BRINC’S 1ST FOOD TECH BATCH: FOUR NEW INVESTMENTS.
Four new portfolio teams drive towards a sustainable food supply through the development of plant based alternatives to dairy, seafood & animal agriculture
We have successfully completed the first batch of our Food Technology program that was launched late last year.
Over the past few years, we’ve invested in improving our food systems through IoT and drone applications in agricultural technology. Now, through four new investments, Brinc’s FoodTech program brings our efforts one step closer to the consumer: delicious, high-quality, affordable food options that don’t require animal ingredients and will transform the way we eat. We are excited to continue Brinc’s philosophy of changing the way we feel, move, live and eat while making a larger, lasting impact on the environment and ourselves. There are millions of hungry mouths in the Asian market — consumers that are ready for high-quality, healthy, and affordable alternatives with the same delicious tastes!
Founders received over $600,000HKD ($80,000USD) to develop products & food-related technologies that target the growing demand in the Chinese market. Founders also got access to a large volume of mentors, advisors, and partners over the past month. Notably, Brinc teams gained access to a pipeline of discoveries from one of our key strategic partners, JUST, a pioneering food technology company paving the way in sustainable plant and cell-based meat.
Here’s a quick rundown of the four new teams & a sneak peak of their products:
- TrueNosh: Created by a dietitian whose mission is to make products with no added sugar for customers that are: “Too Sweet for Sugar!™”. True Nosh creates sauces and condiments developed from wholesome plant-based ingredients that maximise protein and fiber, thus allowing each serving size to be lower or equal to 1 carbohydrate count. The product has a low glycemic index and a perk of this is also weight management. The high fiber content increases satiety and the digestion rate, allowing a slower absorption rate of sugar into the body. This will ultimately decreases the spike in blood glucose that affects their insulin secretion. The products are entirely plant- based and gluten- free. Currently selling in Canada in 11 stores, at pharmacies, online platforms and farmers markets. #Condiments #Sauces #PlantProtein
- Grounded by Nature: Grounded’s mission is to make everyday functional products natural, by using only raw ingredients straight from nature. Launched in 2016, the UK’s first range of low sugar cold-pressed quenchers were sold in over 100 outlets in the country, including WHSmith, Harrods, Sainsbury’s and more — also outselling Diet-coke in some retailers. Grounded has now added a new line of 100% natural, plant-based protein shakes to their growing range of products. Grounded’s plant-based protein shakes will launch in 2019. Using proprietary techniques Grounded utilises hydrostatic pressure (up to 600MPA ~ ocean depth of 60km) to pasteurise their product. Unlike thermal pasteurisation this method does not damage the nutrients of vitamins and vegetables. #Vegan #ProteinShakes , #ColdPressedQuenchers #PlantProteinShakes
- Hakko Bakko: Hakko Bako makes it easy for chefs to create standout flavors with a smart fermentation device with an IoT component that delivers consistent results. By using advanced thermodynamic technology, fermenting foods and drinks has never been easier. The technology is being prototyped in Zhongshan, China, a manufacturing hub for kitchen appliances. As a device for prosumers, the device is validated in food factories and restaurants. #Fermentation #CookingEquipment
- Fat Baby: Fat Baby is an environmentally friendly alternative to cow’s milk formula products, low in allergens, and cruelty free. Fat Baby’s mission is to create a range of vegan pregnancy and infant formulas, which provide mothers and their growing infants with all the nutrition they need from plants using the latest food technology. The food formulation is developed in the U.S. state of California, with the business’s goal to target American and China markets. #Vegan #InfantFormula #PlantProtein
It was a very busy January — alongside the regular Brinc programming which included some of the following:
- Latest trends for R&D in the food industry
- Natural and synthetic food additives and their implications on food product stability
- Introduction to commercial kitchen, food factory regulations, tour of facilities
- The basics skills to improve fundraising and pitching, pricing rounds, investment structures across equity, debt & grants, etc.
- Designing branding & promotional content tied to the initial understanding of the market and minimum viable product (MVP)
- Digital marketing strategies and the landscape of eCommerce in China
- Hospitality and Food distribution networks in HK
- Hong Kong Government Grants and support mechanisms for pre-seed to Series A companies
- Plant based innovation trends & opportunity areas
- Introduction and access to the Hospitality and Tourism industry in HK, Food Industry in HK and Guangdong, Food Startup Ecosystem in HK, etc.
We also had a wide array of mentors, advisors and partners come support the first batch. A huge thank you to everyone who was able to support our teams that are working hard towards improving our food systems!
We also had a number of events that the teams got to present at over the last few weeks:
We’ll be releasing a video of the founder’s journey through the programs soon so stay tuned!
Entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey — so being among other like-minded young companies in the vibrant community that is Brinc was really energising. Having hands on support from Brinc’s in-house and external mentors, who are all experts in their respective fields, allowed me to engage more deeply in different aspects of the business from fundraising, pitching, to technical considerations. Hugely grateful that Brinc is offering support to young companies in food technology, as agents of change in Asia! — Shelly Lee Davies, Founder & CEO of FatBaby
This off-cycle Fall 2018 batch that actually ran in 2019 adds an additional four investments to our growing family of founders. We have now invested in over 60 companies across 24 countries with founders coming from 44 countries! If you are eager to connect with any of these teams, please drop us a note and we will connect you. If you believe you can add value, please sign up here to join us as a mentor. If you’re interested in becoming a partner of the Brinc Food Tech Accelerator program, please send an email to Dalal Al Ghawas: dalal.al.ghawas@brinc.io
We’re also just getting started in this category — we plan to invest in another 16–20 companies this year in this category (not to mention the 50+ we will invest in across other programs globally) in 2019. Applications for our next accelerator program are open and closing this week on February 15th. If you would like to apply or have any teams that you believe would benefit from the program then please submit applications here: www.brinc.io.apply. We’re looking for more clean meat companies for the next batch to complement our plant & protein alternate investments from this batch.