- 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
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