We all need food. It’s necessary for human survival. And in a world where the climate is becoming more and more unstable, the population is growing more and more, and the human impact is leading to more and more dramatic results, the food system that we rely on is approaching a perilous state.

That’s why we’re passionate about the start-ups that are changing things.

It’s vital that we think differently about how the food industry works, and there are some incredible women who are innovatively rethinking every aspect of the food system to create a future that’s better for us, and better for the planet.

Even though we rely on food technology every day, many of us don’t actually understand what it is, so here’s a quick definition: it’s the use and development of technology to make the food system more efficient and optimal. That covers a huge amount of ground, but amongst other elements, recent food tech innovations have included:

• Finding new proteins and sustainable ways of providing nutrition
• Farming and improving agriculture practices, from feed for animals to sensors for soil
• Packing and developing climate-friendly ways to store food
• Digital systems used by restaurants and supermarkets to make organisational business processes more efficient

From vertical farming to food delivery services, food tech developments have transformed the world that we experience - even in just the last few years. And with the industry predicted to reach a value of $700 billion by 2030, there are a vast number of opportunities within it, where those who dare to think differently can truly make a significant impact.

Learn more about the food tech companies operating in the Nordics that received funding in the last year.

Global challenges lead to food technology developments

The beginning of the food tech industry was largely focused on food preservation, as the limited shelf life of products led to poor nutrition and ill health. Pasteur’s research was vital in understanding food spoilage, which led to improved storage and safety, making better nutrition accessible for many and opening new avenues for food processes.

The first widely used food technology process was canning, which was developed in 1810. It was during the First World War, however, when canned goods became vital for providing nutrition to soldiers, that there was an increase in their development due to global demand and popularity. To this day, canned goods of multiple food types are a staple of diets worldwide, providing cheap and accessible ways to safely store food.

By the mid twentieth century, the space race was in full speed and the middle class was becoming a more dominant section of society - meaning that once again, the food technology industry developed in relation to these needs. Innovations of the time included freeze drying, ready meals, preservatives, and sweeteners that catered to a population moving away from fresh meals every day as their priorities, locations, and time frames changed.

Within just the last few years, the growth of digital solutions and the pandemic have led to the development of food ordering services, which almost all of us have used or relied on. Alongside this, there’s been a rise in vertical farming innovations, as a response to increasing urbanisation, loss of farming land, and a more unreliable climate.  

The global issues we see today will predict the next developments in food technology, and it’s likely that climate and health concerns will play a huge role in the upcoming years of food tech.

Food technology in the Nordics: from its origins to today’s inspiring founders

The Nordics have always been a key player in food technology, right from the development of the first continuous centrifuge. This device transformed dairy production and enabled Denmark to become a key player for exporting dairy products, which was crucial for their economic development. Sweden simultaneously created a centrifuge model based on a different principle and submitted their patent in the exact same month of the same year, which was equally transformative for scientific development.

,It’s unsurprising that developments are continuing in a similar manner today, with companies in the Nordics leading the way in tackling global issues within the food industry. In our recent report, we tracked 9 female-founded food tech companies in the Nordics that received funding in the last year. These companies are looking to ensure more sustainability in the food chain, but you’d be incorrect to assume they’re all doing this in the same way.

Innovations include repurposing waste heat to provide circular aquaculture systems that use waste streams and ensure locally sourced, sustainable, and fairly produced fish can be farmed, with minimal waste products. Another company uses seaweed to feed mycoprotein and create a carbon-neutral protein source that doesn’t rely on arable land, in order to create solutions for food scarcity.

There are also innovations looking to empower both those consuming food, whether it’s through improving nutrition education and access to fruit and vegetables for more children as Vegemi provides through their storytelling based app, or those serving food, such as Munchfam’s restaurant software that helps local restaurants to be more profitable through a unique operating system.

The diversity we see in how female innovators are transforming the food industry highlights the many different opportunities that lie within it, while still showing us the common themes are in line with today’s challenges: the climate and the rise of digital solutions.

Tempty foods: a new focus for plant-based protein development

Over the past few decades, a significant movement in food technology has been the creation of new types of protein that can be used instead of meat. While a variety of protein types have been developed and become more widely available, they’re all following a similar path: trying to look, feel, and taste like meat itself.

With true innovative thinking and a priority strongly focused on health, the founders of Tempty started to question whether this could look different?

We were so grateful to have the chance to talk to Martina Lokajova and see exactly how and why Tempty decided to begin a whole new direction of food innovation, which would be better for people and better for the planet.

In 2021, the founders (Martina, Cecilie and Ana) met on a food development course at DTU (a hugely impressive 21% of venture funding in Denmark in 2024 went to companies that stemmed from DTU).

They quickly realised that they shared a passion for improving the food system and what we eat, as it’s becoming unsustainable.

The founders became fascinated by the potential of mycelium (this is the mushroom root network, which is contained in a fibrous structure with a variety of applications possible). As mycelium had the possibility to be used as a new protein-rich ingredient in food, they decided to focus their investigations and research on learning more about it. Quorn, the meat substitute company, was the first to have pioneered using mycelium in this way, and fermented a particular strand of mycelium in order to develop mycoprotein (protein derived from fungi for human consumption).

However, Quorn and other meat substitutes have concentrated their efforts on meat imitation. With this as the focus, there has been little consideration o how else mycelium can be used to innovate protein sources.

The Tempty founders brought critical thought, a passion for health, and inquiring minds to this issue, and decided to create a new category within the Danish market. With a focus on ensuring the product was healthy and also tasted good, they rejected the imitative meat approach and instead ensured that their protein alternative contained herbs and spices to make it palatable, vegetables to diversify the nutritional value, and no extra unnecessary ingredients.

From an innovative solution to the realities of a start-up journey

While Tempty’s products are delicious and healthy, there are a number of challenges that they are still facing in marketing and publicising the product. A significant one is financial: consumers expect low pricing, especially in Denmark, where groceries make up one of the lowest percentages of salary outgoings in all of Europe. Providing these low prices is challenging, especially for small companies that are not manufacturing large numbers of the product.

New sources of protein are vital for a more sustainable future, yet the meat industry receives subsidies from the state and is able to capacitate mass production, while many ew protein options are limited by their smaller production facilities and minimal support. These barriers make it difficult to attain a cost that consumers are happy to pay.

The barriers Tempty is facing aren’t only financial; there’s also the added challenge that comes with introducing innovation to consumers. Consumer behaviour is largely habit-based, and the necessary education on what new proteins  are, how to use them, and why they’re important is a significant challenge that must be overcome for people to use them as a regular part of their diet.

On top of this, there are varying regional difficulties related to consumer decisions. For example, Denmark focuses on the importance of organic products, and this causes limits to innovation. B2B companies often commit to working only with 100% organic food, which means that this is a necessity for any product looking to go further. As previously mentioned, this is problematic for smaller companies with limited production capacity and who are focused on other elements of health rather than just the organic label.

While there are still bumps on the journey, Tempty has also noticed huge successes. One which is vital to the entire food industry is this: consumers are making decisions based on health more than ever before.

According to recent studies,  51% of the surveyed EU population are trying to reduce their meat intake, while 47% of those doing so are choosing to do this for health reasons. That’s huge news to a company making a healthy protein meat alternative, which shows their innovation is going in the same direction as consumer opinion, and that there are huge opportunities around health and taste. Consumers are more aware than ever before of the need to be consuming healthy food and food that has a lesser impact on the planet, and Tempty seems to have reached the market at the perfect time.

Transforming the food industry will impact the health of us and the health planet, and we think that’s something worth caring about, fighting for, and creatively innovating within.