Key Takeaways:
- The 2025 FoodTech 500, powered by Forward Fooding and sponsored by pladis, selected 500 finalists from over 1,200 submissions across 87 countries
- Pairwise (US) ranked #1, followed by 80 Acres Farms and MycoTechnology in the top three
- AgTech dominates the 2025 list at 35% of all finalists, up from 32.6% in 2024, while Next-Gen Food & Drinks contracted to 23.6%
- 80% of finalists are revenue-generating, up from 74% in 2024, with 96% having received investment
- Diversity metrics reached record highs, with 38% female-founded and 26% BAME-founded companies represented
Forward Fooding has released the seventh edition of the FoodTech 500, its annual ranking of the world's most innovative AgriFoodTech companies. The 2025 cohort was selected from more than 1,200 submissions spanning 87 countries, with finalists evaluated across business size, digital footprint, and sustainability performance.
FoodTech 500 2025: Top 10 Overall
| Rank | Company | Country | Domain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pairwise | United States | Ag Biotech |
| 2 | 80 Acres Farms | United States | Vertical & Indoor Farming |
| 3 | MycoTechnology | United States | Protein Fermentation |
| 4 | Winnow | United Kingdom | Food Waste Tech & Food Sharing |
| 5 | Nuritas | Ireland | Biotech/Synthetisation |
| 6 | Spore.Bio | France | Food Safety & Quality |
| 7 | Ecorobotix | Switzerland | Farm Robotics & Machinery |
| 8 | CropX | Israel | Farm Management & Precision Farming |
| 9 | Notpla | United Kingdom | Sustainable Packaging & Plastic Alternatives |
| 10 | The Protein Brewery | The Netherlands | Protein Fermentation |
Top 10 Domains
| Domain | Number of Companies |
|---|---|
| Farm Management & Precision Farming | 63 |
| Biotech/Synthetisation | 51 |
| Ag Biotech | 48 |
| Plant-Based | 36 |
| Vertical & Indoor Farming | 34 |
| Protein Fermentation | 32 |
| Upcycled Ingredients, Food Surplus & Waste Efficiency | 30 |
| Cellular Agriculture | 28 |
| Food Waste Tech & Food Sharing Platforms | 27 |
| Food Safety & Quality | 19 |
FoodTech 500: Finalists by Activity
| Activity | Share of Finalists |
|---|---|
| AgTech | 35% |
| Next-Gen Food & Drinks | 24% |
| Food Processing | 13% |
| Surplus & Waste Management | 13% |
| Food Safety & Traceability | 7% |
| Food Delivery | 3% |
| Kitchen & Restaurant Tech | 2% |
| Consumer Apps & Services | 2% |
FoodTech 500: AgTech Top 10
| Rank | Company | Country | Domain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pairwise | United States | Ag Biotech |
| 2 | 80 Acres Farms | United States | Vertical & Indoor Farming |
| 7 | Ecorobotix | Switzerland | Farm Robotics & Machinery |
| 8 | CropX | Israel | Farm Management & Precision Farming |
| 11 | Groundwork BioAg | Israel | Ag Biotech |
| 12 | xFarm Technologies | Switzerland | Farm Management & Precision Farming |
| 13 | Beewise | United States | Insects Farming & Aquaculture |
| 15 | Elicit Plant | France | Ag Biotech |
| 16 | Planet Farms | Italy | Vertical & Indoor Farming |
| 17 | Terviva | United States | Ag Biotech |
FoodTech 500: Next-Gen Food & Drinks Top 10
| Rank | Company | Country | Domain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | MycoTechnology | United States | Protein Fermentation |
| 10 | The Protein Brewery | The Netherlands | Protein Fermentation |
| 14 | Heura | Spain | Plant-Based |
| 18 | STARFIELD | China | Plant-Based |
| 21 | Mosa Meat | The Netherlands | Cellular Agriculture |
| 26 | MATR Foods | Denmark | Protein Fermentation |
| 29 | MicroHarvest | Germany | Protein Fermentation |
| 31 | The Better Meat Co. | United States | Protein Fermentation |
| 32 | BlueNalu | United States | Cellular Agriculture |
| 36 | Verley | France | Protein Fermentation |
FoodTech 500: Surplus & Waste Management Top 10
| Rank | Company | Country | Domain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Winnow | United Kingdom | Food Waste Tech & Food Sharing |
| 9 | Notpla | United Kingdom | Sustainable Packaging |
| 24 | Hazel Technologies | United States | Food Waste Tech & Food Sharing |
| 30 | REDUCED | Denmark | Upcycled Ingredients |
| 47 | Mori | United States | Food Waste Tech & Food Sharing |
| 58 | Volare | Finland | Upcycled Ingredients |
| 68 | BIOWEG | Germany | Sustainable Packaging |
| 84 | Green Spot Technologies | France | Upcycled Ingredients |
| 92 | Crush Dynamics | Canada | Upcycled Ingredients |
| 98 | Fazla | Spain | Food Waste Tech & Food Sharing |
FoodTech 500: Food Processing Top 10
| Rank | Company | Country | Domain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Nuritas | Ireland | Biotech/Synthetisation |
| 19 | Checkerspot | United States | Biotech/Synthetisation |
| 20 | Allozymes | Singapore | Biotech/Synthetisation |
| 34 | Savor | United States | Biotech/Synthetisation |
| 50 | Lasso (fka. Tender Food) | United States | Novel Processing Techniques |
| 60 | Food Brewer | Switzerland | Biotech/Synthetisation |
| 62 | Meala | Israel | Biotech/Synthetisation |
| 63 | Cauldron Ferm | Australia | Biotech/Synthetisation |
| 77 | Michroma | United States | Biotech/Synthetisation |
| 88 | Terraflos | Uruguay | Biotech/Synthetisation |
FoodTech 500: Food Safety & Traceability Top 10
| Rank | Company | Country | Domain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Spore.Bio | France | Food Safety & Quality |
| 78 | ZoomAgri | Argentina | Food Safety & Quality |
| 80 | DiMuto | Singapore | Supply Chain Monitoring |
| 86 | RegulateCPG | United States | Food Safety & Quality |
| 94 | Koolboks | France | Food Safety & Quality |
| 100 | Connecting Food | France | Supply Chain Monitoring |
| 108 | Authena | Switzerland | Supply Chain Monitoring |
| 131 | Otrafy | United States | Supply Chain Monitoring |
| 148 | AgrigateOne | United Kingdom | Supply Chain Monitoring |
| 159 | IXON | Hong Kong | Food Safety & Quality |
Methodology
Rankings were determined using the FoodTech Data Navigator's proprietary algorithms, combining three scores: a business size score based on employees, funding stage and markets; a digital footprint score measuring online presence and growth; and a sustainability score developed in collaboration with experts from the University of Turin, assessed against selected UN Sustainable Development Goals. Each company received a total score out of 300.
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