Foodtech startups off to the Silicon Valley

The Plug and Play program provides startups with a platform to meet large corporate companies and initiate dialogue with the goal to form partnerships for further development. A number of Swiss Startups including Luminant Analytics, Arviem, Vlot, iMburse among others have previously participated in different batches of the program in different locations within and outside Europe.
Also, in the recent selection for the new batches of the autumn edition, two Swiss startups – FlavorWiki and SwissDeCode – made it into the program, joining 123 startups from all over the world in 8 categories.

The category Food and Beverages, in which the two startups were selected, is a bi-annual three-month accelerator program which offers a wide range of services including mentorship. The program brings startups in connection with large corporates to establish business development opportunities and provides access to Plug and Play's network through networking and pitch events, and the chance to obtain investment.

FlavorWiki
The Zurich based startup founded in 2015, helps the food retailers and producers to evaluate consumer perception and preference in real-time, from anywhere in the world. The company developed a patent-pending, digital sensory technology that helps to quantify individual taste perception and preference of flavor, texture, aroma simultaneously, using regular consumers.

SwissDeCode
Based in Lausanne, SwissDecode developed a portable, self-administered, on-site DNA detection kit, which combines both food safety and compliance with regulatory bodies in a single tool. The technology allows confirming supply chain integrity in 30 minutes without lab delays. This not only makes the supply chain process more efficient but also promotes food safety.