Our Program Offers

Startups
Access to unparalleled industry mentorship, connections and media attention
Corporates
Exposure to the most promising sustainable food and agriculture startups via our Digital protal (currently in Beta)
Investors
A trusted pipeline tool and validation of cutting-edge trends

Learn About Our Startup Program

FoodBytes!

FoodBytes! is one of the industry’s most valuable global networks for food and agriculture startups pioneering sustainable innovations. It is Rabobank’s discovery platform that champions cross-industry collaboration between the most promising startups, corporates and investors.

FoodBytes! has made some pivotal changes in 2022 that will help catalyze long-term collaboration and improve future food systems.

Our continuous startup scouting process and application window will take place on a quarterly basis through our Digital hub. In partnership with our members, we will select 15 startups a quarter to participate. The startup program will take place across one week each quarter and culminate in strategic introductions between startups and relevant members.

Check out our startup program overview deck to learn more.

2022 Quarterly Programming

  1. 45 Startups in 2022

    15 startups are selected each quarter based on alignment with our criteria and the quarterly scouting theme, with a focus on Food Tech and Agtech companies. Our CPG sector has been streamlined - CPG startups must have a defensible underlying technology or a novel supply chain innovation, and are encouraged to apply under the food tech sector.

  2. Quarterly Startup Onboarding

    Once selected, startups participate in 1:1 mentoring and group workshops with experts on topics like route to market, investment strategy, and corporate collaboration.

  3. Member-Focused Pitch Prep

    Startups are prepped and tasked with creating a pitch video deliverable to share with FoodBytes! members, learning to put their best foot forward for future partnership.

  4. Individualized 1:1 introductions

    Introductions between startups and members to lay the groundwork for commercial partnerships, investment, and more.

Applying to the Startup Program

Are you an entrepreneur with a robust, diverse team? Do you have a validated business model with a focus on sustainability (people, profit planet)? Are you open to cross-collaboration, partnerships and critical feedback? Is your business validation to growth stage? Then FoodBytes! is calling your name…

In 2022, we’re emphasizing industry-validated themes. Each quarter we’ll focus on a specific cross-cutting theme and scout within that theme.  

Q1: The New Consumer: proactively anticipating how future eaters will evaluate, shop for and consume their food, including:

  • Ingredient Diversification
  • Nutrition / Immunity
  • Supply chain traceability & Sustainability metrics
  • Wearables / tracking & consumer education
  • Packaging

Q2: New Modes of Production: developing technologies that optimize food production decisions and improve full value chains, includnig:

  • Farm Management Systems
  • Cell Ag / fermentation tech
  • Novel farming
  • hyper-localized production & distribution
  • Farm biologicals & other regenerative inputs

Q3: New Ways of Working: re-imagining the role of the worker and conditions of the workplace by introducing new technologies that create more from less, including:

  • Robotics
  • manufacturing improvement
  • New food distribution
  • Shelf-stable processing
  • Waste reduction / upcycled ingredients

 

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Of all the startup programs, FoodBytes! is the most impactful with tangible results and an ongoing community of support.

Bella Hughes

Shaka Tea

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FoodBytes! and Rabobank’s existing client connections fill a gap for F&A startups. Their deep insights into opaque markets we operate in has been invaluable, and connections for later investment rounds mean we can achieve a high valuation from investors.

Juan Guzman

Capro-X

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Foodbytes! brings us a look at the cutting-edge technology and what’s been innovative within the food industry. It opens our eyes to where the industry is going.

Damian Richards

DLL Finance

FoodBytes! Pitch VIRTUAL 2021 is Proudly Supported By

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