Crushing Ag and FoodTech Innovation - Five Israeli Startups to Watch in 2021

Image credit: Justin Veenema on Unsplash

It’s the holidays. This year is going to be different for many of us with festivities via Zoom as opposed to in person, but the common denominator for the festive season remains the same - food! So, grab a munchie or a beverage, and check out these Israeli startups that are crushing ag and food innovation!

Hack your metabolism

Lumen measures metabolism in real-time through a device and app, enabling daily personalized nutrition. By using a carbon dioxide sensor and flow meter to determine the carbon dioxide concentration in a single breath, the type of fuel your body is using to produce energy can be determined. In November, together with Garmin International, Lumen launched a Connect IQ Lumen App and Garmin Health API integration, allowing users to better understand the impact of fitness and nutrition decisions on their body in real time.

Follow: @LumenMetabolism

Same taste - no after taste

DouxMatok offers targeted delivery of flavor Ingredients, such as sugar and salt, enabling healthier consumption of foods without compromising taste. In October, the company announced a strategic collaboration with Roberts Sugar to deliver a unique sugar reduction solution based on cane sugar, to food companies in North America. DouxMatok’s solution is expected to be available to the food industry in the United States as of 2021.

Follow: @DouxMatok

Better yields for farmers’ fields

CropX Technologies helps farmers get bigger, better yields by offering proprietary soil sensor technology and cloud-based Ag analytics that integrate with irrigation systems. The affordable, easy-to-install CropX system helps farmers increase crop yield and quality and reduce water, fertilization and energy costs. At the beginning of the year the company announced the acquisition of Nebraska-based CropMetrics, a provider of cloud-based, precision-irrigation tools. 

Follow: @Crop_X

Any tree, any time

SeeTree provides farmers with one of the most advanced data and intelligence networks in Agtech by providing visibility into the health records and productivity of any individual tree at any time, and over time. The company provides a comprehensive service combining boots on the ground and high-resolution multi-dimensional sensing imagery utilizing drones, sensors and special vehicles to collect precise data. Harnessing the power of cutting-edge technology, including artificial intelligence and combining it with agronomic human intelligence, results in a synergy that facilitates accuracy and consistency.

Follow: @SeeTree_AI

From Nature - Back to Nature

TIPA® Compostable Packaging is a supplier of flexible compostable packaging that will fully biodegrade in a compost environment, including laminates and labels. TIPA offers certified food grade packaging for fresh, dry, chilled, baked, and frozen goods and has amassed a stellar array of clients that includes Stella McCartney, Natoora and Bimbo. In November, it was announced that TIPA and Commonwealth Packaging in the United States would partner to help retailers embrace sustainability while still delivering an effective packaging experience to its customers.  

Follow: @TIPACorp

Compostable Snack Bag Wins Bioplastics Innovation Award

At the start of #BioplasticsWeek 2018, the Plastics Industry Association Bioplastics Division on September 18 announced Danimer Scientific and PepsiCo as the joint winners of the 2018 Innovation in Bioplastics Award. The two companies developed the next generation of bio-based and compostable flexible packaging using Danimer 24365B & Danimer 01112 Resins. This new industrial compostable snack bag is said to have the right balance of sustainability, performance and cost. 

The annual Innovation in Bioplastics Award is an honor that goes to companies applying bioplastics to innovative, purposeful product design. “We are excited to honor Danimer and PepsiCo for their unique and creative application of bioplastics innovation,” said PLASTICS’ President & CEO, William R. Carteaux. “These innovations are a major contribution in progressing bioplastics forward as a competitive option in more applications across various industries. What an amazing way to kick off Bioplastics Week.”

The industrial compostable snack bag is comparable in feel, noise and performance to PepsiCo’s current bags and certified to be industrially compostable by TUV Austria. The new Danimer resins that are blends of biopolymers and mineral filler give the bag its white exterior and can be processed in blown film lines for improved economics.  The new bio-based structures are currently being piloted in a limited test in the US and Chile, with plans for a test in India later this year.

“We would like to thank the Plastics Industry Association for recognizing the work PepsiCo and our team are doing to create sustainable food packaging,” said Scott Tuten, chief marketing officer at Danimer Scientific. “As the industry becomes more environmentally conscious, we look forward to continuing our partnership with PepsiCo to develop quality, compostable and biodegradable plastic products for a wide variety of applications.”

Home Compostable Next

Danimer and PepsiCo are collaborating on a third-generation chip bag that is based on Danimer’s PHA technology and will be fully biodegradable in home-composting environments.

“PepsiCo and Danimer have a shared vision for a future of food packaging that is more sustainable without compromising food safety or quality,” said Garry Kohl, Senior Director R&D Global Packaging Innovation for Snacks & Foods at PepsiCo. “We are proud to be recognized for this work, which supports PepsiCo’s stated goal to make 100-percent of our packaging recyclable, compostable or biodegradable by 2025.”

Bioplastics Week

The Innovation in Bioplastics Award is announced annually during PLASTICS’ Bioplastics Division’s Bioplastics Week. Bioplastics Week is a social media driven initiative created to increase bioplastics’ visibility and educate people about the many benefits they provide. Follow the conversation using #BioplasticsWeek.

Sheffa Foods Doing Everything To Play Its Part On World Environment Day

This Sunday, June 5th, is known as World Environment Day (WED) and was created by the United Nations General Assembly to encourage worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment.  Since it began in 1974, it has become widely celebrated in over 100 countries as a global platform for public outreach.  Above all, WED serves as “the people’s day” for doing something to take care of the Earth or become an agent of change. 

One brand looking to do its part is Sheffa Foods out of New York.  Their newest project, Better for the Planet (BFTP), was created to introduce eco-friendly packaging for their line of healthier snacks.  Their goal is to help revolutionize the food industry with 100% compostable packaging made of bio-based raw materials.  This new packaging, made by TIPA, a clean-tech startup, is designed to break down and fully return to nature. 

Sheffa is currently raising money on the Indiegogo crowdfunding platform to bring to market their coffee-house inspired Granola Bars in 3 flavors in this new packaging.  Also choosing to partner with 1% for the Planet, which connects consumers, businesses and non-profits, 

Sheffa is on their way proving that small companies can have a big impact and change the way we think about packaging and sustainability.