TRANSFORMING FOOD TECH

"Israel has prioritized investment in food technology. And that includes robust government funding."

Dr. Dorit Rozner
Chief Technology Officer, The Kitchen FoodTech Hub

What is driving the food tech transformation?

Dorit Rozner (DR): We know today that food systems are responsible for nearly one-third of the world’s greenhouse gas admissions and – critically – that these emissions continue to rise due to land-use change, waste management, animal husbandry, production and packaging. So we have many of today’s best minds tackling this challenge with a sense of urgency, developing new and innovative technologies to produce more sustainable food.

What kinds of companies does The Kitchen include in its portfolio?

DR: We’re seeing a broad wave of innovation in food tech around the world – and that is reflected in the wide range of companies in our portfolio. We have companies taking plant-based foods to the next level by reducing the number of ingredients and additives in plant-based meat alternatives, such as Zero Egg. Yeap extracts a sustainable and inexpensive functional protein for food applications from downstream yeast. Others, like Imagindairy, are developing cutting-edge fermentation-based proteins for animal-free dairy products. We have companies creating functional ingredients to improve the taste and texture of plant-based products, cultivating meat, which eliminates the need to raise farm animals, or advancing solutions in food safety. Prevera, for example, develops antimicrobial proteins for use as preservatives by the food industry. Another interesting example is Bio-Fence, which has created an innovative technology that stabilizes disinfectants on surfaces. All of these companies share a desire to disrupt the food industry with innovative technologies that address urgent needs.

How does The Kitchen support these companies?

DR: We’re in the business of building companies – or more specifically: commercializing food technology startups. So, for the companies producing food via precision fermentation or cell cultivation, for example, we are focused mainly on helping them take that step from the lab to more commercial-scale production. Aleph Farms was our first cultivated meat company, and we recently added two companies cultivating fish and seafood: Wanda Fish and Forsea – all good examples of where we’re leveraging synthetic biology, AI and bioinformatics to help companies scale up and reduce the cost of producing their groundbreaking foods.

"We are leveraging synthetic biology, AI and bioinformatics to help companies scale up and reduce the cost of producing their groundbreaking foods."

Dr. Dorit Rozner
Chief Technology Officer, The Kitchen FoodTech Hub

What can other countries learn from Israel’s approach to food technology and innovation?

DR: The short answer is that Israel has prioritized investment in food technology. And that includes robust government funding. The Kitchen Hub, for example, recently won a new tender from the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) which provides another five years of financial support for our biotech/food tech activities. According to The Good Food Institute, Israeli startups raised just over 1 billion shekels (US$320 million) during the first half of 2022; that is a 160 percent increase over last year, and second only to the U.S. in fundraising in this field. In general, we have a strong entrepreneurial culture in Israel. Food tech is also extremely attractive to innovators because it can make such a positive impact on the environment and human health. 

Header image: Zero Egg