CHICAGO — Scentian Bio, Auckland, New Zealand, a biotechnology company that uses a synthesized insect olfactory receptor biosensor that can measure smell and taste, bested more than 80 food technology startups at IFT FIRST’s The Pitch competition, taking home the grand prize. The Pitch is a multi-stage rapid-pitch competition held at the Startup Pavilion at IFT FIRST: Annual Event and Expo in Chicago.
Participants had 90 seconds to deliver pitches in the first round and 2 minutes and 30 seconds in the final round. Participants were judged by a panel of academia, venture capital investment groups, government, incubators, industry leaders and startup coaches and consultants.
Scentian Bio’s portable, handheld biosensor that shows real-time and measurement capabilities won the $10,000 grand prize.
The runners-up, which were each awarded $2,500, included:
- Chainparency: A Houston-based blockchain technology solution startup that features granular tracking of key data elements and tracking events.
- NuCicer: A Davis, Calif.,-based biotechnology company that uses a genetic library to precision breed a variety of chickpeas.
Seeding The Future Foundation, a private non-profit organization focused on providing access to good food, provided the prizes, according to IFT FIRST.
“The winners of The Pitch exemplify the innovative spirit that the science of food community needs to adapt to critical challenges impacting our food supply today and in the future,” said Christie Tarantino-Dean, chief executive officer of IFT. “I congratulate and celebrate the winners and participants of this year’s competition, as well as all Startup Pavilion exhibitors who showcased their innovative solutions and products to IFT FIRST attendees, industry stakeholders, and potential funders and investors.”Enjoying this content? Learn about more disruptive startups on the Food Entrepreneur page.
