About the Event

Future Food-Tech Chicago is where breakthrough innovators unite with global food corporates, investors, ingredient providers, manufacturers and policy makers to forge partnerships, bridge supply gaps and discover the next generation of sustainable proteins and ingredients.

As America’s leading food-industry hub, Chicago takes you to the heart of major corporate decision-making, opening fast-track pathways to global food brands and high-value partnership opportunities.

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345
Attendees
70%
CEO/Directors
25
Countries
99
Speakers

Featured Speakers

 

2026 Key Themes

The Ingredient Economy

Demand signals, portfolio strategy and the new procurement landscape.

Clean Reformulation Under Pressure

Science, policy and solving functionality loss

Breakthrough Fats, Proteins & Hybrid Systems

Building the next-gen ingredient toolkit

The Race to Replace

Sweeteners, colors, stabilizers & texturizers under intensifying scrutiny

Functional Nutrition for the GLP‑1 Era

Satiety, metabolic health & evidence‑forward innovation

The Biomanufacturing Build-Out

Capacity, infrastructure and regional power map

Precision Fermentation at Commercial Scale

Cost curves, offtake logic, category readiness

Cocoa, Caffeine & Premium Experience

Designing scalable luxury through new ingredient systems

Functional Beverages Evolution

Ingredient innovation, delivery formats and claims

Financing & Partnerships for Scale

Capital selectivity, CVC strategy & cross-border investment flows

AI for Ingredients

Algorithms for formulation acceleration and biotech optimization

Consumer Reality Check

Behavior vs. belief and what wins market channels

Senior Business Consultant

“Attending the Future Food-Tech Alternative Protein Summit in Chicago was truly enlightening. The insights gained on how institutions and governments can collaborate to support food innovators, and the potential for Catalonia to offer valuable solutions, have been incredibly inspiring!”

Senior Business Consultant
CATALONIA TRADE & INVESTMENT
Programme Manager, Proteins For Life

“Future Food-Tech Alternative Proteins is a great place to reconnect with my network, meet the next generation of start-ups, and get updated about the latest developments in the space!”

Programme Manager, Proteins For Life
WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY & RESEARCH
Managing Director,
“The summit presented an excellent forum to meet new companies entering the industry and reconnect with industry veterans I’ve known for a while in an environment that allows time for meaningful conversation.  The short sessions are great to recap on what’s transpired in the past months and learn what’s on the horizon regarding regulatory and the commercial side of business.  The size of the conference (around 500 people) and the excellent agenda (inclusive of the sessions, networking breaks, and cocktail party) makes it very easy to connect with those you want to meet and also meet new people.”
Managing Director,
KINCANNON & REED
Head of R&D, Americas,
“This is the most effective networking event I have ever experienced in my 30 years in the food industry.”
Head of R&D, Americas,
ROQUETTE
Managing Partner
“Future Food-Tech is a fantastic platform for food innovators. The event is the place to learn and engage in all things future of food, attracting key leaders from across the supply chain and leading to a powerful convergence of ideas, discussions, and connections.”
Managing Partner
BLUESTEIN VENTURES