Three start-ups earn Rabobank FoodBytes! recognition
Three entrepreneurial ventures were recognized as 2018 FoodBytes! San Francisco winners in a pitch competition sponsored by Rabobank.
Three entrepreneurial ventures were recognized as 2018 FoodBytes! San Francisco winners in a pitch competition sponsored by Rabobank. The winners were: I Heart Foods, which earned the Judges’ Choice Award for its healthy, quinoa-based snacks; Farmer’s Fridge, developer of a sophisticated salad vending machine operation, which won the People’s Choice Award; and BioFiltro, which earned Highly Commended Award recognition for its patented water filtration system.
I Heart Foods impressed judges with its sourcing commitment to sustainably produced Bolivian heirloom quinoa, which the company uses in its I Heart Keenwah brand. The Judges’ Choice Award recognizes achievements in scalability, innovation, traction, and social impact.
The People’s Choice Award, voted by audience members and live stream viewers, acknowledged the salad company’s disruptive approach to distributing healthful food via its automated fridges, which operate using a proprietary software platform Farmer’s Fridge developed.
BioFiltro was selected for the Highly Commended Award from a group of 10 companies that presented 90-second pitches. BioFiltro is a wastewater treatment company with a patented filtration system that utilizes the digestive power of worms and microbes to remove up to 99% of contaminants from wastewater in a chemical-free, four-hour process.
In addition to receiving prizes that include innovation experiences and expert counsel, the San Francisco competition winners earned the opportunity to make their pitches at Rabobank’s Annual Food & Agriculture Summit in New York City.