Future Food-Tech Chicago returns on June 2-3, ready to spotlight dynamic innovators producing the next generation of sustainable protein and ingredient solutions.

Every year the summit welcomes industry leaders to Chicago to explore critical levers for growth, from exploring new sources of investment—including VC, growth equity and government funding—to navigating complex regulatory landscapes and scaling production of climate-smart alternatives that align with consumer demands. The 2025 summit on June 2-3 raises the bar with a dynamic line-up of 23 trailblazing international start-ups driving the next wave of breakthroughs. During the packed two-day program, delegates are welcome to discover these breakthrough innovators of the sustainable proteins and ingredients sector through a variety of engaging formats, including: 

• Start-Up Exhibition: Meet the entrepreneurs behind the solutions face to face, book 1-1 meetings and be the first to sample their products first-hand.
• Pitching Sessions: A delegate favorite, watch as innovators pitch on stage during these quick-fire sessions with a Q&A from industry leaders at the end, taking place on the Main Stage and in the Breakout Room.
• On the Main Stage: Discover how start-ups are working with food-tech leaders during panels and case studies in the Auditorium.

Here are the trailblazers you need to meet in Chicago this summer:

• ARBOREA is a mission-driven company that is industrializing photosynthesis to expand the world’s food supply and make healthy and sustainable food the primary choice for everyone.

• CELLESTE BIO is focused on producing high quality and high value cocoa ingredients using cell culture methods, eliminating the dependence on cultivation of cocoa trees. The company will make cocoa ingredients from naturally occurring cocoa cells without genetic modification or manipulation.

• CHROMOLOGICS is a Danish biotech start-up responding to the strong market pull for novel natural food colorants. They develop fungal fermentation solutions for the production of natural pigments.

• CLEVER CARNIVORE is a mission-driven start-up deploying cutting-edge biotechnology to bring low-cost, top-quality cultivated meat to the consumer market. The company works to develop cultivated meat products using cell biology, recombinant protein technology, and advanced bioreactor design.

• DIAMOND BREW uses groundbreaking technology to harness the essence of coffee beans, infusing every drop with unparalleled flavor and quality without the hassle of grinding coffee beans.

• FINALLY FOODS is at the forefront of molecular farming, modifying plants by using proprietary AI engines to plan and produce proteins.

• GREENLAB is a biotechnology company focused on greening industry through next-generation plant biotechnology. Their mission involves transforming cornfields into sustainable factories for producing novel proteins and enzymes at scale.

• MICHROMA is a biotech platform producing natural ingredients in a sustainable, scalable, and cost-effective way. They are using synthetic biology to unleash the potential of filamentous fungi and develop proprietary strains capable of producing high-performance ingredients in bioreactors.

• MINUS: A COMPOUND FOODS COMPANY is for people obsessed with coffee and the planet. Their beanless & delicious cold brew lets you enjoy all the benefits of coffee minus the environmental baggage.

• MISSION BARNS is a leading cultivated meat company based out of San Francisco, who have recently secured FDA clearance regarding the safety of its cultivated pork fat which will be debuted in the coming months.

• MYND is the only ready-to-drink protein water with 20g of ultra-clean whey protein isolate, real fruit juice, and zero additives—crafted for performance, digestion, and flavour.

• NO PALM INGREDIENTS employs a unique fermentation process using non-GMO proprietary yeasts combined with a patented low-capex technology. This process transforms upcycled, locally-sourced agri-food side streams, such as potato peels and whey permeate, into yeast oils.

• OLFACTIVE BIOSOLUTIONS is the manufacturer of Pivit, a line of proprietary formulations of food molecules, sold as supplements and food ingredients, and designed to act on ectopic receptors in the gut to affect the same pathways as active pharmaceutical ingredients.

• ONEGO BIO is a game-changing biotech company that has developed a way to produce egg white without chickens. The company’s product, Bioalbumen, is produced with a safe, sustainable, and cost-efficient precision fermentation process that creates identical egg white protein without the need for animals.

• PROXY FOODS platform turbocharges the innovation process for R&D teams by combining advanced data analytics and food science insights with a comprehensive and reliable ingredient database for making data-driven decisions.

• REST is a European based biotech and food-tech company focused on creating a bean-free coffee alternative designed to address the growing problems within coffee.

• ROSLIN TECHNOLOGIES is an ambitious food and agriculture technology company which creates disruptive biotechnologies to improve how proteins are made.

• SAVOR works on transformational technology to produce high-quality, healthy, and affordable fats and oils without negative climate impact.

• SMEY create cultivated fats and oils from single-cell organisms like yeast, by using smart screening technologies to identify the best yeast strain for high-titer, scalable production.

• SOLARFERM is redesigning the food system from the ground up, starting with sugar, the energy molecule of life itself. Through engineered photosynthesis, they convert carbon dioxide into sugars to provide the missing energy layer that feeds precision fermentation, transforming the way they approach biomanufacturing.

• STANDING OVATION is specializing in precision fermentation. The company has developed its first patented ingredient, Advanced Casein®, which is produced with 10 times less CO2, and significantly less water consumption and land use than regular casein, while offering nutritional, functional and taste qualities on par with the animal-sourced protein.

• SUPERBREWED FOOD Postbiotic Protein is made from specific ‘protein specialist’ microflora which when naturally fermented, washed and dried, produce a whole food protein powder that delivers 80% protein and superior levels of essential vitamins and minerals, including branched chain amino acids, B-12, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and folate.

• SYNONYM is a company that builds and scales infrastructure enabling the commercialization and manufacture of bioproducts—accelerating the world’s transition to better, more sustainable ways of making the items the world needs.

With more start-ups to be announced across the two-day program, and even more set to attend, Future Food-Tech Chicago is an amazing platform for start-up discovery. Register now to join senior leaders from international food brands, active investors, visionary start-ups, and pioneering technology providers: www.futurefoodtechchicago.com/register-now