Food Tech Grand Prix

Foodtech Grand Prix 2022 Preliminary Report: Grand Prize Winner is KOJI LABO

2022/10/18

The Food Tech Grand Prix 2022 was held on Saturday, October 15, 2022 at the Center of Garage to select the winning teams for the Grand Prize and the Corporate Award.

Starting with the 2020 season, the Tech Planter will evolve its concept to "Deep Issue & Deep Tech Explorer," which will use "Deep Tech," a collection of science and technology, to solve unsolved "Deep Issue" problems. Tech Explorer," which is a collection of science and technology to solve "Deep Issues" through "Deep Tech.

In addition, this year we have added "ability to expand overseas" to the existing four criteria of "novelty, feasibility, potential to change the world, and passion" as a new criterion for judging. The intent is to encourage early-stage companies to look globally, and to accelerate new development through collaboration with the 1126 Alumni teams (as of September 1, 2022) and other overseas tech planters sponsored by RIVANES.

On the day of the event, the 12 Foodtech Grand Prix finalist teams, selected from among the 349 teams that applied for the Tech Planter 2022 competition, passionately presented their ideas for solving global problems by utilizing a variety of technologies, including insect food, food loss upcycling, healthcare, nursing food, taste media, robot hands, and koji meat. The teams passionately presented their ideas for solving global issues by utilizing various technologies such as insect food, food loss upcycling, healthcare, nursing food, taste media, robot hands, and koji meat.

And the winner of the prestigious Grand Prize was KOJI LABO.

Mr. Daisuke Hagiwara of KOJI LABO (University of Tsukuba) gave a presentation titled "Koji Meat Alternatives to Save the Planet. Hagiwara's specialty, koji mold, is a "national fungus" that has been uniquely domesticated in Japanese brewing culture, including miso, soy sauce, and sake. Hagiwara focused on the usefulness of this koji fungus itself as an alternative protein. The "low environmental impact," "low cost," and "fibrous, meat-like texture and flavor without any peculiarities," which were revealed as a result of his research, presented the possibility that it could be useful as a meat substitute and make a significant contribution to a sustainable society. The Grand Prize was awarded to this research because of its significance in promoting social implementation in the field of cultured meat, an area where many venture businesses have already taken the lead.

Members of KOJI LABO, winner of the Grand Prize, and the entire jury

List of Company Awards and Grand Prizes

Team Name	Theme name	winning (a prize)
Morus Corporation	Silkworm Functional Raw Material Mass Production Business to Save the Food Crisis
ASTRA FOOD PLAN Co.	Upcycling of Food Residue by "Superheated Steaming Machine	Nippon Ham Prize Real Tech Fund Award
Beyond Science Inc.	Increase butyric acid bacteria by having intestinal bacteria produce ketones
Gifmo Inc.	Delisoftar, a care appliance that delivers eating pleasure and happiness	SUZUMO Award
Sydecas Corporation	Next-generation food derived from konnyaku that transcends all dietary restrictions
FingerVision Inc.	Automation of food serving by robot with tactile sensor	JT Prize Maruha Nichiro Award
Brain Education Powdered Milk Development Group	Factors in Breast Milk that Influence the Brain Development of the Child
Aisu Club	Ice cream development that freezes at room temperature	Meiji Holdings Award
Yoshiaki Miyashita Laboratory	Creation of Taste Media	SIGMAXIS Award
Polysaccharide Nanoparticle Development Team	Development of health foods and vaccines with polysaccharide nanoparticles derived from natural products	Suntory Prize
CUHORT	Control of carbohydrate digestibility in rice	Yoshinoya Prize
KOJI LABO	Koji Meat Substitution Saves the Planet	Grand Prize Iichiko Prize

Results of public voting (votes by non-jury partner participants and finalist teams)

1st place	Gifmo Inc.
2nd place	Yoshiaki Miyashita Laboratory Polysaccharide Nanoparticle Development Team
3rd place	ASTRA FOOD PLAN Co. Aisu Club

Demo Day Implementation Overview

Grand Prix name: Foodtech Grand Prix 2022
Location: Center of Garage (1-16-3 Yokogawa, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 130-0003, Japan)
Date: Saturday, October 15, 2022, 13:00-19:00
Eligibility: Closed, pre-registration required (entry teams, partner companies, Superfactory Group Professional Supporters)
Website:
Related Grand Prix:Food Tech Grand Prix