FoodTech industry in Europe: 2021 summed up in three numbers

In 2021, investments in the FoodTech sector have been multiplied by three according to the DigitalFoodLab, as shown in their annual report on the growth of FoodTech in Europe.

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Have you heard about FoodTech? According to the yearly report of DigitalFoodLab, a FoodTech insight and strategy consultancy, “a FoodTech is the ecosystem made up of all the agri-food entrepreneurs and startups (from production to distribution) innovating on products, distribution, marketing or business model”. This year annual report shows how the European FoodTech industry keeps growing.

€9.5 billion invested in European FoodTech start-ups in 2021

Europe is becoming a major heavyweight in the World FoodTech area as shown by the €9.5 billion invested in this sector in 2021, which is ten times more than five years ago. The investments can be separated into 6 regions: DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), the Nordics, the British Isles, CEE (Central and Eastern Europe), the Benelux, Southern Europe and France. Germany is the country which is standing out. According to the annual report “In 2021, food delivery remains the beacons of the European FoodTech ecosystem. 67% of FoodTech investment go into food delivery”.

€860 million collected for FoodTech French start-ups

France has attracted 10% of the FoodTech Investments in 2021 and is ranking 3rd behind Germany and The United Kingdom. According to the DigitalFoodLab, €860 million of investments were injected in French start-ups of the FoodTech area. Unlike their European neighbours which focus on delivery, France invests more on AgriTech, start-ups turning to the future of agriculture, they are especially creating insect production to feed animal. As a matter of facts, the three European leaders of this sector, Ÿnsect, InnovaFeed and Micronutris, are French firms.

13 European unicorns in the FoodTech industry

In 2021, 7 FoodTech start-ups reached the unicorn status in Europe: in only one year the number of FoodTech unicorns has doubled. According to the annual report “this increase is impressive and shows the potential for European FoodTech start-ups to become global competitors”. They even go further by assuming the emergence of 10 to 20 more FoodTech unicorns in Europe over the next few years.

Find out more through this report: FoodTech in France in 2021 (digitalfoodlab.com)