Food Frontiers conducted virtual investor night event

Food Frontiers: Urban Food System Innovation Challenge, 2021 is an accelerator programme targeted to create and nurture disruptive innovation, resilience and sustainability in the urban food system.

It was organised by Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Business Network (SBN) co-convened by Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and supported by SVP Limited and Turtle Venture.

The virtual investor night was conducted in the presence of more than 30 seasoned C-Level Executives, Investment Professionals, Tech Investors, Startup experts, and mentors from leading venture capital firms, private equity firms, impact investment firms, investment banks, asset management companies, corporations, and startup consultancy companies.

Besides angel investors, some of the institutions from where the invitees were present at the session were Truvalu Enterprises Limited, SEAF Bangladesh Ventures, IDCOL, LankaBangla Investments Limited, Anchorless Bangladesh, NDB Capital, Strategic Finance and Investment Limited, Bangladesh Angels, BDVenture Ltd., Bangladesh Venture Capital Ltd., GAIN, UN WFP, BRAC EPL, DirectFresh, WorldFish Bangladesh, GM Equity, ASA International, LightCastle Partners, InnSter Limited, LR Global Bangladesh, Agile Minds Corporation, YSI Bangladesh.

Food Frontiers received an overwhelming number of applications, a total of close to 80, within a short period of time from where 15 screened and highly potential ideas/startups/enterprises went through intensive and insightful sessions by high-end mentors, trainers, and food & agro entrepreneurs. There, they learned about technical skills like food system, food safety, food system integration, technology adoption, practical business development skills, go to market strategy and also necessary soft skills like business communication, storytelling, and pitching. From the 15 boot camp participants, 12 selected startups/enterprises pitched online at the event in front of the investors for fundraising, further investor connection, and mentorship.

The final startups/ enterprises who pitched in front of the investors are Qzee, Inspira, iPage, Krishi Swapno, GreenGrain Cashew Processing Industries, Ghost Kitchen Bangladesh, Farmers Market Asia, Dr. Recycle BD, A Single Step at a Time, Jackfruit 360, Fashol.com, Nutrimix.

Syed Mutasir Ridwan, National Coordinator, SBN and Dr Ashek Mahfuz, Portfolio Lead, Global Alliance For Improved Nutrition (GAIN), and Sabaran Tahura Turin, CEO, Turtle Venture were also present among the participants. Mohammad Kamrul Arefin, Managing Director & CEO, SVP Limited anchored and hosted the event.