FoodTech 12

Ayana Bio

Ayana Bio is a biotechnology company pioneering plant cell cultivation to develop sustainable, high-purity bioactives for use in food, health, and wellness products. By leveraging plant cell culture technology, Ayana Bio produces potent, climate-resilient botanical ingredients without traditional farming—enabling consistent supply, superior purity, and reduced environmental impact.  

Focused on next-generation nutraceuticals and functional foods, the company aims to revolutionize ingredient sourcing by providing scalable, lab-grown plant compounds that support human health while preserving biodiversity and reducing agricultural strain.

Caffree

Caffree is revolutionizing the coffee industry with its proprietary decaffeination technology, setting a new gold standard for flavor, convenience, health, and sustainability. Unlike traditional decaf coffee, which often sacrifices taste, Caffree delivers the full richness of caffeinated coffee without the buzz, ensuring a premium experience for businesses and coffee drinkers alike.

Incubated by Cornucopian Capital and its affiliate Barnstorm Foundry, in collaboration with the UC Davis Innovation Institute for Food and Health, Caffree combines cutting-edge science with sustainable practices to redefine decaffeinated coffee. The company's innovative process removes caffeine while preserving the coffee's natural flavor profile, addressing a long-standing pain point for decaf enthusiasts.

Currently in stealth mode, Caffree is focused on deep customer research, technological refinement, and investor fundraising as it prepares for its product launch. Its mission is to make decaf coffee indistinguishable from its caffeinated counterpart, offering a healthier and more enjoyable alternative without compromising taste or environmental responsibility.

With a bold visual identity—featuring bright, sunrise-inspired branding that stands out in the coffee market—Caffree is poised to disrupt the industry and attract discerning consumers and investors who value innovation and sustainability.

Foodom 

Foodom is transforming human resilience and extending healthspan by connecting families with local chefs for wholesome, personalized, and affordable home-cooked meals and cooking lessons — while also integrating medically tailored meals covered by health plans.

Foodom recently executed a contract with Anthem and have begun serving Medi-Cal patients, with Sutter Health and multiple FQHCs referring patients. They are actively billing Anthem for both the chef services and the groceries.

With over 150,000 meals cooked and more than 3,100 chefs applied so far, they are rapidly scaling to make "food as medicine" a reality, positioning themselves for 10X GMV growth in the next year.

Grainge 

Grainge is an innovative company leveraging AI-powered solutions to revolutionize the food industry. Their focus is on creating healthier grain products that retain great taste by addressing the nutritional gaps in modern diets. Grainge tackles challenges such as the loss of essential fibers and polyphenols during the milling process, which are vital for cancer prevention and immunity-boosting properties.

The company combines expertise in chemistry, AI, and gastronomy to develop transformative solutions. Their AI platform analyzes the molecular structure of ingredients, enabling food companies to optimize recipes, improve ingredient consistency, and innovate healthier products without compromising taste or texture. Grainge's approach is data-driven, offering ingredient recommendations and predictive models that outperform traditional experimental methods.



Grainge is committed to collaboration and continuous innovation, aiming to make a lasting impact on human health through better food products.

Holobiome

Holobiome discovers and develops first-in-class therapies from the human microbiome.

Driven by a passion for improving health and dedicated to scientific rigor, it is translating the emerging science of the human microbiome into the next generation of probiotics and targeted solutions for whole-body health.

Human's gut microbes may hold the key to overcoming some of modern medicine's most urgent challenges. Holobiome was founded by research scientists from Northeastern University with the singular mission of unlocking that potential to improve global health.

Hydrosome Labs

Hydrosome Labs is a Chicago-based biotechnology company specializing in enhancing water's properties through its proprietary ultrafine bubble technology, known as Hydrosome H2O. This natural, chemical-free process generates ultrafine bubbles—approximately 100 nanometers in size—that remain suspended in liquids, significantly increasing surface area and improving the delivery of active ingredients to cells. The technology addresses critical gaps across multiple industries. In precision fermentation, it enhances process efficiency and increases yields. In consumer products, it enables more effective nutrient delivery, extends shelf life, and elevates sensory experience.

Founded in 2019, Hydrosome Labs has assembled a team of experienced professionals from Fortune 500 companies such as Nestlé, Chobani, Procter & Gamble, and Goldman Sachs. The company has secured $3.7 million in seed funding to scale operations and advance its innovative solutions. Collaborations with leading institutions like the University of Chicago and Cornell University have been instrumental in validating the efficacy of their technology. Hydrosome Labs' commitment to sustainability is evident in their process, which requires minimal energy and adds no chemicals, aligning with their mission to improve lives by improving water.

Metafoodx 

Metafoodx is a data-driven, AI-embodied operating system built to transform commercial kitchens. By delivering end-to-end visibility across the kitchen lifecycle, Metafoodx empowers foodservice operators to streamline planning, automate operations, and optimize menu execution with unmatched precision. The intelligent platform prevents waste before it happens, aligns production with real-time consumption, and enables measurable cost savings—all while enhancing the dining experience. Whether in hospitals, universities, or corporate dining, Metafoodx brings powerful forecasting, automation, and decision intelligence to every corner of the kitchen.



Founded in 2021 in San Jose, CA, Metafoodx is deployed at renowned universities across the country and has a strong pipeline. Trusted by leading universities and foodservice providers, Metafoodx delivers measurable impact—including up to a 50% reduction in food waste and a 200% ROI within weeks of deployment. Metafoodx is also a 2025 Kitchen Innovations Award winner, recognized by the National Restaurant Association for improving efficiency and performance in food operations.

SOLVEAT

SOLVEAT was founded to revolutionize everyday foods by integrating health-promoting ingredients that target specific health conditions. Utilizing a proprietary technological platform for the delicious integration of active herbal compositions into ordinary foods, SOLVEAT applies the highest scientific, clinical, and quality standards.

SOLVEAT has a unique positioning in the Food-Tech industry landscape by offering consumers delicious foods that proactively improve their health rather than merely being "permissible".

Our first food ingredient is designed to maintain healthy blood sugar levels in health-oriented consumers. Our next products are being developed to boost the immune system, improve women's health, and address additional high-impact health conditions.

SOLVEAT's multidisciplinary team of doctors, scientists, biotechnologists, and management professionals have joined forces to envision and develop the next generation of functional food.

Topanga

Topanga is a sustainability-focused food-tech company transforming commercial kitchens with AI-driven solutions to reduce waste and costs. Founded in 2021 and based in Los Angeles, Topanga partners with universities, corporate campuses, and healthcare systems to eliminate single-use plastics and food waste through smart, scalable technology. Its mission is to make sustainable practices effortless and economically viable for large-scale food service operations.  

The company's flagship product, ReusePass, is a reusable container system that uses RFID and QR-code tracking to achieve a 97%+ return rate, drastically cutting disposable waste. Topanga also offers StreamLine, an AI-powered smart scale that helps kitchens track and reduce food waste in real time. These solutions provide operators with actionable data to improve efficiency, lower costs, and meet sustainability goals—all while delivering a seamless experience for diners.  

Backed by $11.6M in funding and deployed in over 430 kitchens across North America, Topanga is leading the shift toward circular dining systems. By combining cutting-edge technology with practical, user-friendly design, the company is proving that sustainability and profitability can go hand in hand. Topanga's vision extends beyond waste reduction—it's redefining how institutions approach food service for a greener future.