A disrupting idea, a talented and motivated team of people, and hundreds of hours of work. That’s the story that many startups that passed through F&A Next have in common. Two such examples are our former Next Heroes in Food & Agtech Orbisk and Jord BioScience, thriving scaleups that recently raised millions of funding to fuel their journey.
At F&A Next, we believe in the power of startups to develop impactful innovation. That’s why we dedicate part of our event to highlighting the Next Heroes in Food & Agtech. We provide them with a platform to share their vision, gain exposure, and connect with key industry players.
Each year, we select ten promising startups to participate in this program, allowing them to pitch in front of F&A Next’s audience. Additionally, an independent jury selects two Next Heroes to receive the Feike Sijbesma Sustainable Innovation Award (FSSIA), which includes a €12,500 prize to invest in their company.
As Next Heroes applications are still open, we want to give you extra motivation and inspiration, showcasing the journeys of Orbisk and Jord BioScience, and how being a Next Hero helped them in their journey.
‘F&A Next contributed in many ways to our journey’
As founder of Orbisk, Olaf van der Veen attended F&A Next multiple times. His company was one of 2022’s Next Heroes in Food & Agtech. The Dutch company was recognized for Orbi, its AI-powered camera that gives professional kitchens insights into food waste.
To Olaf, networking and the exposure opportunities a startup gets at F&A Next are the real added value of the summit. “Having that visibility meant that most of Europe’s investment ecosystem had us on their radar, which also manifested in the funding round we recently closed.”
At the end of 2024, the company raised €8 million for its Series A funding round. “This money is giving us some headspace to scale up. We are expanding to the United States and Asia,” he says. Orbisk aims to stay on its growth trajectory while also doubling its amount of saved food.
“All of the F&A Next editions I attended have contributed to our journey. For instance, the first time I pitched Orbisk to an F&A Next audience, I learned how to do so in front of investors. The second time, it was key to get the right exposure we needed before our fundraising round,” underlines the entrepreneur.
High-quality conversations and valuable peer networking
Keri Carstens, CEO of Jord BioScience, attended F&A Next for the first time last year. The American startup is pioneering microbial technologies to enhance crop productivity, developing bacteria-based solutions to protect, stimulate, and nourish crops.
“I was immediately impressed by the high-quality conversations at F&A Next, especially compared to other conferences I had attended. The depth of discussion led to follow-up conversations after the summit that helped Jord BioScience gain traction,” says Keri. These connections proved effective, as the company announced a Series B raise of $7M just last week.
In addition, she highlights the possibility the summit offers to broaden perspectives and talk with fellow entrepreneurs. “F&A Next is very good at featuring a diverse group of companies united by a common thread: serving consumers and farmers with more sustainable innovations. In this way, you become part of the discussion, talking with peer companies that might not work in your space but share your needs,” she explains.
At the moment, Jord BioScience is working on a dozen projects with eight different partners. This year, it aims to expand its field trial program to validate its technology further and measure its performance across a broader environment.
Winning the Feike Sijbesma Sustainable Innovation Award
Both Orbisk and Jord BioScience won the Feike Sijbesma Sustainable Innovation Award. “I can still feel the emotion and the shock of winning. Sitting in the audience and listening to the other companies’ pitches, I was impressed with their quality, so it was already an honor to pitch, let alone win,” recalls Keri.
In addition to the cash prize, winners could also meet Feike Sijbesma. Under his leadership, the multinational firm DSM-Firmenich transformed from a bulk chemical company into one active in nutrition, health, and sustainable materials.
“He has a unique perspective and tried to find the weak spots in our story to see where he could add value. He also shared many valuable insights on how to send the right messages to our customers and to appeal to bigger corporates,” says Olaf.
Keri: “Meeting him was an incredible experience and inspired us on how to think about developing innovation and getting it to scale. The validation of someone like him means we are on the right track.”
Why should you attend F&A Next?
Given their positive experiences, both Olaf and Keri strongly advise joining F&A Next.
Olaf also has some tips for pitching startups: “Make sure your pitch stands out by giving them a little wow moment, something that will stay with them. That is not only about how much food you will save or how you will disrupt a supply chain, but try to convey something special about your company that the audience will remember.”
Next Heroes applications are open until March 5, 2025. Sign up to be part of the program here.
