Discover the Summit Agenda

• What is the future outlook for alternative proteins after a challenging year?
• What obstacles still need to be overcome, and how can trust be rebuilt with consumers and investors?

• As the climate crisis intensifies, how are leaders across the alt-protein sector working to produce more sustainable, scalable foods and ingredients?
• How are companies, from corporates to start-ups, working to reduce the carbon footprint of
  their whole supply chain, and how are they measuring and communicating this to consumers?
• What are the biggest challenges to carbon reduction in the production of alternative proteins?
• How do ESG targets guide investors and what role do they play in investor terms? How can the alternative protein sector take a larger role in climate investment strategies?

Moderator:
Dan Phillips, Partner, SANDBOX SUSTAINABILITY VENTURES, USA

Speakers:
Matias Muchnik, CEO, NOTCO, Chile
TM Narayan, President, PERFECT DAY, USA
Julian Melchiorri, CEO, ARBOREA, UK
Lisa Dyson, Founder and CEO, AIR PROTEIN, USA

• What approaches are innovators employing to accelerate the move from lab scale to larger scale production and reduce the time to market for new products?
• What role do ‘pick and shovel’ technologies play in bringing the precision fermentation and cell-culturing sectors a step closer to scale and commercialisation?
• Which elements of production act as the largest obstacles for start-ups looking to scale, and how can partnerships with larger corporates provide solutions to these specific challenges?
• What successful partnerships have been seen between food brands and innovators, and which collaboration models work best?

Moderator:
Ahmed Khan, Founder and Editor, CELLAGRI, UK

Speakers:
Samuel Chan, VP and Head of Agrifood, SINGAPORE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD, Singapore
Chris Landowski, Co-Founder and CTO, ONEGO BIO, Finland
Kevin Benmoussa, Executive VP and CFO, ALEPH FARMS, Israel
Dana Yarden, Co-Founder and CBO, BIOBETTER, Israel
Lauren Richardson, Senior Director, Science & Technology, MERRICK & COMPANY, USA

• How can the cost of cultivated products be reduced across the supply chain? What is the future for unit economics?
• With advancements being made in growth media, will non-FBS be the future of cultivated meat production? What impact will this have on consumer perception and trust?
• What developments are being seen across technology for scaffolding, fats, and recombinant proteins?
• What role does plant-based proteins have to play in the downstream production of cultivated meat? How long will cultivated products need to have a hybrid or blended to remain closer to price parity?
• Will GMO have a key role to play in cell expression and what impact will this have when getting regulatory approval?
• How can the cultivated meat sector move from constant innovation to a viable business model? What can patents and IPs do to de-risk the industrialisation of the cultivated meat innovations?

Moderator:
Lejjy Gafour, CEO, CULT FOOD SCIENCE, USA

Speaker:
Jess Krieger, CEO, OHAYO VALLEY, USA
Gabor Forgacs, CSO, FORK AND GOOD, USA
Patricia Bubner, Founder and CEO, ORBILLION BIO, USA

There has been much criticism of the plant-based industry as of late, but what will it take to prove the naysayers wrong? What will it take to influence the next generation of food? In this keynote, we will explore how to achieve larger consumer acceptance of alternative proteins, and the education needed across the board to facilitate the shift.  How will our industry unleash the promise of plant-based foods and transform the eating experience from the first bite to lasting impact?

Speaker:
Mike Leonard, CEO, MOTIF FOODWORKS, USA

A pitch session where you get to decide the outcome! Six start-ups have one minute to pitch their solutions. The audience then votes for three start-ups to go through to the final later in the day.

Judges:
Hadar Sutovsky, VP External Innovation, ICL GROUP & GM, ICL PLANET, Israel
Rosie Wardle, Co-Founder and Partner, SYNTHESIS CAPITAL, UK

Start-ups:
France-Emmanuelle Adil, Founder and CEO, TIAMAT, USA
Virginia Rangos, Founder, and Kaitlin Grady, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Public Affairs, CLEVER CARNIVORE, USA
Kelly Pan, Co-Founder and CEO, IMPACT FOODS, USA
Clarisse Beurrier, Co-Founder, ANIMAL ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES, UK

• Innovations around taste, texture and performance are constantly evolving and advancing, and are critical to securing consumer acceptance. How are food brands working to enhance the sensory profiles of new protein products, and what aspects are they focused on?
• How are brands and innovators, from cell-based and precision fermentation to plant-based proteins, ensuring nutritional value without sacrificing taste?
• What are the latest breakthroughs in alternative fats and lipids, and how are brands utilising
  these to achieve a “meaty” experience?

Moderator:
Johnny Ream, Partner, STRAY DOG CAPITAL, USA

Speakers:
John Stephanian, VP of Culinary Innovation, ADM, USA
Caroline Sorlin, Chief Venture Officer, BEL GROUP, France
Frédéric Pâques, CEO, STANDING OVATION, France
Lou Cooperhouse, CEO and Founder, BLUE NALU, USA

• How can AI and machine learning be utilised to accelerate the R&D process and unlock the potential of new ingredients and genes?
• What is the possibility of breaking down knowledge siloes between organisations by using AI and metagenomics and what partnerships are needed to make this a reality?
• How could shared knowledge of genetic variations and new protein formulae be incorporated into IP discussions?

Moderator:
Jennifer Bartashus, Senior Analyst, Retail Staples & Packaged Food, BLOOMBERG INTELLIGENCE, USA

Speakers:
Santosh Srinivas, CTO, THE LIVE GREEN CO, Chile
Ranjani Varadan, CSO, SHIRU, USA

Great ideas are worth protecting. Moving Target Defense (or “MTD”) is a cybersecurity technique used extensively in large-scale food and beverage production (60% of America’s apples, for example, came from farms last year whose irrigation systems depended upon MTD networks). But four years after MTD became part of baseline cyber resilience standards, it is still rare to find MTD used in laboratory and scale-up settings. This talk covers how to apply MTD inexpensively, and rapidly, to collaboration environments.

Speaker: Ian Schmertzler, President and CFO, DISPEL, USA

Three start-up finalists, voted for by the audience earlier in the day, have five minutes to pitch their solutions to a panel of judges and answer their questions.

Judges:
Hadar Sutovsky, VP External Innovation, ICL PLANET, Israel
Rosie Wardle, Co-Founder and Partner, SYNTHESIS CAPITAL, UK

• With years-long backlogs for factory space, specialist equipment and bioreactors, how do we beat the bottlenecks? Can bespoke manufacturing technologies meet demand?
• To what extent are brownfield sites and existing factories the key to reducing CapEx costs and meeting sustainability goals when scaling up?
• How are large food brands upgrading existing infrastructure to produce novel foods, and how can they partner with start-ups to help them scale?
• Outside of traditional venture capital and private equity, what type of capital is needed to scale this industry?

Moderator:
Floor Buitelaar, Founding Partner, BRIGHT GREEN PARTNERS, The Netherlands

Speakers:
Christie Lagally, CEO and Founder, REBELLYOUS FOODS, USA
Matt Lucas, Principal, TUARATA DEVELOPMENT CAPITAL, USA
Tony Moses, CEO, CRB, USA
Arik Kaufman, CEO, STEAKHOLDER FOODS, Israel

Yadu Dar and John Garnett will discuss the role of collaboration in addressing opportunities and solutions for the plant-based sector. Considering the current market environment, how can innovation be a force in unlocking key opportunities in taste, nutrition and sustainability to grow consumer loyalty in plant based foods.

Speakers:
Yadu Dar, Global Business Development Director, Plant Based Proteins, INGREDION, USA
John Garnett, VP Science and Technology, CONAGRA BRANDS, USA

• With the FDA’s approval of Upside Foods’ and GOOD Meat’s cultivated chicken products, what can we learn about novel food approval in the US?
• How can innovators and investors alike prioritise early engagement with regulatory bodies as part of their strategy to ensure success and scale?
• What opportunity is there for global unification around regulatory approval for novel foods to allow for more rapid progress?
• Following Italy’s move to ban cultivated meat, what will it take for the rest of the EU to move towards regulatory approval of cultivated meats, seafood and dairy?

Moderator:
Ann Begley, Partner, WILEY, USA

Speakers:
Jeremiah Fasano, Senior Policy Advisor, FDA, USA
Eitan Fischer, CEO, MISSION BARNS, USA
Peter Licari, CTO, EAT JUST (GOOD MEAT), Singapore
Joshua Ayers, Senior Program Analyst, USDA, USA
Hannah Lester, Head of Regulatory, GOURMEY, Spain

Hosted by: 

• What is the future of plant-based and the wider alternative protein space, and what are other geographies experiencing?
• Following media and market scrutiny of plant-based meats, how can the industry come together to challenge these perceptions? What purchasing research has been undertaken, and what resonates with the consumer?
• How has this past year impacted investor involvement and trust in the sector and how will this influence funding in plant-based products going forward?
• What innovative products, ingredients and processes are elevating perception and performance of plant-based products? What learnings can be gained from the past year when launching novel food products?

Moderator:
Caroline Bushnell, VP Corporate Engagement, GOOD FOOD INSTITUTE, USA

Speakers:
Manoj Kumar, CTO and Vice President, Plant Based Proteins, LOUIS DREYFUS COMPANY, USA
Matthew Jacobs, Global Marketing Director, BUNGE, USA

• With consumer scepticism of the nutritional benefits of highlight processed plant-based products, what does the future hold for ingredient and recipe development?
• What opportunities exist for novel ingredients and foods to address concerns over nutritional content?
• With a call for natural, clean label products with minimal processing, what innovative technology is emerging to address this?
• How is trust built with the consumer with the safety aspect of novel foods? What labelling and recipes can be utilised to appeal to consumers?
• As sustainability is increasingly on the minds of the conscious consumer, how does GM factor into these discussions? How can the consumer scepticism of GM be overcome?

Moderator:
Brian Choi, Managing Partner and CEO, THE FOOD INSTITUTE, USA

Speakers:
Irina Gerry, CMO, CHANGE FOODS, USA
Somsubhra Choudhuri, Co-Founder and CEO, AI PALETTE, Singapore
Gaston Paladini, CEO, MOOLEC, Argentina
Kenny Silvester, COO, NEAT BURGER, UK

• Following years of mimicry and tackling the challenges of replicating taste, texture and appearance, is it time to move away from this model and create truly novel foods?
• What are the potential hurdles of creating a brand-new product? Do consumers want meat alternatives, new products, or products made truly from plants?
• What insight can be gained from markets that have banned labeling alternative protein products with the words ‘meat’ or ‘fish’ in the title?
• How do we use behavioral economics to successfully launch novel products and create strong brands?

Moderator:
Adam Bergman, Global Head of Agtech Investment Banking, CITI BANK, USA

Speaker:
Ed Dudley, Director of Technical and Analytical Innovation, GRIFFITH FOODS, USA
Sonia Huppert, Global Innovation Marketing Lead, Re-Imagine Proteins, IFF, France

• What technologies and platforms are accelerating R&D in precision fermentation, and how could these reduce the time to market for new products?
• What developments are being made to overcome the bottlenecks of limited capacity of tanks and production?
• What are the hurdles around CapEx for precision fermentation, and what is needed to tackle these?

Moderator:
Caroline Mak, Accelerator Program Director, BIG IDEA VENTURES, USA

Speakers: 
Neal Jakel, President, FLUID QUIP TECHNOLOGIES, USA
Micael Simonsson, Director of Processing Development and Biotech, TETRA PAK, Sweden
Eyal Afergan, Co-Founder and CEO, IMAGINDAIRY, Israel

Delegates break into small groups to discuss the most critical issues facing the alternative protein industry. Each table is hosted by an industry expert, and delegates can choose the topic most relevant to their business.

• USDA and Cultivated Meat: The Practicalities of Oversight
  Host: Bob Hibbert, Partner, WILEY, USA
• Manufacturing Strategies: In-House or Contract Manufacturing?
  Host: David Ziskind, CEO, BLACK & VEATCH, USA
• How do we Accelerate the Plant-Based Movement?
  Host: Dilek Uzunalioglu, Senior Director, Food Discovery & Design, MOTIF FOODWORKS, USA
• How Can Project Finance Apply to Scaling Food-Tech?
  Host: Matt Lucas, Managing Partner, TUATARA CAPITAL, USA
• Building Consumer Trust in New Food Technologies
  Host: Irina Gerry, CMO, CHANGE FOODS, USA
• Scale Fail? Finding the Capacity to Bring Bioproducts to Market
  Host: Joshua Lachter, CBO, SYNONYM BIO, USA
• Elevating Plant Based Foods: Boosting Nutritional Value for Brand Differentiation
  Host: Michel Milemma, Global Innovation Director Re-Imagine Protein, IFF, The Netherlands
• What is Measured is Financed: Quantifying Alt-Protein ESG Metrics
  Hosts: Jo Raven, Director, Thematic Research & Engagements, FAIRR INSTITUTE, UK and Caroline Bushnell, Vice President, Corporate Engagement, GOOD FOOD INSTITUTE, USA
• Future Formulations: Novelty, Nutrition, and New Formats
  Michael Snodgrass, Global Innovation Director of Alternative Proteins, GRIFFITH FOODS, USA
• Harnessing Innovation to Meet Taste and Texture Expectations
  Host: Daniel Kennedy, Director, Platform & Business Development, Plant Based Protein, INGREDION, USA
• Learning from Partnership Pitfalls and Setting up for Success
  Host: Neil Jakel,  President, FLUID QUIP, USA
• Bringing GM to the Sustainability Conversation for Consumers
  Host: Gaston Paladini, CEO, MOOLEC SCIENCE, Argentina

• Seafood has been seen as the ‘healthy’ alternative to meat but how can the sector harness consumer concern about PFAS, mercury and microplastic contamination to increase demand for plant-based, fermented and cultivated alternatives?
• How are forward-thinking innovators looking to recreate nutritious delicacies from under the sea using cell-cultivation and precision fermentation technologies and what does their approach look like?
• How can we build the infrastructure and supply chains needed for large-scale production and distribution of cultivated seafood? What is the anticipated impact on the seafood market?

Moderator:
Elizabeth Crawford, Senior Editor, FOODNAVIGATOR, USA

Speaker:
Monica Talbert, Co-Founder and CEO, THE PLANT BASED SEAFOOD CO, USA

• How are mushrooms enhancing the alternative proteins market? How are the functional properties extracted from mushrooms being applied to alternative protein products?
• What functional needs are being met aside from texturizing and where are the opportunities?
• What exciting advancements are we seeing in the mushroom sector as a regenerative and resource light protein? What feedstocks can be harnessed to allow for cross-sector waste valorisation when producing mycelium?

Moderator:
Nate Crosser, Principal, BLUE HORIZON, USA

Speakers:
Debbie Yaver, Chief Scientific Officer, NATURE’S FYND, USA
Justin Whitely, CTO, MEATI, USA
Joshua Nixon, CTO, PRIME ROOTS, USA

• Over the past year, how does investment deployment compare to previous years? What is the outlook for the next six to twelve months?
• How have round dynamics changed over the past year and is “flat the new up” in terms of round valuations?
• Now that inflation is easing across much of the world, how are investors adjusting their strategies? How have alternative protein valuations corrected versus other sectors?
• Outside of traditional venture capital and private equity, what type of capital is needed to scale the alternative protein industry?
• How could government funding and subsidies accelerate the alternative proteins sector? What does the Biden Executive order mean for the investor landscape and will we see dilution?

Moderator:
Chloe Sorvino, Writer, FORBES, USA

Speakers:
Matt Spence, Managing Director and Head of VC Banking, BARCLAYS, USA
David Verbitsky, Managing Director, NOMURA GREENTECH, USA
Nick Cooney, Founder and Managing Partner, LEVER VC, USA
Alice Brooks, Principal, KHOSLA VENTURES, USA
Lauren Abda, Co-Founder, BRANCH VENTURE GROUP, USA