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Kenyan tech startup wins Nutreco’s 2022 Feed & Food Tech Challenge

Aquarech is the first place winner of the 2022 Nutreco Feed & Food Tech Challenge for its work to build Kenya’s first fish farming supply chain platform.

The Kenyan startup will receive a validation trial supported by Nutreco experts to help the company further develop its technology.

“Through their Aquarech platform, fish farmers in Kenya and Africa can buy top-quality feed, sell fish, and learn about best fish farming practices to improve their incomes and, in general, to improve the entire supply chain of high-quality fish to feed to the local population. We look forward to supporting Aquarech in further developing their innovative concept,” said Nutreco jury member, Alex Obach.

The Nutreco Feed & Food Tech Challenge was created in 2017 with the aim to support the best breakthrough innovations in sustainable protein production. This year’s contest received more than 100 submissions from 48 countries. Fifteen finalists received support from Nutreco mentors to develop a pitch deck and business case that they defended at a virtual pitching event in June.

The top five finalists attended an in-person finale this week in the Netherlands to pitch their ideas one last time and network with other start-ups, investors and the Nutreco jury.

The 2022 NFFTC jury included: Laëtitia Gerbe, partner at Seventure Partners;  Alexandre van der Wees, investment director at Creadev; Rosie Wardle, Co-Founder and Partner at Synthesis Capital; Nis Bak, Principal at Novo Holdings; Thomas Giehm, Investment Manager at AquaSpark; Silke Birlenbach, Director of Global Innovation at Trouw Nutrition, the Nutreco Livestock feed business line; Alex Obach, Innovation Director at Skretting, the Nutreco Aquaculture business line; Erik Tveteraas, Investment Director at Nutreco NuFrontiers; and Susanne Wiegel, Investment Manager for Alternative Proteins at Nutreco NuFrontiers.

“This year’s entries showed a great deal of promise in helping our industry solve the challenges we face as we work to produce more protein more sustainably and achieve our purpose of Feeding the Future. We’d like to thank everyone who participated in this year’s Challenge!” said Nutreco’s Director of Venturing & Business Development Joost Matthijssen.