Next Heroes in Food & Agtech

AuditQ is an AI-driven platform for food companies that centralises regulations, standards, procedures, and documents. It helps quality and compliance teams manage audits, inspections, and reporting efficiently, reducing administrative burden and stress. By connecting external requirements with internal processes, AuditQ provides a searchable overview to streamline preparation, execution, and follow-up.

B-COS is a Ghent-based spin-off developing biological crop protection products via precision fermentation. Using engineered bacteria, it produces consistent chitooligosaccharides at cost-effective scale. Its adaptable platform targets challenges like drought, nematodes, and fungi. With a broad pipeline built on one technology, B-COS has earned recognition, including Hello Tomorrow Deep Tech Pioneer.

Optagon Labs is building scientific AI for food development and processing. Teams input formulation targets -flavor, texture, cost, supply chain, regulations, processing steps – and Optagon AI generates the top formulation. It can modify existing formulations, like removing a hydrocolloid while preserving texture, cost, compliance, and processing performance. Optagon AI finds the optimal formulation, suppliers, and processing methods to make every result trusted.

Proofminder enables leaf-level monitoring for large-scale agriculture, delivering AI-powered insights to support precise decision-making. Its platform provides timely field data, improves yield and crop quality, and reduces chemical use. By enhancing efficiency across the growing cycle, it lowers labour and input waste while helping farms achieve sustainable, data-driven production goals.

ImaginDairy produces animal-free dairy proteins using fermentation, delivering the same taste, functionality, and nutrition as traditional dairy. Founded to reduce reliance on animal agriculture, it offers sustainable, lactose-free products without cholesterol or hormones. Its approach combines scientific innovation and environmental responsibility to create authentic dairy experiences with improved sustainability.

NoPalm Ingredients produces sustainable oils and fats as alternatives to palm oil using fermentation. By upcycling food industry side streams with non-GMO yeast, it creates functional ingredients for food and beauty. Its decentralized production model reduces deforestation, shortens supply chains, and improves scalability, traceability, and resilience in sustainable ingredient manufacturing.

EVJA is an agritech company that supports farmers worldwide to optimize irrigation, nutrition, protection and yield. EVJA patented an Agronomic Intelligence Platform based on predictive agronomic models, AI and micro-climatic sensors to deliver practical and precise guidance to farmers working in open field, low tech greenhouses and indoor.

BiocSol is an agricultural biotechnology company developing next-generation biopesticides using natural substances from beneficial microorganisms. Its bio-inspired solutions provide effective, sustainable alternatives to conventional crop protection. By reducing environmental impact and chemical residues, BiocSol helps farmers manage pests, improve resilience, and support healthier food systems and long-term agricultural sustainability worldwide.

URAPHEX offers a sustainable, profitable alternative to industrial water overconsumption. Their patented, chemical-free technology enables complete disinfection and water reuse across washing, sterilisation, and cooling processes. Modular and scalable, their systems preserve water quality, eliminate chemicals, and deliver unprecedented circularity, efficiency, and cost savings for industrial operations.

atmo is the infrastructure for financing the agricultural transition. They turn fragmented farm, climate, and financial data into decision-ready insights and bankable projects—enabling farmers to access capital, banks to de-risk lending, solution providers to scale, and food companies to drive Scope 3 decarbonization.