Berna, Switzerland
Switzerland-Spain Foodtech Ecosystem Sessions 2024
In recent years, Spain’s Foodtech industry has undergone a substantial shift towards sustainability and efficiency, bolstered by both regional and national public-private initiatives. On the back of a global decline in venture capital deals, in 2023 investment flows into the Spanish Foodtech sector diminished by far less than the average, reaching € 226 million and with an accumulated total of € 1,176 million over the last four years. This highlights the dynamism, resilience, and adaptability of the Foodtech ecosystem in Spain in the face of international market challenges. It even managed to maintain a slight growth in the number of Foodtech companies, which increased from 412 startups in 2022 to 420 in 2023 but also includes over 30,000 companies engaged in food transformation. Moreover, the sector benefits from the collaboration with more than 50 specialized universities and 20 advanced technology centres.
For a comprehensive exploration of the current state and challenges of the country's food sector, feel free to download the full report HERE.
After the success of last year’s event, this will be the second edition of our pitching webinar featuring Spanish startups with key actors from the Swiss Foodtech ecosystem, in cooperation with the Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley (SFNV).
On the Swiss front, SNFV will extend invitations to all its partners, encompassing Swiss-based multinational corporations such as ADM, Bühler, Givaudan, and Nestlé. Additionally, participants will include retail food distribution companies like Aldi Suisse, innovation centres associated with internationally esteemed federal institutes of technology in Lausanne (EPFL) and Zurich (ETH), along with numerous Swiss Foodtech startups and scaleups.
Switzerland leads many international innovation rankings worldwide, having most prominently remained in 2023 number one in the Global Innovation Index of the World Intellectual Property Organization for the thirteenth year in a row and being the country with the highest percentage of patent filings per capita, with Foodtech as the second most patented field after pharmaceuticals.
Switzerland is a pioneer in the Foodtech sector, with more than 44,000 food companies, some of the largest global food multinationals and more than 30 incubators, accelerators, research centres and universities that empower and drive food innovation.
Switzerland food sales are expected to reach € 35 billion by 2026 making it one of the largest and most diversified food sectors in Europe.
Switzerland stands out as one of the most appealing countries globally in the real of venture capital, ranking in 2023 as fifth main destination country for venture capital flows with CHF 3,557 million.
In summary, the Foodtech ecosystems in Spain and Switzerland thrive on vibrancy, driven by factors such as quality, innovation, substantial venture capital investments, and robust government support. These elements collectively contribute to making both countries highly attractive for companies and startups and open up the space for synergies and complementarities.
We invite you to participate in our webinar to explore further!
