NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rabobank, a premier bank to the global food and agribusiness industry, is proud to announce FoodBytes! is coming to Boulder, Colorado this fall. FoodBytes! Boulder will be held at the University of Colorado Boulder at Folsom Fields’ Byron R. White Club on Wednesday, October 26 and will bring together food, tech and agriculture startups alongside agribusiness executives and industry influencers.
First launched in 2015, FoodBytes! was created with a simple mission in mind: to find the most game-changing concepts in food and agriculture, and pair those creative ideas with the capital needed to bring them to market. This October, FoodBytes! will host the fifth event of its kind in Boulder, a city long known as a hub for natural food innovation.
“Boulder has exploded onto the food scene in recent years, producing some of the most creative restaurants, food pioneers and cutting-edge concepts. The city represents a true melding of food, tech and venture capital, and we are thrilled to be bringing FoodBytes! to this flourishing city,” said Manuel Gonzalez, Western Region head of Rabobank North America Wholesale and founder of FoodBytes!. “I’m particularly excited to see the ideas and concepts the presenting companies have to share. The inventiveness we see on the stage at each FoodBytes! is truly impressive, and we’re thrilled to offer a platform that can connect this creativity with the capital needed to bring it to market.”
Rajiv Singh, CEO of Rabobank North America Wholesale added, “FoodBytes! was created to help uncover the innovation and technology happening around the world, from local kitchens to university laboratories. We are seeing a big shift in the food and ag industry – consumer preferences are changing, populations are growing, resources are dropping around the world while food waste remains a huge issue. Increasing access to food, improving nutrition, and enhancing stability in the food value chain are all part of Rabobank’s global Banking for Food strategy, and it’s encouraging to watch the FoodBytes! companies define what the future of food could mean.”
Whole Foods Market, presenting sponsor of FoodBytes! Boulder, brings an added element of ingenuity to the event. Guided by their mission to maintain the strictest quality standards in the industry, paired with their unshakeable commitment to sustainable agriculture, Whole Foods Market truly embodies the future of food and agriculture innovation.
Holland & Hart, a national law firm headquartered in Denver, with a strong food and beverage practice, has joined the FoodBytes! sponsor family as an Official Sponsor of the event.
“Holland & Hart is very happy to partner with Rabobank for this FoodBytes! event – located in our very own Boulder,” said Chuck Cotter, Partner at Holland & Hart. “We're proud to join forces on this program in what we believe to be the epicenter of the natural foods movement.”
Additionally, Food + Tech Connect, the site of record and world's largest community for food tech and innovation, is continuing as a Presenting Partner. Food + Tech Connect gives innovators the tech and business insights, connections and skills they need to transform the food industry through its website, newsletter, events, consulting and business courses. SF New Tech, San Francisco’s largest and longest-running tech showcase event, will also return as a Presenting Partner.
Boulder Food Group (BFG) will also join as a FoodBytes! Boulder sponsor. BFG is a venture capital firm that seeks partnerships with early stage food and beverage consumer product companies, working alongside exception entrepreneurs to help them achieve success.
Investors looking to finance the next breakthrough idea in food, food tech or ag-tech will meet the up-and-coming companies that are disrupting across the food chain, from production to distribution to consumption. Ten startups will be selected to pitch their ideas to the FoodBytes! Boulder audience, comprised of investors, industry executives, media and entrepreneurs.
The audience will vote for its favorite company, and the People’s Choice Award winner will be announced on stage at the event. The winning company will be invited to attend Rabobank’s premier invitation-only Client Appreciation Events in December 2016 in New York City, which attracts C-suite representation from over 300 of North America’s leading food, beverage and agribusiness companies. In addition, our esteemed panel of industry experts will award the Judges Choice Award to the company best demonstrating industry creativity, sustainable practices, growth potential and social innovation.
Apply to pitch your business: FoodBytes! Boulder invites startups interested in presenting their ideas to apply here by Monday, September 12 11:59 PM MT. Ten companies will be announced as the FoodBytes! Boulder finalists and will give a five-minute pitch, while 10 runners-up companies will give 60-second pitches.
Tickets are now on sale: Tickets to attend the event can be purchased here.
Follow us: For coverage of FoodBytes! Boulder, follow FoodBytes! on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and follow Rabobank on Twitter @RaboWholesale. View curated content via the hashtag #FoodBytes.
About Rabobank
Rabobank Group is a global financial services leader providing wholesale and retail banking, leasing and real estate services in more than 40 countries worldwide. Founded over a century ago, Rabobank today is one of the largest banks in the world, with nearly $1 trillion in assets, and ranks among the 10 safest banks globally. In the Americas, Rabobank is a premier bank to the food, agribusiness and beverage industry, providing sector expertise, strategic counsel and tailored financial solutions to clients across the entire food value chain. Rabobank. The financial link in the global food chain.® NAW.Rabobank.com Twitter LinkedIn
About Whole Foods Market®
Founded in 1978 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (wholefoodsmarket.com, NASDAQ: WFM), is the leading natural and organic food retailer. As America’s first national certified organic grocer, Whole Foods Market was named “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store” by Health magazine. The company's motto, “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet”™ captures its mission to ensure customer satisfaction and health, team member excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement. Thanks to the company’s more than 85,000 team members, Whole Foods Market has been ranked as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America by FORTUNE magazine for 19 consecutive years. In fiscal year 2015, the company had sales of more than $15.4 billion and currently has more than 435 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. For more company news and information, please visit media.wfm.com
About Holland + Hart
Holland + Hart is a national law firm headquartered in Denver, CO. The firm has a strong food and beverage practice and has been part of the industry for decades. They help clients through the entire lifecycle of a company’s growth and pride themselves on working with natural and organic products. For more company news and information, please visit hollandhart.com and @HollandHart.
