WNWN Food Labs (United Kingdom), the foodtech startup that foodtech startup that produces chocolate without cocoa, using plant-based ingredients, has been announced as the winner of the fourth stop of Culinary Action! On The Road, which took place in London. This international entrepreneurship program, conducted in partnership with the local partner University College London, focuses on supporting foodtech startups. Dr. Johnny Drain, co-founder of the startup, expressed his gratitude, saying, "Winning this stop of Culinary Action! On The Road will help us reach many more people.

Pierre-Jean Hanard, Associate Professor at University College London; Paolo Taticchi, Professor in Strategy and Sustainability & School Deputy Director at University College London; Asier Alea, director of global entrepreneurship at Basque Culinary Center and Ander López, entrepreneurship manager at Basque Culinary Center opened the event.

The event brought together various professionals from the sector, including entrepreneurs, investors, and educators. Asier Alea shared with the audience the key aspects of the new project, a groundbreaking initiative that blends science and gastronomy, and will establish a culinary ecosystem rooted in research, innovation, and entrepreneurship in Donostia-San Sebastián: GOe–Gastronomy Open Ecosystem, "we will co-create the future of the sector by involving various stakeholders and working together."

Itxaso del Palacio, General Partner at Notion Capital; Felipe Peñacoba, CIO at Revolut; Mo Khodadadi, Founder and CEO of Satis AI; Fred Gifford, Strategy & Partnership Manager at Sony AI; Ali Morrow, Venture Partner at Clay Capital; and Josh Hatfield, Product Development Chef at Hoxton Farms, participated in the first-panel discussion titled "Local Agents." They discussed topics such as the necessity for different agents working together in the entrepreneurship ecosystem and the importance of talent. 

Sejal Ravji, partner at Cardumen Capital, highlighted the need for innovative proposals impacting the agritech sector in his presentation. He also emphasized the focus on strategic alliances among various actors in the ecosystem.

The participating startups – Eat It, Icenine, Local Meal, Meal-Lords, and Tablecoin – in this London stop, organized on February 1st, presented and defended their projects before a jury comprising Asier Alea, Director of Global Development at Basque Culinary Center; Raquel Martin, Project Manager at GOe–Gastronomy Open Ecosystem; Pierre-Jean Hanard, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurship Education Lead at University College London; and Itxaso del Palacio, General Partner at Notion Capital.

Finally, Juan Carlos Arboleya, a food physicochemist and director of the Master's in Gastronomic Sciences at Basque Culinary Center, and Eneko Axpe, a collaborating scientist of Basque Culinary Center, shared in their presentation titled "Science meets gastronomy" the importance of approaching gastronomy from different areas of knowledge. They emphasized a multidisciplinary perspective that combines the insights of various stakeholders. Axpe also discussed some applications of using Artificial Intelligence in the gastronomy sector.

The upcoming competition is set to take place on February 22 in Buenos Aires. The winning startups from each local event will be awarded a one-month residency at the LABe-Digital Gastronomy Lab startup incubator in Donostia-San Sebastián. This lab is an open innovation space managed by Basque Culinary Center. Furthermore, the startups will have the opportunity to undertake research and innovation projects, totalling 20 hours, at BCC Innovation, the technological center in Gastronomy of Basque Culinary Center.

During this period, the startups will engage in an advanced plan on the GOe Community digital platform. This plan enables them to connect with and access the network of experts and mentors from Basque Culinary Center. Additionally, they will receive various forms of support, including assistance in accessing the center's investor network, networking opportunities, and support for integration into the local ecosystem, among other aspects.

 

Ultimately, the five local finalist startups will vie for victory in a grand finale set for April 2024 in Donostia-San Sebastián. This event will bring together winners from each country, ultimately deciding the overall champion of the third edition of Culinary Action! On The Road. The triumphant startup will receive a one-year residency at LABe-Digital Gastronomy Lab, along with an additional voucher for 25 hours dedicated to research and innovation projects at the technological center, BCC Innovation.

 

Startups participating in the London stop

Eat It is a reward system app with which you can easily track the environmental impact of your food and get rewarded for eco-friendly choices with discounts from small and sustainable businesses that care about the planet.

Icenine is an experiential drinks company based in London. Bite-sized ice spheres with passion fruit shells filled with alcohol. The shell implodes after 9 seconds, releasing the alcohol and leaving behind ice to cleanse the palate.

LocalMeal’s mission is to rebuild trust in restaurant recommendations, by providing personalized recommendations for small, local, delicious places.

Meal-Lords, is a startup that helps restaurants display vitamin and nutritional information in their menus by using AI tools and information they provide.

WNWN Food Labs, a food tech company making the world's favourite foods more sustainable and future proof starting with a cocoa-free alternative that tastes, bakes, freezes, and melts like regular chocolate.

The startup Tablecoin focuses on the world of cryptocurrency tailored for the HORECA sector.