Eight Cdn. startups receive $1.9M for their food mfg. technology

GUELPH — The Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN) is awarding $1,932,000 to eight foodtech projects through its FoodTech Next Program. These projects will pilot their technologies in real-world conditions to validate their market fit within the food sector. The combined value of the projects is just under $4M.

The 2024 FoodTech Next ultimate recipients are:

Project Lead: Index Biosystems (Ontario)

Project Title: BioTags for Advanced Food System Processing Analytics and Supply Chain Traceability

Pilot Partner: A Leading North American Milling Company

Funding: $249,999

Index Biosystems has developed BioTags, which are microscopic barcodes made from baker’s yeast.

Project Lead: Harvest Moon Foods (Quebec)

Project Title: Pilot Demonstration of Recombinant Casein Production and Applications

Pilot Partner: Leading Dairy Manufacture and Food Ingredients Companies

Funding: $244,469

Harvest Moon is the first company in Canada to produce animal-free casein through precision fermentation.

Project Lead: CanDry Technologies (British Columbia)

Project Title: Enhancing Canadian Agri-Food Sustainability Through Evolutionary Low-Temperature Dehydration

Pilot Partner: Blueridge Produce, Susgrainable Health Foods Inc., and the British Columbia Blueberry Council

Funding: $238,337

CanDry Technologies has successfully harnessed the synergies of vacuum, microwave, and infrared technologies to develop a pioneering patented dehydration system.

Project Lead: Real Life Robotics (Ontario)

Project Title: Robotic Short-haul Food Delivery in an Urban Environment

Pilot Partner: Confidential

Funding: $242,127

In the current economic landscape, Canadian businesses grapple with increased customer demands for last-mile delivery, striving to balance the equation of profitability. This challenge intensifies within the food sector, where the dynamics of food delivery economics compound the struggles faced by restaurants dealing with escalating wages, elevated food costs, and pandemic-induced debt.

Project Lead: DeepSight Réalité Augmentée (Quebec)

Project Title: Deploying Augmented Reality Solutions for Industrial Training

Pilot Partner: Groupe St-Hubert

Funding: $233,967

DeepSight leverages augmented reality to accelerate learning and training in the industrial sector.

Project Lead: Renaissance BioScience Corp. (British Columbia)

Project Title: Revolutionizing Taste: Harnessing the Power of Yeast to Reduce Undesirable Flavours and Aromas in Plant-based Protein Products

Pilot Partner: C-Merak and Big Mountain Foods

Funding: $232,239

Renaissance BioScience applies clean-label, non-GMO yeast technology to convert off-flavours in plant-based proteins to more acceptable neutral compounds, using natural fermentation.

Project Lead: Maia Farms Inc. (British Columbia)

Project Title: Protein Technology to Improve Plant-based Foods: Operational Ingredient Testing

Pilot Partner: Big Mountain Foods

Funding: $226,119

Big Mountain Foods (BMF) will collaborate with the National Research Council of Canada and use extrusion technology at the Saskatchewan Food Centre, Maia Farms will produce CanPro — a blended mushroom protein ingredient with higher protein density than meat and superior texture to TPP alternatives.

Project Lead: RFINE Biomass Solutions Inc. (Nova Scotia)

Project Title: Canadian Pre-Commercial Pilot Demonstration Project of Kaffika Process

Pilot Partner: Regional and National Coffee Chains

Funding: $205,505

RFINE is set to conduct a ten-store commercial pilot demonstration of their Kaffika Drying Appliance in collaboration with a major national coffee chain.

“At CFIN, we believe in the transformative power of innovation to pave the way for a more sustainable and resilient food sector. These industry pilots will not only validate the potential of Canadian foodtech innovations, but also ensure they meet the rigorous demands of practical application, driving meaningful advancements in the industry,” said Dana McCauley, CEO, Canadian Food Innovation Network.