Rabobank MIT Food & Agribusiness Innovation Prize Final Pitch Event

Rabobank-MIT Food and Agribusiness Innovation Prize: Final Pitch Event 

Join us for the final pitch competition and awards ceremony for the sixth annual Rabobank-MIT Food & Agribusiness Innovation Prize. The judges have narrowed down our initial set of competitors to 6 finalist teams. These teams have been matched with mentors and are currently working to develop and refine robust business plans. On April 27th, our finalists will pitch to compete for first and second place prizes of $20,000 and $10,000, respectively. The audience and judges will hear 6 pitches, each followed by a short Q&A, after which the judges will meet privately to determine the winners. The winners will be announced at the end of the evening, following a reception.

Our 2021 Rabobank-MIT Finalist Teams:

• Axo is a digital platform that bridges the gap between packaged-food companies and regenerative farmers by verifying and connecting them to food companies while increasing transparency throughout a more resilient supply chain.

• Berman Foods crafts artisanal cheeses and spreads from nourishing plant-based ingredients

• Electric Rehri upgrades street carts in Indian cities to affordable and modular electric vehicles for efficient door-to-door delivery of fresh produce.

• Future Farm Inc. develops technology tools for small or community-based agriculture to automate and grow food sustainably in traditional or controlled environment production systems.

• Growr is a smartphone solution using a AI/ML-based image recognition model to help farmers detect plant infestation and disease, and recommend control measures.

• Rugged Bio is a next-generation microbial engineering platform catalyzing bio production.

Event Schedule:

6:00pm: Introduction

6:10pm: Remarks by Shayna Harris, Co-Founder and Managing Partner @ Supply Change Capital

6:30pm: Pitches from Finalist Teams

7:15pm: Remarks by Michael Leonard, CTO @ Motif Foodworks

7:35pm: Networking in Breakout Rooms

8:00pm: Awards and Closing Remarks

Judges:

• Nilofer Ahmed (Sr. Director, Business and Consumer Strategy @ Motif Foodworks)

• Anne Greven (Global Head of Food and Agribusiness Innovation @ Rabobank)

• Dr. Alberto Iandolino (R&D Alliance Manager @ Bayer Crop Science)

• Mary Shelman (Founder @ Shelman Group)

• Charley Cummings(CEO and Founder @ Walden Local Meat Market)

• Joshua Reed-Diawuoh (Founder @ GRIA Food Co.)

About Rabobank:

• Rabobank is a global financial services leader operating in 40 countries worldwide
• Deeply committed to all segments of the food and agribusiness industry 
• Active in trade and commodity finance for agriculture, energy, and metals
• A leader in renewable energy financing 
• Proud to be a steadfast and trusted advisor to clients across the globe