The Canadian Food Innovation Network is funding five food-tech startups, the national support network revealed today.
CFIN is funding the five startups through its Foodtech Next Program, which the organization describes as a “unique funding opportunity for early-stage Canadian technology firms who seek to be part of, or sell to, the wider food industry.”
“By investing in the development and commercialization of cutting-edge agri-food solutions, we are strengthening Canada’s food supply chain, supporting sustainable economic growth, and creating high-quality jobs for Canadians,” posits federal minister Melanie Joly. “This funding will help ensure that Canada remains at the forefront of global food innovation.”
The Foodtech Next Program allows companies to demonstrate and pilot “Food 4.0″ projects in operational environments to prove the validity of solutions and validate return on investment for the food sector, with an overarching goal to accelerate the commercialization of Canadian innovation.
“These five projects demonstrate Food 4.0 in action,” believes CFIN chief executive Dana McCauley, pointing to “industry-led innovation that is reshaping how food is processed, packaged, and shared.”
“Each solution tackles real-world challenges with tremendous potential to scale,” the CEO stated.
This round, CFIN is investing a total of $1.2M, including $250K into one project based in Alberta.
The Alberta project is being headed by Calgary-based Knead Technologies, which connects food waste with food reuse.
“We’re thrilled to receive this support from CFIN to advance our Matching Modules pilot,” commented Lourdes Juan, cofounder chief executive officer of Knead.
“Our goal has always been to make food rescue more efficient and scalable,” the CEO said. “We’re creating practical solutions for our partners on the ground.”
Juan’s startup’s project, titled “Matching Modules for Optimized Food Rescue,” will see Knead pilot Matching Modules, a suite of features designed to streamline food rescue logistics by addressing inefficiencies in the donor-recipient matching process.
By validating these features in operational environments, Knead aims to increase food recovery efficiency, enable data-driven decision-making, and expand flexible donation options as the firm seeks to commercialize.
“This project is an important step toward reducing food waste and ensuring more food makes it to the people who need it most,” stated Juan.
Knead will work with Leftovers Foundation, BluPlanet Recycling, and Metro Food Rescue on the pilot.
Founded in 2021, CFIN has over 7,000 members from across the food value chain. The organization is supported by the Government of Canada’s Strategic Innovation Fund and the Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program.
To date, 18 projects have secured over $4.2M in funding through Foodtech Next.
Across all funding programs, CFIN has awarded more than $22M to 108 Canadian foodtech projects.
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