Start-Up Arena Program

Ten innovators will pitch their technologies on the Start-Up Stage! Hear from exciting early-stage start-ups pitching their technology. Innovators have 3 minutes each to give you a snapshot of their solutions.

Innovators:
Rory Hornby, Co-Founder & CSO, ALORA
Shannon Nangle, Co-Founder & CEO, CIRCE
Linda Dijkshoorn, CCO and Co-Founder, EV BIOTECH
Aviel Even, CEO and Co-Founder, INGREDIOME
Eden Banon, Co-Founder & CEO, NUMI
Simona Fehlmann, Co-Founder, SALLEA
Yulin Lu, Co-Founder & CEO, YALI BIO
Rasit Görgülü, Co-Founder & CEO, EATCH
John Ahrens, CEO & Co-Founder, REEL

The Future Food Aotearoa team join the Start Up Arena with their cohort to spotlight different innovation strategies.

Host:
Katy Bluett, Executive Director, FUTURE FOOD AOTEAROA

With:
Alex Devereaux, CEO, ANDFOODS
Angus Brown, Co-CEO & Co-Founder, ĀREPA
Irina Miller, CEO & Co-Founder, DAISY LAB
Amos Palfreyman, CEO, MIRUKU
Toby Lane, CEO, NEWFISH
Olivia Ogilvie, CEO, OPO BIO

The Plug & Play team join the Start Up Arena with their cohort to spotlight different innovation strategies.

Host:
Alex Davisson, Ventures Associate, PLUG AND PLAY

With:
Sepideh Mohseni, Senior Director – Pharmaceutical and Chemical, US, BASETWO
Swetha Mahadevan, Head of Product, MINUS COFFEE BY COMPOUND FOODS
Dominic Jeong, CEO & Co-Founder, SIMPLE PLANET

SnackFutures Global Head Richie Gray and Celleste Bio CEO Michal Beressi Golomb discuss how CPG and Food Tech can build effective partnerships.

Speakers:
Richie Gray, Vice President and Global Head of Snack Futures, MONDELEZ INTERNATIONAL
Michal Beressi Golomb, CEO, CELLESTE BIO

Ten innovators will pitch their technologies on the Start-Up Stage! Hear from exciting early-stage start-ups pitching their technology. Innovators have 3 minutes each to give you a snapshot of their solutions.

Innovators:
Juliana Romero, CEO & Co-Founder, CANO-ELA
Verena Schwab, Co-Founder & CEO, ECONUTRI
Alejandro Barbarini, CEO and Co-Founder, ERGO BIOSCIENCE
Sina Albanese, Co-CEO, KORALO
Randi Wahlsten,CEO, MATR FOODS
Ryo Sato, CEO, MORUS
Karen Scofield Seal, CEO, OCEANIUM
Jyrki Lee-Korhonen, CEO, PERFAT TECHNOLOGIES 
Ricardo Martinez, Director of Finances, PROFILLET
Rebecca Palmer, CMO, TERRA BIOINDUSTRIES INC.

Host:
Celine Schiff-Deb, Chief Scientific Officer, MISTA

With:
Lucas Drezza Hardy, Head of Innovation Centres of Excellence & Global Plant-based Innovation Director, AAK
Shannon Nangle, Co-founder & CEO, CIRCE
John Krzywicki, Head of Spotlight Foods & VP of Corporate Strategy, CHECKERSPOT
Mandy Hon, Co-Founder & CEO, IMPACFAT
Jyrki Lee-Korhonen, Co-Founder & CEO, PERFAT TECHNOLOGIES

Looking for well-researched, de-risked, early-stage investment and partnership opportunities? Check out the cohort from Canada’s Food Tech Accelerator in the Start-Up Arena. In 3-minute pitches, you’ll hear how they’re tackling the industry’s biggest issues, and see why everyone’s bullish on Canada’s food-tech innovation scene.

Host:
Christina Connelly, Trade Commissioner, CONSULATE GENERAL OF CANADA

With:
Kirk Moir, CEO, CRUSH DYNAMICS
Eric Zimmerman, Co-Founder & CEO, ENHANCED MEDICAL NUTRITION
Jack MacDonald, Co-Founder, INFUSD NUTRITION
Lourdes Juan, Founder & CEO, KNEAD TECHNOLOGIES
Chris Bryson, Founder and CEO, NEW SCHOOL FOODS
Jerry Kristian, Co-Founder, NULIFE GREENTECH
Reesha Parmar, Manager, Business Development & Strategy, RENAISSANCE BIOSCIENCE
Jesse Knight, Founder & CEO, SEAWISE PACKAGING

Speaker:
Elysabeth Alfano, CEO & Founder, VEGTECH INVEST

As a food company, catering food service or fast-food provider or investor, discover how these two European companies provide plant-based pastries, chicken, or fish and other ingredients in large scale at international scale.

Host:
Sunil Chhaya, Co-Founder & General Partner, KEARNY JACKSON 

Speakers:
Alvyn Severien, Co-Founder and CEO, ALGAMA
Tristan Maurel, CEO & Founder, UMIAMI

Ten innovators will pitch their technologies on the Start-Up Stage! Hear from exciting early-stage start-ups pitching their technology. Innovators have 3 minutes each to give you a snapshot of their solutions.

Innovators:
Shahreen Reza, CEO, ASTREAS
Ingmar van Hengel, Business Development Manager, CRYPTOBIOTIX
Julie Hirsch, COO, DIGESTIVA
Monica Bhatia, Co-Founder & CEO, EQUII
Rachel Thu Nguyen, Co-Founder & Chief Business Officer, EVERSYN
Joshua Sauer, Co-Founder & CEO, ZYA ENZYMES
John Chant, CEO, FILTRICINE
Eden Banon, Co-Founder & CEO, NUMI
Danny Weiss, Co-Founder & CEO, WONDER VEGGIES
ASTREAS

Hear from ICL and their portfolio company Plantible Food as they explore how collaboration is crucial to accelerate innovation across the food sector and how corporates and start-ups can work together successfully.

Speakers:
Hadar Sutovsky, VP Corporate Investments, ICL GROUP & GM, ICL PLANET STARTUP HUB
Tony Martens, Co-Founder, PLANTIBLE FOODS

The Eatable Adventures team join the Start Up Arena with their cohort to explore different innovations elevating alt-dairy with a presentation and panel discussion. 

Host:
Jose Luis Cabanero, CEO, EATABLE ADVENTURES

With:
Alejandro Barbarini, CEO and Co-Founder, ERGO
Maya Ashkenazi, CEO & Co-Founder, MAOLAC
Amos Palfreyman, Co-Founder and CEO, MIRUKU
Alix Chausson, Head of Business Development, NOSH.BIO

Join us for an exciting panel on pioneering the future of alternative proteins, highlighting impact strategy and Life Cycle Assessment. Hosted by XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion and XPRIZE partner WSP’s Sustainability, Energy and Climate Change team, a leading advisory organization focused on guiding Fortune 50 and early start-ups alike through sustainability journeys.

Host:
Caroline Kolta, Director, Feed the Next Billion, XPRIZE

With:
Rebekah Moses, Assistant Vice President, Climate Change, WSP USA
Mark Fielding, Chief Commercial Officer, ETERNAL
Ziliang Yang, CEO, CELLX