NEW TECH FOODS

Ingredion has partnered with Swiss biotech start-up Cosaic, aiming to enhance the taste and texture of animal-free foods and beverages using Cosaic’s yeast ingredient. Cosaic – previously named Cultivated Biosciences – introduced its Cosaic Neo solution earlier this year alongside its name change. The ingredient is designed to enable manufacturers to achieve ‘dairy-like creaminess’ and stability across a range of animal-free F&B applications, from functional beverages to spirits and sauces. Cosaic Neo is a natural, yeast-derived emulsion that includes fats, proteins and fibres that combine naturally to offer eight functional and sensory benefits in a single, clean label animal-free ingredient. While today’s food products typically blend fats, proteins and carbohydrates from different sources, often relying on additives to bring them together, Cosaic Neo’s microstructure naturally integrates these molecules. This allows nutrients to combine in new ways beyond simple one-to-one replacements, eliminating the need for additives. Ingredion will support Cosaic in implementing its go-to-market strategy, beginning with the US market. It will co-develop new products to expand the start-up’s portfolio, which already includes solutions for performance drinks, meal replacement shakes, dressings, sauces and spirits. Mike Leonard, chief innovation officer at Ingredion, said: “From improved texture, to taste, to performance, Cosaic leverages a deep knowledge of biotech innovation to develop a novel, multi-functional ingredient platform that will allow us to innovate foods with customers in ways never before imagined”. Tomas Turner, co-founder and CEO at Cosaic, said: “Partnering with Ingredion marks a pivotal moment for Cosaic. It validates the years of research we’ve poured into reimagining what ingredients can do, and how they can do better for people, businesses, and the planet”. “Together, we’re bringing our yeast-derived emulsion to the world stage, transforming how creamy, delicious, and sustainable foods are made.”

Pluri has secured new international collaboration agreements across its cell-based food and agriculture subsidiaries, extending its commercial footprint in Asia, Europe and the US. The company said the deals support development programmes at Ever After Foods, Kokomodo and Coffeesai – ventures focused respectively on cultivated meat, cellular cacao and cell-based coffee production. Ever After Foods has begun multiple scale-up and pre-commercial trials with food companies and cultivated-meat players in Asia and the US. The programmes aim to validate production at larger scales and advance customer-specific use cases, with pilot results expected among the next milestones. Kokomodo has signed two new strategic agreements: one with a European confectionery-focused food innovation firm, and another with a US multinational operating in food and agriculture. The collaborations will support R&D and manufacturing expansion, as well as potential co-development projects in Europe and North America. Coffeesai has entered a strategic partnership with a major food and beverage group headquartered in East Asia. The agreement focuses on advancing controlled, indoor cell-based coffee cultivation intended to reduce the environmental impact of traditional coffee farming and shorten supply chains. Pluri CEO and president Yaky Yanay said the partnerships indicate growing confidence in the company’s 3D cell-expansion platform, noting that each agreement includes a collaborator-funded proof-of-concept phase. “These collaborations represent a major leap forward in our foodtech and agtech roadmap,” Yanay said. “We believe that each collaboration not only validates the market readiness and multifaceted potential of our scalable 3D cell expansion technologies but also brings the power of world-class collaborators into our ecosystem." "Together, we aim to reshape the way the world produces and consumes essential food products. We believe that the fact that every agreement includes a collaborator-funded proof-of-concept is a clear vote of confidence in our technology and reinforces our ability to deliver sustainable, long-term value for our shareholders.” Top image: © Pluri

Kääpä Biotech, a Finnish start-up specialising in functional mushroom ingredients, has successfully secured a €9 million strategic investment. The milestone will contribute to the company’s growth plans in the global nutraceuticals market, accelerating its mission to bring premium, traceable and clinically validated functional mushroom ingredients to the forefront of global wellness and health. Global agri-food tech fund manager PeakBridge led the investment round, together with food-tech venture capital fund Zintinus. The capital will enable Kääpä to increase production capacity, expand vertical integration, scale operations, strengthen the market position of its NordRelease ingredients and meet surging demand from international consumers across the wellness, nutrition and supplement sectors. Eric Puro, CEO and co-founder of Kääpä Biotech, said: “The functional mushroom market continues to expand rapidly, with the sector fuelled by increasing customer demand for high-quality, trustworthy and science-backed functional mushroom products”. “We are overjoyed by the strengthening relationship with PeakBridge, who invested in us earlier this year . In addition to the strategic partnership and funding, PeakBridge’s tailored value-add programmes for portfolio companies are a cornerstone of their partnership approach, guided by a team with deep food industry expertise.” Gali Artzi, partner and CTO at PeakBridge, commented: “Kääpä Biotech exemplifies what we look for in this space: vertical integration that addresses real supply chain vulnerabilities, rigorous bioactive standardisation and a European base that cuts dependence on Asia's concentrated production”. “Functional mushrooms represent more than a wellness trend; they're a convergence of centuries of traditional use, growing clinical evidence and modern extraction science that delivers measurable health benefits. Kääpä is a true sector leader and we’re thrilled to extend our support into this next chapter.” In September 2025, Kääpä unveiled a new mushroom cultivation facility in Paimio, Finland, expanding its production and R&D capabilities. In June 2025, it opened an additional cultivation site in Salo, Finland, further strengthening its capacity to meet growing demand for Nordic-origin, premium functional mushroom ingredients.

GoodLeaf Farms, Canada’s largest national vertical farming operator, has completed a CAD 52 million (approx. $37 million) equity financing round to scale production at its facilities in Alberta and Quebec and to build a new research and development centre in Ontario. The round included new and existing investors, among them Farm Credit Canada (FCC), Power Sustainable Lios and McCain Foods. The company said 2025 marked a period of strong growth, with demand for its Canadian-grown baby greens, microgreens and blends rising sharply. Earlier this year, GoodLeaf opened its Agricultural Centre of Excellence in Guelph, which now serves as its R&D hub. CEO Andy O’Brien said demand for the company’s products “nearly doubled” by April. The new funding will allow GoodLeaf to double output at its two largest farms in 2026, he added. FCC’s managing director Adam Smalley said the investment aligns with the growing consumer appetite for locally produced produce and supports Canada’s long-term food security. Jonathan Belair, managing partner at Power Sustainable Lios, said GoodLeaf’s ability to raise capital “speaks to the confidence investors have in vertical farming” and the milestones the company has achieved. Part of the funding will go towards establishing a new R&D centre in Ontario to advance more sustainable and efficient growing practices across GoodLeaf’s three vertical farms. Charlie Angelakos, VP of global external affairs and sustainability of McCain Foods, added: "We have been a key partner in GoodLeaf's development, and we're excited to continue supporting their mission". Top image: © GoodLeaf

Finnish seafood tech company Hailia has released new data showing that fish products made from salmon filleting sidestreams – including heads, fins and frames – contain significantly higher levels of essential nutrients than conventional fillets. According to the analysis, seafood products made with sidestreams can contain up to 20 times more calcium, five times more marine collagen, twice as much iron and ten times more zinc per 100g compared to salmon fillet products. The study also found elevated levels of vitamin D and omega-3 fats. Hailia said the higher concentrations are due to the increased presence of bones and cartilage in the raw materials, which boost calcium and vitamin D content. The company noted that marine collagen levels in sidestream-based products can reach 2g per serving, comparable to many collagen supplements currently on the market. Hailia CEO and founder Michaela Lindström said the findings highlight the opportunity to use parts of the fish traditionally considered low-value to create nutritionally dense, ready-to-eat products. “Our data shows these raw materials can serve a much bigger purpose, not just as traditional ingredients, but as a natural source of nutrients like marine collagen that are increasingly sought after in global wellness markets in supplement form,” she said. The company also pointed to iron as a growing nutritional concern, particularly for women. Hailia’s analysis indicates that salmon heads, frames and fins contain double the iron content of fillets, suggesting sidestream-based products could help address iron deficiency while improving resource efficiency in seafood processing. CTO and co-founder Otto Kaukonen said the results mirror past trends in other food sectors. "Traditional processing has prioritised fillets, even though the heads, frames and fins contain much higher levels of collagen, calcium and iron. With Hailia’s technology, we can finally unlock the full nutritional potential of these parts," he added. Hailia’s technology converts fish sidestreams into ready-to-use food products, expanding their application beyond small pelagics and salmonids to a wider range of species. The company said the approach allows processors to add value to low-yield raw materials while meeting demand for nutrient-rich, sustainable seafood.

Fermenta, a health and performance nutrition start-up, is set to introduce protein bars made with Solein in the US market, with consumer availability planned for Q1 2026. The launch will make the products among the first Solein-based offerings available to US consumers. According to Solar Foods, the developer of Solein, the protein ingredient offers a full essential amino acid profile, contains iron, vitamin B12 and 10% fibre and has no cholesterol or saturated fat. Solein is produced through gas fermentation, which the company says enables a scalable production model with a significantly lower environmental impact than conventional protein sources such as soy, pea or whey. Fermenta will release the products under its Gutsy brand, targeting demand for functional, gut-health-focused nutrition. The bars will be gluten-free, animal-free and positioned as high-protein, vegan-friendly options with reduced sugar. A limited early batch is expected in early 2026. Fermenta CEO John Gibb said the company aims to combine nutritional benefits with sustainability: “Solein is a groundbreaking new ingredient which supports our sustainability ambition and offers exceptional nutritional values with no compromise on taste”. Solar Foods said Fermenta is among the first US partners to bring a commercial product to market using the ingredient. “Fermenta’s functional protein bars are one example of how Solein works in final products,” said Troels Nørgaard, chief commercial and product officer at Solar Foods. Solar Foods has begun commercialising Solein in the US, initially focusing on the health and performance nutrition sector. The company said it has signed multiple supply agreements and is working with customers to support product development. Solein-enabled foods have previously reached consumers in Singapore.

Zurich-based robotics start-up Mimic has raised $16 million in a seed round led by Elaia and Speedinvest, with participation from Founderful, 1st kind, 10X Founders, 2100 Ventures and the Sequoia Scout Fund. This seed round brings the company's total funding to over $20 million. The capital will accelerate development of Mimic’s foundation AI model and humanoid robotic hands, as well as support new deployments with global industrial partners. Founded in 2024 as a spin-off from ETH Zurich, Mimic is building AI-driven 'dexterous' robotic systems capable of performing complex manual tasks typically handled by human workers. The company combines AI-trained robotic hands with off-the-shelf robot arms, enabling industrial automation without the need for fully humanoid robots. Stephan-Daniel Gravert, co-founder and CPO at Mimic, said: “Humanoids are exciting, but there aren’t many industrial scenarios where the full-body form factor truly adds value. Our approach pairs AI-driven dexterous robotic hands with proven, off-the-shelf robot arms to deliver the same capabilities in a way that is much simpler, more reliable and rapidly deployable." The start-up’s technology uses imitation learning to train AI models from real-world human demonstrations. Operators wear Mimic’s data-collection devices while performing their normal work, capturing detailed motion data directly from factory floors. The resulting models allow robots to autonomously adapt to changing object positions, self-correct and handle real-world disturbances. Elvis Nava, co-founder and CTO at Mimic, added: “Our general purpose AI models allow us to automate manual labour in a way that simply was not possible before. Thanks to our unique focus on human-like dexterity and human data, we are competitive at the robot foundation model layer as well as the application layer.” Mimic’s technology is already being piloted by Fortune 500 manufacturers, global automotive firms and multinational logistics providers. The company employs around 25 engineers, researchers and operators, and has received additional non-dilutive funding from Switzerland’s federal innovation agency. Stefan Weirich, co-founder and CEO at Mimic, commented: “We’re at an inflection point in robotics where learning-based systems meet real industrial needs. We make dexterity deployable at scale, closing the gap between what AI can do in the lab and what factories actually need. Europe has the talent, the infrastructure and the demand, and we’re building the company that brings all of this together.”

Researchers at the Carlsberg Research Laboratory have identified a key gene that could help protect cereal crops from pre-harvest sprouting (PHS), a climate-driven problem causing billions in annual losses. The project involved scientists from the University of Copenhagen, University of Cambridge, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, International Barley Hub/James Hutton Institute, SECOBRA Recherches and the University of Adelaide. The study, published in the peer-reviewed academic journal Science , reveals how variations in a single gene – MKK3 – influence seed dormancy and sprouting risk in barley. By identifying the genetic mechanisms that determine whether grains begin to germinate prematurely before harvest, researchers have opened the door to developing new, climate-resilient crop varieties. Pre-harvest sprouting occurs when rain or humidity triggers seeds to germinate before harvest, lowering grain quality and value. “This breakthrough is bigger than beer – it’s about brewing a better tomorrow for everyone,” said Birgitte Skadhauge, vice president and head of the Carlsberg Research Laboratory. Using advanced genetic mapping and multi-year field trials across continents, the international research team demonstrated how specific variants of the MKK3 gene affect seed dormancy and resilience under wet harvest conditions. The results also trace how centuries of farming have shaped the gene’s evolution across different climates, offering a roadmap for crop breeders to balance yield and resistance to sprouting. Christoph Dockter, head of cereal crop development at the Carlsberg Research Laboratory, added: “Our work shows how centuries of farming and climate adaptation have shaped the genetic landscape of this vital crop and provides a roadmap for breeders to balance dormancy and sprouting risk – helping farmers everywhere grow better crops, even as weather becomes more unpredictable."

Re:meat has rebranded as Curve, marking a strategic shift toward enabling scalable and cost-efficient biomanufacturing of proteins across multiple industries. The company, originally focused on cultivated meat, said the new identity reflects its broader mission to provide modular production systems that bridge the gap between basic food-grade fermenters and expensive pharmaceutical set-ups. Curve’s platform aims to make industrial-scale protein production commercially viable for applications in food, health, materials and cosmetics. Jacob Schaldemose Peterson, co-founder and CEO of Curve, said: “Scaling biotech is the next industrial revolution – but it demands tools built for this century, not the last. With Curve, our ambition is to unlock scalable biomanufacturing – at cost points that finally make industrial deployment possible.” Curve’s core technology, known as Biobric, is designed to lower capital expenditure by up to 70%, accelerate process optimisation and support commercially viable precision fermentation and cultivated meat production. According to Torbjörn Sahlén, investor and board member, the rebrand expands the company’s potential beyond cultivated meat. “Cost-efficient cultivated meat production has always been the ambition for Re:meat,” Sahlén stated. “However, experience shows that if we focus exclusively on that, we are not maximising our ability to scale and leave significant potential untapped. This shift – and consequently the name Curve – reflects this strategic opportunity.” Curve collaborates with precision fermentation and biotech firms to conduct joint scale-up trials, optimising strains, media and processes before licensing validated systems to industrial producers. The company said the rebrand marks both a strategic and technological milestone as it transitions from a single-sector focus to a wider protein platform supporting multiple industries.

Remilk, an Israel-based precision fermentation company producing dairy proteins without animals, has partnered with Gad Dairies to launch The New Milk – a cow-free milk alternative identical in taste and functionality to conventional dairy. The initial lineup includes a Barista Milk for foodservice and two consumer products: a classic milk and a vanilla-flavoured variant. Remilk produces its milk proteins via microbial fermentation, creating β-lactoglobulin identical to that found in cow’s milk but without using animals. The protein is already approved by regulators including the US FDA, Israel’s Ministry of Health and authorities in Canada and Singapore. Unlike plant-based substitutes, The New Milk replicates the taste, texture and functionality of dairy, while remaining lactose-free, cholesterol-free and kosher-pareve. It is fortified with calcium and vitamins and contains 75% less sugar than conventional milk. The launch follows more than five years of R&D and over $150 million invested in Remilk’s patented fermentation platform. Aviv Wolff, founder and CEO of Remilk, said: “We founded Remilk with a clear vision – to create a better, healthier and tastier world through real milk made without cows. Today, in a remarkable global milestone, that vision is becoming a reality: The New Milk is launching in Israel." "Our partnership with Gad Dairies, a brand with an unmatched culinary legacy, is the natural next step to ensure the highest-quality, best-tasting products. We’re proud of this collaboration that bridges vision and innovation with uncompromising taste and quality.” Amir Aharon, CEO of Gad Dairies, added: “Our collaboration with Remilk represents a global breakthrough for Gad – milk born from advanced science and technology, yet rooted in decades of culinary tradition. The New Milk proves that it’s possible to combine premium quality, sustainability and industrial innovation without sacrificing taste." "This is a defining moment for the dairy category. For us, The New Milk is more than a product, it’s a historic milestone where generations of dairy tradition meet groundbreaking technology. It continues Gad’s commitment to placing taste and quality at the centre.” The product is rolling out this week across cafés, restaurants and hotels in Israel, with retail launches scheduled for January 2026.

French start-up Green Spot Technologies has raised €5 million to expand its industrial operations and introduce Milatea, a new brand of fermented ingredients designed for bakers, pastry chefs and chocolatiers. The funding round was led by Team for the Planet, with additional support from the European Innovation Council (EIC), EIT Food and new angel investors. The investment includes a combination of equity and bank loans aimed at accelerating the company’s growth. With this capital, Green Spot Technologies plans to increase its production capacity tenfold, from 100 to 1,000 tons per year. The company will also extend its reach across the bakery, pastry and confectionery sectors, while launching Milatea, a range of fermented, ready-to-use ingredients that combine functionality and flavour. Operating from its facility in Carpentras, France, Green Spot Technologies upcycles plant-based by-products into premium ingredients, supporting a circular and low-carbon food system.

It’s easy to get caught up in the news and activities of the industry’s global giants, but what about the smaller firms pushing boundaries with bold ideas? In this instalment of start-up spotlight – which celebrates lesser-known companies and their innovations – we speak to Yarne De Munck, CEO Polysense . L-R: Lucas van Dijck, Jarne Bogaert and Yarne de Munck Can you tell us about the origins of Polysense? What inspired you to bring AI and hardware together to tackle challenges in the food industry? Polysense didn’t start in the food industry. Our initial mission was broader: exploring how AI could support sustainability across different sectors. We worked with companies like GSK, DEME and Agristo, which gave us valuable exposure to a range of industries. But we soon realized that the scope was too wide to create focused, meaningful impact. The real shift happened when we began working closely with Agristo. They are a frontrunner in food innovation, and through that collaboration, we saw just how much untapped potential still exists in the sector. We were surprised to learn that around 20% of food input in Europe ends up as waste. If even a company like Agristo had room to significantly improve quality control and reduce waste, it raised important questions about the rest of the industry. We started digging into the root causes. Most food waste in production isn’t due to a single issue but a combination of factors: process variability, inconsistent raw materials, human error and lack of real-time feedback in production environments. If producers don’t have accurate, in-the-moment insights, they tend to overcompensate, discard borderline product or run inefficiently. All of which leads to waste. That insight helped us narrow our focus. We saw a clear opportunity to apply AI in a way that was both technically valuable and mission-driven. From that point on, we dedicated ourselves to the food sector and built our expertise around it. At the same time, our passion for reducing food waste really accelerated. In terms of sustainability, few areas offer such a strong combination of ecological and economic benefits. Reducing waste doesn’t mean adding complexity for producers. It means giving them the tools to better control variability and outcomes with confidence. That is how Polysense was born: through hands-on experience, a sharp strategic focus and a growing belief that this is where AI can genuinely transform an entire industry. You recently closed a €2 million investment round backed by several high-profile tech entrepreneurs. How will this funding accelerate your growth, and what are your next key milestones? Closing the €2 million funding round was a major milestone for us, not just financially but also in terms of the people we now have around the table. The capital allows us to move faster in three key areas. First, it gives us the resources to push the limits of what our product can do. We’re already solving complex quality control challenges in live production environments, but this funding allows us to go further. We can take on even more advanced use cases and continue to innovate at the core of our platform. Second, we’re accelerating our international growth. We’re already active in four countries and seeing increasing demand from manufacturers across the world who are looking for smarter, AI-powered ways to reduce waste. With this funding, we can grow our team, stay closer to our clients and make Polysense available in more factories globally. Third, we’re gaining more than just funding. The investors who joined us bring deep operational experience and a powerful network. Several are seasoned tech entrepreneurs who understand what it takes to scale a product in an industrial setting. Their input has already been valuable across areas like hiring, pricing and strategic partnerships. Having that level of support at this stage makes a real difference. This round gives us the momentum to keep building, keep learning and scale with confidence. The next milestones are already in motion: new product capabilities, deeper client integrations and continued international expansion. Food waste and operational inefficiencies are persistent industry issues. How exactly does Polysense technology help manufacturers reduce waste and improve efficiency? These issues are indeed persistent, but to truly solve them, you need to address the root cause. In food production, the main challenge is natural variability. You are working with organic, living materials that constantly change. No two batches are ever exactly the same. That variability leads to inconsistent quality and unnecessary waste. At Polysense, we help manufacturers make their processes more resilient to that variability. It starts by replacing manual, subjective quality checks with objective, automated in-line quality control. Instead of relying on periodic human inspections, we generate a continuous stream of real-time, high-resolution data. This provides a far more accurate and consistent view of what is happening in the production line at every moment. We then use that data to fine-tune process parameters in real time. This enables manufacturers to stabilise quality, reduce waste and improve yield. By moving from reactive decisions based on human judgment to proactive, data-driven control, producers gain the ability to consistently deliver high-quality products, even when raw materials vary. You already work with major players in the F&B industry. What has the feedback been like from partners using your solution – and what kind of ROI are they seeing? One of the most important aspects of our impact is that it goes beyond ecology. Food producers are certainly under growing pressure to reduce their environmental footprint, and our technology supports that goal. But what is often overlooked is that sustainability is still too frequently viewed as a cost rather than a value driver. At Polysense, we show that ecological impact and economic value can go hand in hand. By reducing waste, improving product quality, and increasing process efficiency, we help manufacturers boost their margins while becoming more resilient to ongoing changes in supply, raw materials, and demand. In some use cases, the return on investment is achieved within just a few months. That is often the moment when it truly clicks for our clients. They realise that sustainability is not only good for the planet, but also a powerful business advantage. How adaptable is your technology across different food production environments? Are there specific categories or production processes where it delivers the most impact? A major bottleneck with traditional in-line quality control systems is their heavy reliance on large volumes of training data. This makes them difficult to scale across different food production environments, where each line and product can vary significantly. At Polysense, we have solved this by developing technology that can automatically generate synthetic data in a virtual environment. This synthetic data is then used to train our quality control models, eliminating the need for manual data collection and labelling. As a result, our solution becomes far more scalable and can be applied across a wide range of food production processes. Whether it is fries, vegetables or baked goods, our approach allows manufacturers to adopt AI-driven quality control without the traditional barriers that slow down implementation. As manufacturers look to improve traceability and real-time decision making, where does AI-powered hardware like yours fit into the digital transformation of the factory floor? In modern food factories, information flows through several layers. ERP systems handle procurement and planning, MES platforms coordinate batches and workflows, and PLCs, SCADA systems and sensors manage and monitor the production process on the ground. Polysense adds a new layer to this ecosystem: AI-powered vision that inspects products in real time. Our smart cameras connect directly to PLCs and SCADA systems, generating a continuous stream of objective quality data. This data can feed upstream to improve decision-making, even in factories that do not have an MES. Operators and control systems gain immediate visibility into anomalies, allowing them to act before issues escalate. When an MES is present, our data integrates seamlessly. It strengthens defect detection, enables real-time feedback loops, and enriches both MES and ERP records. In cases where no MES is in place, Polysense operates independently. We can adjust setpoints directly via PLCs or provide actionable insights through our own dashboard. This makes production control more intelligent, no matter the existing setup. The result is a shift from reactive to proactive manufacturing. Polysense gives the factory floor a new layer of perception. You catch defects before they lead to waste, you trace every inspected item, and you stabilise operations across the board. All of this happens without needing to replace or disrupt the current infrastructure. By filling critical blind spots in the control stack, we help manufacturers increase yield, reduce rework, maintain compliance, and improve margins. This is operational intelligence designed for the real world – live, practical and built for industrial environments. Sustainability is a growing concern in manufacturing. How can your tech support companies in meeting ESG targets or complying with environmental regulations? When talking about ESG targets, it’s important to understand how they’re actually measured and reported. With the upcoming CSRD regulations in Europe, companies will soon be required to report on their environmental impact – specifically in terms of CO₂ emissions per ton of product produced. Targets will be set to lower that footprint as much as possible. What we do at Polysense directly supports that. By reducing waste, manufacturers generate more usable output from the same resources. That means the total CO₂ emissions can be spread over a larger volume of product, resulting in a significant reduction in their sustainability impact – and making it easier to meet those regulatory goals. What have been some of the biggest technical or commercial challenges you've faced as a start-up – and how have you overcome them? When talking about ESG targets, it is important to understand how they are actually measured and reported. With the upcoming CSRD regulations in Europe, companies will be required to report on their environmental impact, particularly in terms of CO₂ emissions per ton of product produced. Targets will be set to reduce that footprint as much as possible. Polysense directly supports that effort. By reducing waste, manufacturers produce more usable output from the same amount of raw materials, energy, and water. This means the total CO₂ emissions are spread over a greater volume of product, lowering the environmental footprint per ton. Just as important, we help prevent unnecessary production runs. When quality issues go undetected, entire batches often need to be reworked or scrapped. With Polysense in place, manufacturers can catch problems early, avoid reprocessing, and prevent low-quality batches from being produced in the first place. That leads to better resource use, lower emissions and more stable operations. In short, we help manufacturers not only reduce waste, but also avoid producing waste altogether. This makes it significantly easier for them to meet ESG targets and comply with emerging regulations – while improving efficiency and margins at the same time. What advice would you offer to other food-tech start-ups aiming to work with established manufacturers or break into the B2B space? Breaking into the food industry as a start-up is not easy. You are often dealing with large manufacturers who are risk-averse and rely on processes that have been running the same way for years. My biggest advice? Do not lead with 'AI' or 'innovation'. Lead with a real problem they feel every day on the production floor. Start by understanding how their process actually works – not just on paper, but in practice, side by side with the operators. Focus on something specific you can improve, and make sure your technology fits into the way they already work. That is how you build trust. Once they see that you are not just another flashy tool, but something that actually improves yield, quality, or reduces downtime, then you have a real foothold. From there, everything becomes easier. Looking ahead, how do you see the role of AI and smart hardware evolving in the food industry over the next five to ten years? And how does Polysense plan to lead that change? Over the next five to ten years, I believe AI and smart hardware will become as embedded in the food industry as ERP systems are today. The real shift will be in how production decisions are made. Currently, many decisions still rely on gut feeling or manual checks. In the future, factories will be far more autonomous, with quality monitored continuously and processes adjusting themselves in real time based on what is happening on the production line. This is exactly where Polysense wants to be. We are building a future where every product is measured, every process is optimised on the fly and operators are supported by intelligent systems that help them make better, faster decisions. Our goal is to become the quality layer of the factory, a real-time connection between what is happening physically and what needs to change digitally. If we succeed, AI will no longer be just a nice-to-have innovation. It will become an essential part of how food is made, making production more efficient, more consistent, and far less wasteful. This is the future we are working toward, and we want to lead that transformation.