Scentian Bio Wins Top Prize at IFT FIRST Startup Pitch Competition

CHICAGO – July 23, 2024 – The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a nonprofit scientific organization committed to advancing the science of food and its application across the global food system, is pleased to announce the 2024 winners of The Pitch, a multi-stage, rapid-pitch competition located in the Startup Pavilion at the recently completed IFT FIRST: Annual Event and Expo in Chicago. Scentian Bio (Auckland, New Zealand), a biotech company using synthesized insect olfactory receptor biosensor that can measure smell and taste, took home the grand prize of $10,000 for its portable, handheld biosensor, which offers real-time and super-sensitive measurement capabilities to ensure product quality, safety, and sensory satisfaction.

Chainparency (Houston, Texas) and NuCicer (Davis, California) were each awarded $2,500 as the runners-up in the competition. Chainparency is a blockchain technology solutions startup that offers granular tracking of key data elements and critical tracking events while NuCicer is a biotech company that utilizes an extensive genetic library to precision breed a variety of underutilized types of chickpeas that are nutritionally rich, sustainable, and climate tolerant.

The prizes were courtesy of the Seeding The Future Foundation, a private, non-profit organization motivated by its core value that everyone should always have equitable access to safe, nutritious, affordable, appealing, and trusted food. It seeks to inspire innovative solutions that can help transform the global food system to be more sustainable and benefit the health of people and the environment. The Foundation provides seed funding and support to promising ideas and high impact innovations to improve food systems globally, technologies to reduce post-harvest losses in developing regions, as well as foundational work in academia and research.

Participants were limited to 90-second pitches in the first round, but in the finale, the length was expanded to 2:30. Finalists from each round were decided by a panel of judges spanning academia, venture-capital investment groups, government, incubators, industry leaders, and startup coaches and consultants.

“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. 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,” said IFT CEO Christie Tarantino-Dean.

One of the most popular attractions once again at this year’s IFT FIRST, the Startup Pavilion featured more than 80 food and food tech startups hailing from five continents as well as Oceania. The companies featured this year represented all stages of the food system, from solutions for manufacturers to ready-to-eat consumer products.

After the finale of The Pitch, all Startup Pavilion participants had the opportunity to attend the “Connecting for a Better Food System VIP Networking Event.” This exclusive networking opportunity was attended by key leaders in the global food system, including judges from The Pitch, venture-capitalist investment firms, IFT’s Board of Directors, and past winners of the Seeding The Future Global Food System Challenge, which is funded by the Seeding The Future Foundation and hosted by IFT.

To learn more, go to ift.org.

About Institute of Food Technologists

The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is a global organization of over 11,000 individual members from more than 90 countries committed to advancing the science of food. Since 1939, IFT has brought together the brightest minds in food science, technology and related professions from academia, government, and industry to solve the world’s greatest food challenges. IFT works to ensure that its members have the resources they need to learn, grow, and innovate to advance the science of food as the population and the world evolve. IFT believes that science and innovation is essential to ensuring a global food supply that is sustainable, safe, nutritious, and accessible to all. For more information, please visit ift.org.