Launching global nutraceutical startups to success

The 2024 Vitafoods Europe Startup Innovation Challenge: Launching global nutraceutical startups to success

Contents The 2024 Vitafoods Europe Startup Innovation Challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Win big: Four categories and a host of prizes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Why apply? Read the testimonials from last year’s winners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Meet some of our industry expert judges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Vitafoods Insights: Shining a spotlight on startup innovation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Jamu: Giving Indonesian traditional medicine a modern makeover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Jellatech CSO on scaling up bio-identical, cell-cultured human collagen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Stanford-born startup develops nutrition-based, drug-free cancer treatment . . . . . . . . . . . .

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The 2024 Vitafoods Europe Startup Innovation Challenge Held at Vitafoods Europe, which runs from 14 to 16 May 2024, the Vitafoods Europe Startup Innovation Challenge offers health, wellbeing, and nutraceutical startups the chance to win a host of high-value prizes as well as unparalleled exposure and networking opportunities with key industry stakeholders at Europe’s leading nutraceutical trade show.

The free-to-apply competition is organised by Informa Markets, the company behind the Food Ingredients Europe Startup Innovation Challenge, which has been propelling food ingredient startups to success since 2016.

“At Vitafoods, we are proud to make such interactions possible. By supporting startups with genuinely innovative business proposals, we can do our part to help affordable, effective solutions for health and nutrition thrive in this highly competitive industry.”

Angelique Cachia, senior director of content and digital at Vitafoods Europe, said: “After successfully launching the Startup Innovation Challenge at Vitafoods Europe last year, we are proud to hold this valuable and unique competition for the second time in 2024.

Martyna Halas, conference producer and lead programmer of the Startup Innovation Challenge, said it was a joy to learn about the ways startups were disrupting the industry.

“The Vitafoods trade show is the annual meeting place of product developers, C-suite executives, and marketers in the nutraceutical industry. It is a global gathering of thought leaders and trendsetters who are razor-focused on scouting out the most interesting ingredient solutions. That is why earlystage nutraceutical startups can benefit so much from this opportunity to make valuable connections with established industry players.

“We are looking forward to this year’s applications,” she added. “Together with our expert panel, we will shortlist up to 20 companies who will pitch live in front of the jury on 13 May in Geneva. The finalists will also present their innovations on 14 May on stage at Vitafoods Europe, after which we’ll announce the lucky winners. Entries close on 1 March so don’t delay in sending us your application!”

The 2024 Vitafoods Europe Startup Innovation Challenge: Launching global nutraceutical startups to success

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Win big: Four categories and a host of prizes The categories All relevant startups that have been active for five years or less are welcome to apply to the Vitafoods Europe Startup Innovation Challenge, and entries are open until 1 March. Judging will take place on 13 May, the day before the show opens.

To apply for free, click here.

Startups can apply to one or more of the following categories:

1. M ost Innovative Finished Nutraceutical Product This category covers finished nutraceutical products offering innovation in ingredient composition, consumer focus, or delivery format.

2. Most Innovative Nutraceutical Ingredient This category covers innovative ingredients for nutraceuticals, supplements, or functional foods and beverages that can offer scientific substantiation of their efficacy.

3. Most Innovative Service, Technology, or Digital Solution Supporting the Nutraceutical Industry This category covers innovations that support improvements in ingredients sourcing and production, food safety and quality, traceability, transparency, smart packaging, supply chain management, or digital solutions supporting the nutraceutical industry.

4. Most Innovative Sustainable Solution – Jury’s choice award This special prize will be awarded to the startup with the most sustainable innovation. All startup finalists across all categories can be considered for this award, with the winners being decided by the expert jury.

The startup’s overall sustainability efforts will be considered.

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The prizes The winners can choose from a selection of high-value prizes offered by the organisers and expert jury, including: • A prominently placed, in-person booth at Vitafoods Europe 2025 in Barcelona; • An exclusive digital marketing package to promote their presence across the Vitafoods Global and Food Ingredients Global networks; and • A selection of mentorship opportunities and specialised support programmes offered by the panel of judges.

All finalists enjoy: • Free access to promote their innovations at Vitafoods Europe 2024 in Geneva, Europe’s biggest gathering place for nutraceutical stakeholders; • Free stage time to pitch their company to the attendees of Vitafoods Europe 2024; • The chance to meet other innovators, investors, industry leaders, and potential clients; and • The opportunity to showcase their award-winning innovation to international media.

Why apply? Read the testimonials from last year’s winners What better way to understand the concrete benefits of taking part in the Vitafoods Europe Startup Innovation Challenge than asking last year’s winners?

We spoke to three startups who scooped up first prize in their category in 2023.

“Immediately following the pitch, we were able to engage in some interesting conversations, [and] after winning, we were able to walk the exhibition floor and engage in a broad range of meaningful conversations. To this day, we meet new customers and partners who mention that they first learned about us from the Challenge at Vitafoods.

“The Challenge provided benefits during the pitching selection process [through] the feedback from an esteemed and informed panel of judges, and the pitch on the floor was well attended and marketed. The team at Vitafoods does an exceptional job of supporting and promoting the participants both before and after the Challenge.”

Sabina Bruehlmann PhD, CEO, Nimble Science 2023 winner, Most Innovative Nutraceutical Ingredient

“Having conversations with the nutraceutical industry in the context of this Challenge was fabulous for us. It led to several ongoing discussions, one of which is with DSM, the largest nutraceutical or nutrients supplier in the world!

“The jury was very competent. They asked a lot of good questions, and we actually enjoyed the discussion with the jury in the selection process. “[The application process] was not overly burdensome, but at the same time it was detailed enough for us to provide the important information about Healthy-Longer.”

Roland Pfeuti, co-founder and director, HealthyLonger 2023 winner, Most Innovative Digital Solution Supporting the Nutraceutical Industry

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“Vitafoods has a strong awareness and [we] benefited a lot from the positive communication around the event and the Challenge. We were invited to several events thanks to this award.

“Challenges are always important for a startup: it is the best way to know if you can tell your story […] and convince experts. It is also an opportunity to discover other projects and potential competitors but also partners.”

Xavier Boidevezi, president and co-founder, EktaH 2023 winner, Most Innovative Nutraceutical Ingredient

The 2024 Vitafoods Europe Startup Innovation Challenge: Launching global nutraceutical startups to success

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Meet some of our industry expert judges The panel of judges at the Vitafoods Europe Startup Innovation Challenge is composed of health and nutrition experts as well as venture capital investors and startup specialists. This year’s panel includes Giancarlo Addario, principal at Five Seasons Ventures; Paula Giser, vice-president of acceleration programmes at Eatable Adventures; Grégory Dubourg, founder of the Nutrikéo consultancy; and Michael Stott, patent attorney and partner at Mathys and Squire LLP.

Giancarlo Addario

Giancarlo Addario is principal at Five Seasons Ventures and has been with the fund since February 2018. Prior to that, he spent over 20 years at leading pasta and bakery goods Barilla, covering various roles from quality assurance and food safety to research and development across several product categories in Italy and internationally. In the area of open innovation, he led various collaborative projects with research institutes, enterprises, and startups worldwide, also providing valuable mentorship to food accelerators and incubation programmes to the likes of Startupbootcamp, FoodTech, MassChallenge, H-Farm, and Future Food Accelerator. Addario holds a BSc in food science and technology, and a master’s degree in total quality management.

Paula Giser

Paula Giser is vice-president of acceleration programmes at Eatable Adventures. A pioneer in foodtech, developing novel products and startups, she has also worked in corporate consulting, and worked as R&D manager at Foodlab Tel Aviv. Giser completed a master’s degree in food technology at the University of Natural Sciences of Buenos Aires and a postgraduate degree in innovation and design thinking at Pompeu Fabra University.

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Grégory Dubourg

Grégory Dubourg is an agro engineer specialised in agri-food and nutrition. He graduated from AgroParisTech. After 10 years of experience in marketing and innovation in the agri-food and nutraceutical industries, he founded Nutrikéo in 2009. Since then, he has managed this nutrition strategy consulting agency, whose expertise covers research, innovation, marketing, and communication strategies across the entire supply chain, from agriculture, food, and nutraceuticals to health and cosmetics.

Michael Stott

Michael Stott is a UK and European patent attorney and partner at Mathys and Squire LLP, a full-service intellectual property firm with offices in the UK and Europe. Stott has worked in the patent profession since 2008 and, prior to that, worked in the pharmaceutical industry. He has significant experience of drafting and prosecuting patent applications in the UK and Europe, managing international patent portfolios, and providing freedom-to-operate advice. He works with a wide range of clients, including startups, university spinouts, SMEs, and multi-national corporations, across a wide range of technologies, and has particular expertise in the field of food chemistry and pharmaceuticals.

The 2024 Vitafoods Europe Startup Innovation Challenge: Launching global nutraceutical startups to success

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Vitafoods Insights: Shining a spotlight on startup innovation throughout the year With year-long coverage of the most exciting innovations happening in the world of nutraceutical startups, Vitafoods Insights is the leading source of health and nutrition industry news and analysis.

Here is our editor’s pick of three Vitafoods Insights articles that showcase the startups making waves thanks to their disruptive ingredients, products, and tech solutions.

Jamu: Giving Indonesian traditional medicine a modern makeover Jamu, an ancient Indonesian craft practised exclusively by women, is getting a modern makeover in the functional beverage space.

By Kirstin Knight The herbal medicine tradition, once the preserve of royal families, is finding a new, younger audience thanks to a startup in the Netherlands.

“For me, it’s part of my cultural heritage,” says Anna Uspessij, founder of Good Jamu.

The 2024 Vitafoods Europe Startup Innovation Challenge: Launching global nutraceutical startups to success

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Jamu: A preventative wellness craft passed down from mother to daughter Jamu, a word from Javanese tribal language, refers to traditional medicine from plants. This usually comes in the form of preventative elixirs, designed to be consumed every day to maintain holistic wellbeing, rather than targeting specific ailments.

The main ingredients are ginger and turmeric, but there are as many versions as there are people consuming it: a 2012 survey by the Indonesian Ministry of Health recorded more than 15,770 different jamu recipes within the archipelago. These recipes are handed down from mother to daughter; the only time when men are involved is where heavy labour is required.

Jamu is such an integral part of Indonesian culture that the country has nominated it for inclusion on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

Uspessij, who grew up in a Dutch/Moluccan household, was inspired to learn more about the practice while living in Bali, during which time she had the chance to learn under a jamu master.

“In Asia, it’s so normal to look at whatever nature brings you, [and how] you can use that to benefit your own health… In Indonesia, that’s jamu,” she explained.

“You wouldn’t go to a doctor, you would go to a jamu gendong – that’s like a jamu master – and then you tell her … if you’re not feeling that well or you might have certain kinds of problems that you feel you have in your body. She would then get different kinds of herbs and make a version for you.”

Giving a modern twist to an ancient practice Historically, royal families would keep jamu masters in their court to provide them with elixirs or beauty masks.

“Then, it was not available or accessible for everybody,” Uspessij said. “But then these women thought, ‘We live in these communities, and that’s who we should be catering to and be caring for.’”

When she returned to the Netherlands after eight years in Bali, around the time the pandemic hit, people suddenly seemed “more focused on how you can be kinder to your body”, she said.

“That was the point where we realised that the European market is also ready for [this] fresh but authentic wellness,” she added.

Supply chain integrity: Sourcing single-origin ingredients Ingredient quality and authenticity goes to the heart of the Good Jamu brand, said Uspessij, which uses fresh herbs and spices such as turmeric, ginger, tamarind, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, and lemongrass.

The startup works with a partner called Pacific Spices to “ensure a short and fair supply chain”.

A member of the Royal Dutch Spice Association, Pacific Spices sources single-origin ingredients from farmers across different Indonesian islands. Not only does this mean the quality is high, but it also offers the opportunity “to nurture the community”, said Uspessij.

She added: “We also try to make sure that there is no child labour and the living conditions of these farmers are good, they can send their kids to school...

Whereas if we could work with bigger parties to do this, it might be cheaper, but we don’t know what the journey is of these spices.”

Not only is this ingredient sourcing a moral choice; it’s a question of taste.

“The flavour is also different because it’s literally the best version of the products that we can have,” she said. “[…] Yes, it’s a slow process, but for us it’s worth [it].”

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Reclaiming Indonesia’s cultural heritage, one sip at a time Another aspect of the startup’s work represents a reclaiming of Uspessij’s ancestral heritage. She spoke about the complexities of being a thirdgeneration Moluccan in the Netherlands, which has a large Indonesian diaspora because of its colonial history.

“Because my grandparents came to the Netherlands as a part of [that] history... they kind of live within the chains that they feel from their parents, and I think as a third generation, you can look at it differently,” she said.

“For me, it’s also now the opportunity that I have to keep this tradition alive, but to make it really accessible for a broad audience.”

She sees Good Jamu’s functional beverages as a means by which to establish the tradition of jamu in the Netherlands.

The startup launched a carbonated drink earlier this year after a successful round of crowdfunding, representing another value that is integral to the brand, Uspessij said – community involvement.

She added: “The product is a vehicle for us to connect with our community.”

Thinking global, acting local: Partner producers in the Netherlands Good Jamu works with producers in the Netherlands to make its products, trying to “be as conscious about all the steps that we can take as possible”, says Uspessij. However, finding a partner with the knowledge to make the carbonated beverage proved challenging.

“We really had to go on a search for the right partners to do this because a lot of the people were like, ‘Oh, you have 12 ingredients in there. That’s not normal for us’ or ‘You work without any aromas – we’ve never done that’,” she said.

But Uspessij says she doesn’t want to make “any concessions” on the original product, its flavour, or its taste.

“In Asia, it’s so normal to look at whatever nature brings you”

“Even though sometimes it’s harder, it’s worth [it] to just try … and have the right partners to do this, or at least try together to figure it out,” she said.

Asked about the consumer response, Uspessij said it had been overwhelmingly positive.

“When Indonesian people say that it tastes likes home, that’s the biggest compliment that there is,” she said, adding: “For me, it’s really a blessing that I get to do this.”

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Jellatech CSO on scaling up bio-identical, cell-cultured human collagen On the back of an oversubscribed $3.5 million seed round, cell-cultured collagen startup Jellatech plans to serve the high-value, low-volume biomedical market with its bio-identical human collagen before entering the food and drink space, says its chief scientific officer (CSO), Rob Schutte.

By Niamh Michail In 2022, US company Jellatech showcased its bio-identical cell-based bovine collagen and, in March this year, followed up with a full-length, triple-helical functional human collagen made from its own proprietary cell line. In the future, it also plans to produce gelatine.

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body’s extra-cellular matrix and is associated with various health benefits, including skin health and elasticity, joint health and mobility, and muscle strength.

Human collagen has biomedical and clinical applications in tissue engineering, arthritis treatment, regenerative medicine, dermal fillers, and 3D bioprinting.

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Scaling up after successful $3.5m seed round The startup recently closed an oversubscribed seed funding round in which it raised $3.5 million, led by Nordic-based byFounders, with additional investment from Milano Investment Partners, Joyful VC, Siddhi Capital, Blustein, and more.

It will use these funds to begin pilot production and hopes to reach commercial scale in around two years, said Schutte, who will be taking part in a panel discussion on fundraising and financing mechanisms for alternative protein startups at the Future of Protein Production in Amsterdam on 11 and 12 October.

“For us, the biggest challenge that we’ve had to face is like a lot of other companies in this space: it’s scale. How do we take a cell culture, process, and develop it in a way that is highly scalable and that is highly reliable [so] that you can go in with a known set of conditions and your outputs are always the same?

“There are a number of challenges that go into figuring out how to [...] go from R&D to pilot scale to commercial scale. That’s the biggest challenge that we have and it’s ongoing,” he said, adding: “It’s biology, it’s very complicated!”

Serving the biomedical, food, and cosmetic markets The startup, which is based in Raleigh, North Carolina’s research triangle – a hotbed for companies in bioprocessing, gene therapy, and pharmaceuticals, according to Schutte – uses growth medium supplements that are free from foetal bovine serum.

While its timeline to market may be behind other cell-cultured protein companies that are already commercialising small volumes of their products, mostly in food service – UPSIDE Foods and GOOD Meat in the US, for instance – Schutte said Jellatech has the strategic advantage of being able to supply the diverse applications that make up the collagen market.

While it will not initially have the manufacturing capacity to supply the highvolume food and drink sector with cultured bovine or porcine collagen, it plans to serve the low-volume, high-value biomedical market, while continuing to develop scale for food and drink, as well as cosmetics and personal care. “[That] gives us a little bit more runway to get [...] our products out to market and then have a follow-on product that would be targeted for food and beverage,” Schutte added. “That’s one of the unique things for us working in collagen: it has a wide range of applications and that can let us get started a little bit more quickly than we may have been able to otherwise.”

“THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THAT WE’VE HAD TO FACE IS LIKE A LOT OF OTHER COMPANIES IN THIS SPACE: IT’S SCALE”

Until now, the startup has channelled most of its efforts into developing the science behind the ingredients, Schutte said. But as it gets closer to being able to launch a product, it is starting to focus efforts on securing regulatory approval.

It is currently putting together the documentation and data required to have Generally Recognised as Safe (GRAS) status to commercialise its products in the US. It also has its sights set on serving the European and Asian markets but has not begun compiling a novel food dossier yet.

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Bio-identical is better According to Schutte, Jellatech’s product offers several advantages over competitor products, such as extracted collagen peptides.

“WITH SOME OF OUR COMPETITORS, IT’S MORE LIKELY THAT THEY’RE ABLE TO MAKE PEPTIDES RATHER THAN FULL-LENGTH FUNCTIONAL PROTEIN COLLAGEN”

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“[CEO and founder] Stephanie’s approach in creating the company and building this technology has really been to create an identical product. Collagen is a complex protein and there are other complex proteins similar to it, but it’s very difficult – if not impossible – to recreate in other manufacturing systems, whether that be fermentation or plant-based.

“Our process has been designed intentionally to use mammalian cells that already have all of the machinery to be able to make an identical collagen protein. [Our work] has been, how do we maximise the output from those cells? But what sets us apart is that we are making a bio-identical product. [...]

“With some of our competitors, it’s more likely that they’re able to make peptides rather than full-length functional protein collagen,” Schutte said, adding that it was a very big market and there was plenty of room for multiple players.

Given that its ingredients are bio-identical to animal-derived collagen, Jellatech expects parameters such as bioavailability and stability of its ingredients to be the same as well, Schutte said, adding that it would seek to confirm this with analytical testing.

Improving natural collagen Asked whether the startup would consider trying to improve the functionality and characteristics of natural bovine, porcine, or human collagen, Schutte said: “We think about that all the time.”

He added that the specific aspects that it would seek to improve would depend on specific customer needs. These might be related to mechanical properties, for instance.

“There are things that we could do to tailor the collagen protein we’re making to be able to do that. [...] There are ways that we could genetically modify or maybe [target] a specific combination of collagen products,” he said.

Israeli startup Aleph Farms is also making cell-cultured collagen and is aiming for a 2024 commercial launch.

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Stanford-born startup develops nutrition-based, drug-free cancer treatment Filtricine, a US-based biotech startup, has developed a first-of-its-kind approach to drug-free cancer treatment and prevention that uses personalised nutrition to starve the growth of cancerous cells.

By Lucy Whittaker Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, responsible for more than 10 million mortalities in 2020, according to Cancer Research UK. While the number of cancer diagnoses continues to rise each year, evidence shows that between one-third to half of all cancers can be prevented by avoiding risk factors and adopting a range of evidencebased preventative measures.

California-based biotech startup Filtricine is driven by its mission of fighting cancer via a range of proprietary nutritional replacement meals.

Founded by a group of Stanford university researchers, the company has developed a novel scientific approach called Targeted Nutrients Deprivation (TND), which starves cancer cells of essential nutrients they require, while nourishing the body and contributing to a healthy overall diet.

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A science-backed approach to minimising cancer through diet Tality, the startup’s flagship product, is a type of medical food that was developed based on extensive evidence-based research in cell metabolism and nutritional science that found that cancer cells feed on certain nutrients that normal cells in the body do not require.

A breakthrough alternative to drug-based cancer treatment and prevention The TND diet administered by the Tality meal plan can be used in combination with the patient’s normal standard of care or administered alone, and can provide benefits for patients in as little as four weeks, early results show.

“We’re a company that creates food that lacks the nutrients that cancer cells require. If you feed a person our food for most of their diet, the levels of the nutrients that the cancer cells require will go down and our food will slow the growth, or sometimes reverse the growth, of cancer cells,” Dr John Chant, CEO of Filtricine, told Vitafoods Insights.

Clinical and animal-based trials found that the TND diet alone deprived of targeted NEAAs is safe and effective in treating a wide range of cancers.

The company has already tested its approach on men with prostate cancer and is looking to target patients with certain cases of leukaemia next, Chant explained.

Cancer cells require several non-essential amino acids (NEAAs) for their survival, which are commonly found in the foods humans consume.

Offering a breakthrough drug-free approach to cancer treatment and prevention, Filtricine’s range of nutritionally complete foods lack the NEAAs cancer cells thrive on, while delivering the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals needed to ensure comprehensive and balanced nutrition. Examples of these NEAAs include Arg, Cys, Gln, and Tyr.

“We have the data and we’re happy to share it with anyone,” he said.

A novel approach to cancer treatment, TND is effective in killing cancer cells while maintaining the healthy growth of non-cancerous cells, as has been proven in various laboratory and clinical trials conducted with Filtricine.

“We don’t have proof for prevention yet, but the food has no side effect and is generally very healthy, so I [am confident that] there will be a market for this cause in the future,” Chant said.

“We think the food will work broadly in many cancer types and we’re working to test that now.”

As well as cancer treatment, the startup is also hopeful that its products will be able to be used to prevent the growth of precancerous lesions in future, although further research is required.

“We’re happy to say that in four years, we’ve gone through several laboratory and clinical trials and have shown that the food works in human patients with cancer, which is really a breakthrough,” said Chant.

The 2024 Vitafoods Europe Startup Innovation Challenge: Launching global nutraceutical startups to success

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Regulation ‘a very small hurdle’ Filtricine has collaborated with a range of nutritionists and chefs to formulate over 20 food flavours and formats, including shakes, nutritional bars, and soups, all of which are gluten-, dairy-, and lactose-free. The products contain only generally recognised as safe (GRAS)-certified ingredients and do not require any regulatory approval where current conditions apply, Chant explained.

Classed as a medical food, Filtricine’s TND diet is required to be administered and monitored to treat conditions with a metabolic basis under the care of a physician or medical professional.

“All the patients we’ve interacted with are very positive about the food, and [to date], no doctor has ever said no,” Chant said.

Going to market

The company is aiming to launch its product range in 2024 and is currently in conversation with various potential food companies to partner and commercialise with.

“We’ve always been dedicated to trying to do something big and important to help people. We think we’ve been fortunate to have achieved this and we now want to go to market,” Chant said.

Having previously been funded by several venture capitalists, Filtricine is currently in the process of raising a series A funding round, in conjunction with exploring commercial partnerships.

“We want to rely on the corporate partnerships for inside services. They will probably invest but they will also provide their sales network, which has a tremendous value,” Chant said.

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“ALL THE PATIENTS WE’VE INTERACTED WITH ARE VERY POSITIVE ABOUT THE FOOD”

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