PeakBridge

🔬 Breakthrough in Vegan Cheese Technology! 🧀 PeakBridge is proud of portfolio company Myconeos Limited for their groundbreaking discovery that could revolutionize vegan Brie, Camembert, and other cheeses. This breakthrough unlocked the sexual cycle of Penicillium camemberti, previously thought impossible, enabling the development of new and improved strains. 🎉 This discovery unlocks new flavors, textures, and colors in vegan cheeses, enhancing genetic diversity within Penicillium camemberti. More importantly, it helps breed new strains to bridge the quality gap in vegan dairy products and fermented meats, offering a brighter future for plant-based food lovers. 🌱 “We believe this will promote genetic diversity within the strain’s population, opening the door to a broader range of cheese options,” said CTO Paul Dyer. Check out the article by vegconomist - the vegan business magazine highlighting Myconeos and their plan for the future. Jacek Obuchowicz Startup Nation Central StartLife Edmond de Rothschild The Good Food Institute Sweden Foodtech NC Food Innovation Lab KM ZERO Food Innovation Hub Edible Planet Ventures EIT Food Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) #foodtech #vegancheese #biotech

Chicago, you did it again! 🌟 The best people in food reunited. IFT FIRST (Food Improved by Research, Science, and Technology) has once more proven to be the world's premier event for food science and innovation, bringing the top minds to revolutionize and scale up the global food industry. 🌿 This year’s event at McCormick Place featured over 800 companies, 17,000 attendees, 1,100 speakers, and more than 100 startups at the startup pavilion.🤯 Nadav Berger, our Founding General Partner, participated as a judge in the prestigious startup competition. Alongside judges Kamesh Ellajosyula, Josip Simunovic, PhD, IFT Fellow, Scott May, and Beth Conerty, the friendly competition highlighted the crucial role startups play in advancing the food system. 🚀 The event also showcased the transformative power of AI, global and consumer-centric developments, science-based approaches to prevent food borne illness, digitalization and disruption, and food as medicine. At PeakBridge, we recognize the importance of community and IFT FIRST in driving innovation and collaboration within the food tech industry. Engaging with these innovative startups and witnessing the exciting developments in food tech is always a highlight for us. 🤝✨ Special thank you to the amazing team who made this event possible Meghan Madhavan Randy Boyd, MBA Susan Young Kristen Jain-Thut See you next year! Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign OLAM FOOD INGREDIENTS UK LIMITED MISTA Givaudan North Carolina State University #ift #foodscience #foodtech

We are incredibly proud to see two of our portfolio companies, Vanilla Vida and Win-Win, featured prominently in the new Grey Silo Ventures report highlighting sweet innovators. 🧁 Their innovative approaches are transforming the way we think about sweetness and sustainability: 🍦 Vanilla Vida is revolutionizing the vanilla industry with their cutting-edge technology, ensuring a more sustainable and efficient production process while maintaining the highest quality standards. 🍫 Win-Win is at the forefront of creating delectable chocolate alternatives, harnessing the power of fermentation to produce chocolate without the use of cocoa, thus offering a delicious and ethical option for chocolate lovers everywhere. These companies exemplify the spirit of innovation and sustainability that we champion at PeakBridge. We are proud to support their journeys and to be part of a future where sweet treats are not only delicious but also sustainable. 📖 Dive into the report to learn more about the incredible work being done by these and other sweet innovators. Oren Zilberman Ahrum P. Startup Nation Central StartLife Edmond de Rothschild The Good Food Institute Sweden Foodtech NC Food Innovation Lab KM ZERO Food Innovation Hub Edible Planet Ventures EIT Food Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) #sweetinnovation #sustainability #foodtech #worldchocolateday

Did you know? 🌟 The world wasted 1.05 billion tons of food in 2022, according to the UN Environment Programme, the rotting of which generated almost five times the emissions of the aviation sector. ✈️ This is why tackling food waste is so critical. Our portfolio company Orbisk has been featured in Bloomberg's recent piece on how AI is revolutionizing the food service industry by addressing this very issue. Orbisk in using AI-powered waste bins to help kitchens track what they’re throwing out. This innovative technology allows restaurants, buffets, and caterers to reduce their environmental impact and control budgets by providing detailed insights into discarded food. Some key insights from the article on Orbisk's significant impact on waste: 📸 AI-Powered Waste Bins: Orbisk’s technology uses smart cameras and scales to detect the types of food hitting the bin, uncovering opportunities for waste reduction. 🚢 Carnival Cruise Line Tests: Orbisk’s waste calculators are being tested on two Carnival ships after the operators found that low-tech solutions — such as offering smaller buffet plates — only cut so much waste. Already Carnival is gaining valuable insights on food waste management using this solution. 🌍 Environmental Impact: By reducing food waste, Orbisk is helping to lower greenhouse gas emissions and make the food service industry more sustainable. 💰 Cost Savings: Detailed waste tracking allows kitchens to identify cost-saving opportunities by understanding what specific foods are being wasted. We are very proud to support innovations that advance technology and drive meaningful change. Alicia Clanton Olaf van der Veen Startup Nation Central StartLife Edmond de Rothschild The Good Food Institute Sweden Foodtech NC Food Innovation Lab KM ZERO Food Innovation Hub Edible Planet Ventures EIT Food Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) #AI #sustainability #foodwaste

🚀 Impact is embedded in our strategy and in our DNA. At PeakBridge, we believe revolutionizing how we produce, distribute, and consume food is vital. We support companies pioneering sustainable food systems, reducing carbon emissions, and maximizing resources. In 2023, we established an Impact Committee and integrated new tools to better foster success for our companies. Transforming our food system is a massive task, and no one can do it alone. We are proud to partner with leading food corporations, investors, knowledge institutes, and FoodTech hubs worldwide. 📊 Our 2023 impact is powerful: 🚗 1,952 tons of CO2 avoided: Equivalent to taking over 400 cars off the road for a year 💧 3 billion liters of water saved: Enough to fill 1,200 Olympic swimming pools 🍽️ 443 tons of food 1 million meals saved: Enough to feed a city of 100,000 people for ten days 🌊 766 tons of plastic avoided: Preventing millions of plastic bottles from polluting our oceans 💼 217 new jobs created: Boosting local economies and fostering innovation 📚 35% of companies train employees on ESG: Building a sustainable future from within To learn more about our impact goals and our investment strategy, download our report here >> https://lnkd.in/dG36_nDE 🎥 Hear below what some of our portfolio companies have to say about the impact they are making on the food system. #impact #foodtech #esg #sustainability Kern Tec Vow BE WTR Orbisk Tastewise Rival Foods Forsea PrimeJack®️ & FiberFoods Standing Ovation Vanilla Vida Imagindairy Win-Win Hyperplan iwi life Delicious Data GmbH Neolithics NICKS supernutural GmbH myota Myconeos Limited The Mediterranean Food Lab (MFL) Ukko InsideTracker David Shaw Leehe Skuler Juliette Nille Nadav Berger Martina Pace (Eggert) Edmond de Rothschild

"Growers wake up every morning to make their produce better, and many times it's a stab in the dark. With us, they're really seeing the light of understanding quality, improving quality, and improving both the products as well as the way the market works." - David Kat, VP Business Development of Neolithics. In the insightful Fruitnet podcast with Chris White featuring our very own portfolio company, David Kat discusses how their advanced technology is completely transforming the fresh produce industry. Key highlights include: 🌾 AI in Agriculture: how Neolithics uses artificial intelligence to revolutionize fresh produce supply chains. 🌟 Quality Improvement: how their technology enhances product quality and market operations. 🍎 Reducing Food Waste: Insights into their efforts to minimize food waste and ensure better produce. This is an essential listen for anyone interested in the future of food technology and supply chain innovation. #AI #foodtech #foodwaste

🌍🧀 The world of blue cheese is in crisis!   According to the French National Center for Scientific Research CNRS, microbe diversity collapse is threatening the entire blue cheese industry. Standardized production endangers the unique Penicillium roqueforti mold, which gives blue cheese its distinct flavor.   Our portfolio company Myconeos Limited, a biotech pioneer specializing in fungi, is addressing this challenge head-on. Here's how they're making an impact:   🧀Innovative Research: Blue cheese gets its distinct flavor and appearance from the blue-green mold Penicillium roqueforti, which was once thought to be asexual. Myconeos' patented methods now naturally cross these fungal strains, allowing the resulting "offspring" to have particularly favorable characteristics. The technique can also be used with non-cheese products. 🧀Expansive Strain-Bank: Myconeos has over 300 unique Penicillium fungal strains, including Mycoforti™ strains to eliminate bitterness in mold-ripened blue cheese. The natural strains are free of gluten and palm oil and have passed taste tests by blue cheese tasters themselves. Mycoforti™ strains include Classic, Mild, Intense, Artisan, and Highland Green. 😋 🧀Delicious Vegan Cheese: Myconeos is also pioneering in the creation of vegan cheese options using their innovative fungal strains, offering a sustainable alternative that doesn’t compromise on flavor.   Fungi is truly fascinating, and we are so proud to support Myconeos. 🍄 Jacek Obuchowicz Startup Nation Central StartLife Edmond de Rothschild The Good Food Institute Sweden Foodtech NC Food Innovation Lab KM ZERO Food Innovation Hub Edible Planet Ventures EIT Food Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) #cheese #fungi #foodinnovation #biotech

🌟 Thank you, EIT Food Accelerator Network, for giving us the stage at the recent Investment Readiness workshop! 🌟 Our very own Eva Anna Everloo and Gianluca Vitale spoke with startups and entrepreneurs about: ✅ Building an investor funnel ✅ Getting to know your potential investor/VC criteria and investment focus before reaching out ✅ Identifying the right investor and funding sources ✅ Do's and Don'ts in an investor pitch ✅ Structuring your dataroom ✅ Understanding investor criteria and preferences "Fundraising is an art and a crucial process for the success of your company. Venture capital can be a great source of capital, but startups need to understand the rules of the game. Deal terms may not be as simple as they first appear. Be diligent, be prepared, and communicate openly and clearly. Sell your story, sell yourself." We are always excited to connect with the startup community and happy to share our insights. Feel free to reach out to us at PeakBridge for guidance on your fundraising journey! 📈✨ #startup #fundraising #peakbridge EIT Food

A fun family WhatsApp discussion about changing diets inspired Tastewise Co-founder & CEO Alon Chen to tackle a major challenge in the food industry. 🍽️ In our newest Founder video series, Alon shares how Tastewise uses AI to help the food industry monitor and respond to rapidly shifting dietary preferences and culinary trends. Tastewise's cutting-edge GenAI technology, including their newly introduced TasteGPT, represents tens of millions of consumers, providing endless capacity for autonomous research and marketing execution. AI is revolutionizing the food industry through: 🔍 Autonomous Consumer Insights 🌍 Consumer Localization, Positioning, and Brand Marketing 💼 Sales Enablement for Foodservice & Retail 🛠️ Product & Retail Innovation PeakBridge is proud to support our portfolio company leading the way in this space. Join us for critical sessions and conversations at the Tastewise Generative AI Food Pioneers Summit starting tomorrow, June 25-26. The registration link is in the comment section below. #tastewise #genai #foodtech

What a week at the Future Food-Tech Alternative Proteins event! 🚀🌱 Nadav Berger, our Founding General Partner, shared his thoughts at the investor panel, emphasizing that early-stage innovators need to understand the food industry's value chain and map out true pain points. Solving inefficiencies through AI is a prime example. “AI will be in everything we do, and excitingly, this will transform the alt proteins space for the better," Nadav stated. 🤖✨ Our key takeaways from the event: 🧪 Precision fermentation is ubiquitous, with companies of all sizes finding new and innovative ways to leverage it. 🤖 AI's influence is growing in product formulation, consumer insights, and overall business operations. 🌱 Ingredients are taking center stage. Whether it's chickpeas, mycelium, or novel oils and fats, there's a shift towards B2B opportunities and food service rather than building retail consumer brands. 💪 Companies that have endured recent challenges are now leaner, more focused, and dedicated to building fundamentally sound businesses. 🏗️ Infrastructure remains a major hurdle, with a need for greater government support and alternative funding options for large capex projects. In the interim, startups are forming partnerships with corporates who have excess capacity. These insights underline the dynamic nature of the alternative proteins space and the innovative solutions driving the industry forward. PeakBridge is proud to have been a Gold Partner at the event and to have shared the stage with: Steve Molino, Principal of Clear Current Capital, Rosie Wardle, Co-Founder and Partner at Synthesis Capital, Shayna Harris, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Supply Change Capital, and Ashley Hartman, Managing Partner at Bluestein Ventures. 🥇 Peter Bodenheimer Startup Nation Central StartLife Edmond de Rothschild The Good Food Institute Sweden Foodtech NC Food Innovation Lab KM ZERO Food Innovation Hub Edible Planet Ventures EIT Food Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) #futurefoodtech #alternativeprotein