New Wave Biotech

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Investments & Finance

New Wave Biotech Secures €1.2 Million in Latest Funding Round to Expand AI Bioprocess Simulation Platform

New Wave Biotech, a company specializing in AI-driven bioprocess simulation software, has raised €1.2 million in a new funding round. The investment, which includes contributions from Innovate UK and EIT Food, will support the company’s efforts to expand its team and broaden its customer base. The funding is a combination of equity investment and grant funding. New Wave Biotech’s primary product, the Bioprocess Foresight platform, utilizes artificial intelligence to simulate and optimize biomanufacturing processes. This allows companies in the synthetic biology sector to predict key outputs, costs, and environmental impacts before committing to physical experiments. Zoe Law, CEO and co-founder of New Wave Biotech, noted, “Access to healthy and sustainable food should be a universal right, but current food production processes are harmful to the …

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AI biotech company Cradle has raised $73 million in a Series B funding round led by IVP and backed by Index Ventures and Kindred Capital, bringing its total funding to over $100 million.

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Investments & Finance

Cradle Secures $73M to Revolutionize Planetary Health with AI-Driven Protein Engineering

AI biotech company Cradle has raised $73 million in a Series B funding round led by IVP and backed by Index Ventures and Kindred Capital, bringing its total funding to over $100 million. Based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Zurich, Switzerland, Cradle was founded by ex-Googlers Stef van Grieken (CEO) and Daniel Danciu (CTO) in 2021 to make biology engineering more accessible and efficient with AI. Its team comprises machine learning and biotech research specialists from leading companies such as Zymergen, Novartis, Uber, Meta, DeepMind, and Perfect Day. AI-powered protein engineering platform The funds will help Cradle scale its operations to accelerate the adoption of its core product — an AI-powered protein engineering platform — designed to discover and develop animal-free foods, life-changing therapeutics, and sustainable …

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Products & Launches

World Animal Protection Launches Free, AI-Powered Cultivated Meat Chatbot for All Your Questions

The US global animal advocacy organization World Animal Protection and AI software company PubTrawlr announce the launch of the Cultivator. Touted as the first-ever cultivated meat chatbot, the Cultivator provides information and answers questions on the topic to make the technology, which may become more widely available shortly, more accessible to consumers.  The initiative aims to raise awareness and acceptance of cultivated meat as a viable, slaughter-free, and sustainable alternative to regular meat production and industrial animal farming. It also seeks to inspire a kinder, more sustainable future for food and animals. Lindsay Oliver, Executive Director of World Animal Protection US, shared, “The Cultivator is a groundbreaking step toward building a kinder future for animals and our planet. By harnessing the power of AI, we’re …

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AI Vegan nutrition plans lack advice on essential nutrients like vitamin B12, say German researchers.

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Studies & Numbers

German Researchers Uncover Flaws in Vegan Diet Plans by ChatGPT and Gemini

Researchers at the University of Hohenheim and the Max Rubner Institute conducted a study on the suitability of AI chatbots ChatGPT and Gemini (previously Bard) to create meal plans that meet the daily intakes of macro- and micronutrients for different dietary patterns: omnivorous, vegetarian, and vegan. Although the chatbots’ meal plans generally met most dietary reference intakes (DRI), the study found that vegan diet plans “concerningly” lacked advice on essential nutrients like vitamin B12, which is critical for nerve function, blood formation, and neurological processes. The authors explain that ChatGPT suggested using vitamin B12 supplements for vegan diets in five out of 18 instances. Meanwhile, Gemini never recommended them and erroneously included milk products in vegan plans. Sam Tucker, the developer of VEG3, a vegan and animal …

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Students from the University of Waterloo in Canada, have received over $700,000 in grants to expand their AI-based research in advancing cultivated seafood.

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Cultivated Seafood

University of Waterloo Students Secure $700,000 to Revolutionize Cultivated Seafood with AI

Kevin Shen and Rikard Saqe, students from the Faculties of Science and Mathematics at the University of Waterloo in Canada, have received over $700,000 in grants from Good Food Institute (GFI), Mitacs, and New Harvest to expand their research in advancing cultivated seafood with AI. The research goals, formulated within the Waterloo Alt Protein Project design team, a global network of over 60 student-led organizations supported by the GFI, aim to establish the large-scale production of cultivated seafood, specifically fish. Using AI, the researchers will predict and enhance cell behavior and create detailed genomic and proteomic profiles. Additionally, they will employ multi-omics technologies and use single-cell RNA sequencing to gain insights into the cellular makeup of fish. The collected data will be used to develop …

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South Korea’s plant-based foods producer Pulmuone has signed a business agreement with with ABB Korea Robotics, a leading company in automation and robotics to develop cultivated fish technologies.

© Pulmuone

Cultivated Seafood

Pulmuone Announces New Collab to Streamline Cultivated Seafood Using AI Robotics

South Korean plant-based foods producer Pulmuone has signed a business agreement with ABB Korea Robotics, the local corporation of Switzerland’s ABB, to develop cultivated seafood. The collaboration aims to automate the cultivation process for seafood using ABB’s robotics technology, with a target of mass-producing cultivated seafood products by 2026. According to the announcement, the companies hope to spearhead research and development in AI robotics for cellular agriculture. At the same time, Pulmuone expects this partnership to be the world’s first to apply AI robotic automation to cultivated meat production. Both companies will focus on several areas, including the robotic automation of the seafood cell cultivation process, enhancing production efficiency, protecting intellectual property, sharing research facilities and equipment, and exchanging specialized personnel. Key representatives from both …

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Cultivated meat by Aleph Farms

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Cultivated Meat

Aleph Farms Partners with BioRaptor to Streamline Cultivated Beef Production With Cutting-Edge AI

Israeli biotech Aleph Farms announces a partnership with the AI-powered insights platform BioRaptor to streamline and lower the costs of its cultivated meat production process by integrating cutting-edge AI technology. Aleph Farms, the first and only company to receive regulatory approval for cultivated beef, is preparing to produce larger volumes of its products, Aleph Cuts, in Israel and Thailand. In Thailand, it will install a large-scale manufacturing plant, targeting Southeast Asia as its central hub. Its growth approach involves strategically expanding its production capacity to ensure long-term success and minimize risks. The partnership with BioRaptor is a key part of this strategy, as it will enable the implementation of advanced tools in R&D to optimize processes before making significant infrastructure investments.  Dr Neta Lavon, CTO …

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NotCo Not Turtle

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Products & Launches

NotCo Develops Plant-Based Turtle Soup Alternative to Combat Sea Turtle Decline

Food technology leader NotCo has created a plant-based solution to turtle soup aimed at preserving the global green sea turtle population while respecting the culinary traditions of the many countries that still consume turtle meat. The newly developed NotTurtle Soup leverages NotCo’s advanced AI technology coupled with the culinary expertise of Peruvian Chef Diego Oka to create a dish that replicates the taste and texture of real turtle meat without the turtle. Climate change and habitat loss are major factors in the decline of green sea turtles, with nesting females estimated at only 85,000, according to The Sea Turtle Conservancy. However, consumption of traditional dishes such as turtle soup continues to drive their endangerment. Despite legal protections, the demand persists, particularly in regions like Peru, …

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PIC Artificial Intelligence Projects

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Startups, Accelerators & Incubators

Protein Industries Canada Launches $10M Fund to Increase Use of AI in Plant-Based Food Sector

Protein Industries Canada (PIC)  announces it is offering $10M CAD for food tech projects that use artificial intelligence to improve plant-based food production. The funds are aimed at accelerating the commercialization of new foods and ingredients while making Canada’s plant-based sector more efficient and sustainable.  According to PIC, an industry-led nonprofit organization, AI has the potential to transform how food ingredient processors and manufacturers operate, especially by increasing the speed of recipe and ingredient formulation. AI also has a strong potential to improve food safety and quality assurance, says PIC.  Wide scope of projects From now until March 31, 2026, PIC plans to invest $30 million into AI projects that wil benefit the plant-based and agrifood sectors. The amount invested in each project will depend on …

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Plantbased Business Hour

All In Podcast’s David Friedberg: Plant-based Innovation Can Grow the Economy. Here’s How.

The podcast I have been waiting years to record! The All In Podcast’s Sultan of Science: David Friedberg, CEO of The Production Board, is on The Plantbased Business Hour with me to discuss how AI can impact the Plant-based Innovation sector (plant-based foods and alternative proteins) as well as what the sector can do to scale up production and reduce costs. The All In podcast doesn’t talk about plant-based innovation as part of an economic driver as much as they could, so we do it here. So much to discuss! We dish on politics, the economy, innovation and culture…all as it relates to global food systems transformation. Specifically, they discuss, How the sector can scale to price parity or better and the innovations that will get us there, The …

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Bel Brands USA Dairy-Free Products

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Investments & Finance

The Bel Group Invests in Climax Foods to Create New Generation of “Best in Class” Vegan Cheese

Global cheese leader The Bel Group and biotech startup Climax Foods announce a partnership to introduce a new generation of “zero compromise” plant-based cheese. By leveraging Climax’s data science and artificial intelligence, the two companies will co-create plant-based versions of Bel Group’s Laughing Cow®, Kiri®, Boursin®, Babybel® and Nurishh® brand cheeses. Bel also reveals it has acquired an equity stake in Climax Foods for an undisclosed amount.  Described as “best in class”, the new cheeses aim to be indistinguishable from their dairy counterparts while being nutritious, affordable and carrying a lower carbon footprint. The upcoming products appear to be different from the dairy-free BabyBel and Boursin that Bel Group has released in the US and Canada in recent years.  The partnership will utilize Climax’s powerful …

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Fernando Machado/ Matias Muchnick

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Company News

NotCo Hires Veteran Global Marketer Fernando Machado as New Chief Marketing Officer

Food tech unicorn NotCo announces it has hired Fernando Machado, a celebrated leader in global marketing, as its new Chief Marketing Officer, effective in April.  Known for “brilliant” marketing campaigns that pushed creative boundaries to drive business growth, Machado most recently served as CMO of Activision Blizzard, one of the world’s most successful entertainment and gaming companies. Prior to Activision, he also served as CMO for Restaurants Brands International, where he created award-winning advertising for brands like Burger King and Popeyes. Machado’s career began as an intern at Unilever, where he last worked as Global Brand Development VP for Dove.  $1.5Bn brand Machado’s hire follows NotCo’s $70M series D1 funding round in December, which valued the company at $1.5Bn. According to Machado, he has long …

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vegan 2023

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Market & Trends

Industry Leaders Reveal Their 2023 Food Trend Predictions, Part 1

As an eventful 2022 draws to a close, leaders across various sectors in the food industry share with vegconomist their food industry predictions for 2023. In the first part of this series, gimme Snacks, Aleph Farms, Stray Dog Capital and Tastewise predict what will happen in the plant-based food and alternative protein spaces. We offer you their thoughts and insights classified by sectors to contextualize each leader’s unique perspective on what’s coming in 2023. Plant-based foods gimme Snacks: Diego Norris, CMO Foods with low environmental footprints: Norris, a marketing expert at gimme Snacks, considers climate change’s effects undeniable. “In 2023, we expect to see a step-change in demand for brands and products that are produced in sustainable ways or that significantly reduce their carbon footprints by …

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Karim Pichara & Matias Muchnick © NotCo
Fundraising

NotCo Raises $70M to Catapult New B2B Platform Ahead of IPO

NotCo announces it has closed $70M in Series D1 funding to “catapult” a new B2B unit and accelerate the transformation of the industry, with Forbes suggesting today that the Chilean unicorn is “actively preparing for an IPO likely in 2025”. “These partnerships will help diversify and accelerate our impact while scaling the accessibility of truly delicious plant-based options to further propel the industry forward” The new platform will enable other CPG brands, ingredient suppliers and tech providers to leverage NotCo’s AI platform “Giuseppe” for their own innovations, while NotCo will continue to operate its branded business, NotCo Food, offering products like NotMilk™, NotBurger™ and NotChicken™ through both retail and food service across the US. Kraft Heinz Not Company The news comes three days after the …

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Protera Team

Protera team, image supplied
Manufacturing & Technology

ICL and Protera Biosciences Partner for AI-Driven Precision Fermented Ingredients

ICL Food Specialties of Israel has joined forces with Chile’s Protera Biosciences, an AI-driven food tech startup and designer of novel proteins used to develop precision fermented ingredients for food manufacturers. Protera closed a $10M Series A round last year, while ICL employs more than 12,500 people worldwide, and reported revenues in 2021 of around $7 billion.  Through the newly announced partnership, ICL and Protera will develop and commercialize sustainable protein-based ingredients using precision fermentation. These ingredients, according to the company, will “improve the sensory properties in plant-based food applications, while positively impacting the world’s food security challenges.” Deep-learning platform Protera’s AI tech, called madiTM, a deep-learning platform, can predict and match the structure and functionality of vegetable proteins. It designs proteins from a database …

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Kraft Heinz Not Co Joint Venture

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Products & Launches

Kraft Heinz and NotCo Reveal First Joint Products: Animal-Free Cheese and Mayo

Kraft Heinz Co. and food tech startup NotCo reveal the first products of their innovative partnership will be animal-free cheese slices and mayonnaise. Beginning in November, Not Cheese will be tested in 30 Cleveland, OH stores, with a national rollout planned for later next year. The two companies’ new mayo is also expected to launch in early 2023, reports Bloomberg.  Kraft Heinz and NotCo joined forces to create The Kraft Heinz Not Company in February to accelerate the development of affordable plant-based foods. Combining Kraft’s iconic brands with NotCo’s AI-driven technology, Kraft stated the venture would develop premium, co-branded products with an “unprecedented” focus on speed, quality and scale.  Cheese singles The newly unveiled products include dairy-free Not Cheese, which recreates Kraft’s classic Singles slices in …

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Proveg AI NFH

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Manufacturing & Technology

Big Plant-Based Data: Four Ways to Harness AI and Transform your R&D Process

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning technologies are transforming the world as we know it, and are proving to be integral to advancements within the plant-based industry. ProVeg International recently published an article which details four key ways in which your company can utilise AI to improve your plant-based product-development process, helping to reduce company costs, promote productivity in your workforce, and truly excite consumers. In ProVeg’s full article, which draws on insight from experts in the plant-based AI field, you can find out how to effectively harness AI by adopting the following four key strategies: Lead with consumer insight Drive innovation and reduce costs with AI-powered flavours Connect and collaborate with other companies Keep humans at the forefront But why is AI becoming such a …

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NotChicken US launch

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Products & Launches

NotCo Preparing to Launch First NotChicken Products in US By End of 2022

Food tech startup NotCo announces it will be launching NotChicken patties at US Sprouts Farmers Markets in coming months. In addition, NotChicken nuggets are set to make their US debut in the beginning of 2023, reports FoodNavigator-USA.  Taste test winner The new products, which retail for a suggested price of $7.99/ 4-pack, performed better than competing plant-based chicken brands in a consumer taste test, according to co-founder and CEO Matias Muchnick.  While plenty of plant-based chicken patties and nuggets have appeared on the market, NotCo maintains its products – created by a patented, AI-powered tech platform  – stand apart because the company possesses unique IP and formulations. Special ingredients The brand also says NotChicken’s ingredient formulation differs according to global regional markets, with the US …

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