The UN projects that the world’s population will reach 9.7 billion in 2050. Yet even at our current population level, food insecurity is rising across many nations already. From wheat shortages due to the conflict in Ukraine, to the risk of famine in South Sudan as a result of decades of intense flooding, the pressure on our food ecosystem is high. With more mouths to feed worldwide, how we farm, what technologies we use, and how efficiently food gets on our tables needs to evolve.

Luckily there is an entire field of research and innovation, called FoodTech, creating solutions and reimagining what we eat and how we grow our food. It’s made up of agrifood entrepreneurs and startups developing the products, distribution networks, and the marketing and business models of the world of food.

We met 5 of the top FoodTech startups at VivaTech 2022 who are shaping the future of food.

Food chain, meet insects
French startup and VivaTech 2022 alumni Innovafeed has taken the insect farming industry by storm. They are now a global leader in insect-based proteins for animal and plant nutrition, recently completing a 250M euro fundraising round. Their mission is to put insects back at their natural place, in the food system and our food chains.

Through mass rearing insects in an industrial dense environment, Innovafeed produces millions of insects that are processed into protein for animal feed and plant fertilizers. Their Nesle site in the north of France is the world’s largest vertical insect farm.