RootWave Takes Judges’ Choice Award at FoodBytes! London, the People Vote for Food Freshness Tech Mimica
Herbicide alternative technology RootWave won the Judges’ Choice Award at FoodBytes! in London last week. FoodBytes! is the global pitch competition organized by food and agriculture bank Rabobank with the aim of harnessing new innovation to create a better world through food.
“particularly impressed by the truly disruptive potential of [RootWave’s] technology on the market and of course the environmental benefits of reduced pesticide use.”
RootWave is a UK startup based near Oxford that uses electricity to zap weeds, reducing or even eliminating the need for chemical herbicides. Founder Andrew Diprose of late shut down a $2.5 million seed round of backing for the technology.
Mimica’s food label called Mimica Touch goes bumpy when the food or drink it’s labeling goes bumpy, which can dramatically reduce waste at the supermarket, according to founder Solveiga Pakštaitė. “When you increase the shelf life of milk by two days, retailers can cut their waste in half,” she briefed the audience. The firm is currently working with European dairy label Arla on its milk products. Pakštaitė explained: “The validation from FoodBytes! and Rabobank is so weighty to us since the way we want to create impact is through the access and exposure to all of the businesses that were here.
Winning the People’s Choice Award has certainly allowed us to do that and opens up so many opportunities for us.” Biokind, a sustainable protein feed producer for aquaculture, livestock, and pets, was Highly Commended by the judges after pitching among the 1.5-minute pitch businesses. It is manufacturing bacteria to replace fishmeal — which is largely made up of dropping stocks of forage fish — or other fish feed ingredients such as soybean.
Produced via a natural fermentation, it is non-GMO, quotation competitive with existing sources of protein and produced to the highest quality standards, according to the firm.
