Our COO Ebba Fröling went to San Francisco to participate in the Nordic US Food Summit to discuss the future of FoodTech and AgTech with like-minded industry actors. 

The event is an international summit designed to connect the Nordics and Silicon Valley toward building a sustainable food system and enable Swedish tech companies to establish themselves in the U.S. The Nordics and the U.S have massively different approaches to business, and this summit is a way to combine the strengths of both. In short, an excellent opportunity for us to showcase our FoodTech in a new setting with investors, start-ups, industry leaders and research institutes within the tech sector.

We visited the MISTA Innovation Centre, Kicthentown and Agstart to learn about their network and possibilities of scaling products from idea to lab trail and beyond. Initiatives like these are crucial for FoodTech companies to reach the market. It was inspiring to see tech companies in both food and agriculture supported in terms of facilities and resources. We drew comparisons to Sahlgrenska Science Park, where we once began our journey. Organisations like these are crucial for accelerating communities and providing facilities to companies that want to scale ideas. We are happy to see the spotlight on alternative proteins and that San Francisco plays a vital role as the alternative protein hub of the U.S.

However, one of the most significant impressions was the positive response to Mycorena and the level of brand recognition from other participants. We are happy to compare ourselves to U.S companies such as The Better Meat co and Nature’s Fynd and set good examples of the potential of fungi and mycelium. We pride ourselves on our technology and name recognition in Europe. Still, it is incredible how our brand and technology are creating ripples even in the U.S.

On a visit to Nordic Centre at UC Berkeley, we took part in panel discussions on the fascinating subject of regenerative agriculture and the disruption in plant-based foods. The plant-based market is stagnating, and the discussions provided great insight into why and what the future might hold. For instance, we discussed the importance of scaling new technologies and how nutritional value is becoming increasingly important to consumers and producers, in addition to taste and texture.

It was suggested that plant-based options and fake meat are failing because of an excessive desire to imitate meat. For example, Oatly’s technique could have created a plant-based milk tasting like cow milk, but that was not the purpose. Instead, the intention was to create something new, which some now consider superior to the ‘real’ thing. Similarly, we want to create a new segment with high-quality products instead of simply replicating meat.

Nordic-US Food Summit provided unforgettable moments and inspiring sessions. It was fantastic to connect with like-minded people dedicated to changing the world and the food system. We are excited to follow the journeys of Improvin, Agtira, Meal Makers, Moving Floor, amongst others. The summit ended with a Nordic pitch session, a rewarding opportunity to present Mycorena and mycoprotein on the global stage. We are grateful for the massive interest in the future of food and excited to know that our Swedish technology is both desired and well-known, even overseas!