Future Food Asia
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CEO and founder of Swan Daojia (formerly 58 Daojia)
Chen received a bachelor’s degree in material formation from Xiangtan University in 2004. While in college, he co-founded 0755.org.cn, one of the earliest online classifieds providers in China. He is also a co-founder of dunsh.org, a nonprofit search engine optimization website in China. After graduation, he served as senior project manager and chief editor at Xiamen Haowei Network Technology. From June–December 2007, Chen served as head of the product department at ganji.com, an online classified site, responsible for product management and customer experience. He then joined 58.com the same year, serving as senior VP of product management and website operation from December 2007 to August 2014.In November 2014, he founded 58 Daojia and has served as CEO since then. In August 2017, 58 Daojia announced a merger with 58 Su Yun and Gogovan, a logistics platform in Southeast Asia, and he became Chairman of the new company. The merger created Asia's largest city-to-city cargo delivery platform. In 2018, 58 Daojia was rebranded as Daojia Group. The group’s 58 Su Yun received $250m funding and was relaunched as Kuaigou Express.
Chen received a bachelor’s degree in material formation from Xiangtan University in 2004. While in college, he co-founded 0755.org.cn, one of the earliest online classifieds providers in China. He is also a co-founder of dunsh.org, a nonprofit search engine optimization website in China. After graduation, he served as senior project manager and chief editor at Xiamen Haowei Network Technology. From June–December 2007, Chen served as head of the product department at ganji.com, an online classified site, responsible for product management and customer experience. He then joined 58.com the same year, serving as senior VP of product management and website operation from December 2007 to August 2014.In November 2014, he founded 58 Daojia and has served as CEO since then. In August 2017, 58 Daojia announced a merger with 58 Su Yun and Gogovan, a logistics platform in Southeast Asia, and he became Chairman of the new company. The merger created Asia's largest city-to-city cargo delivery platform. In 2018, 58 Daojia was rebranded as Daojia Group. The group’s 58 Su Yun received $250m funding and was relaunched as Kuaigou Express.
Armed with Asian and European experience, Miguel Amaro co-founded Uniplaces in 2011. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Nottingham, and took a course in Chinese Studies at East China Normal University. He obtained his master’s in Management, with a concentration in Global Entrepreneurship, from Babson Graduate School. Amaro also spent two months as an analyst at Grameen Bank in Dhaka, Bangladesh. While developing Uniplaces, he was an entrepreneur-in-residence at Picvic Labs (France), Zhejiang University Innovation Institute (China) and Osram (United States). Amaro is currently part of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers. As an investor, to date, he has only invested in Portuguese healthy food service EatTasty and part funding the company's angel, pre-seed and seed rounds, with undisclosed investments.
Armed with Asian and European experience, Miguel Amaro co-founded Uniplaces in 2011. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Nottingham, and took a course in Chinese Studies at East China Normal University. He obtained his master’s in Management, with a concentration in Global Entrepreneurship, from Babson Graduate School. Amaro also spent two months as an analyst at Grameen Bank in Dhaka, Bangladesh. While developing Uniplaces, he was an entrepreneur-in-residence at Picvic Labs (France), Zhejiang University Innovation Institute (China) and Osram (United States). Amaro is currently part of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers. As an investor, to date, he has only invested in Portuguese healthy food service EatTasty and part funding the company's angel, pre-seed and seed rounds, with undisclosed investments.
Based in Amsterdam, BC Begin Capital Limited was established in April 2019 by Alexey Menn as managing partner in Moscow. The VC has invested in five startups. In 2019, it invested in e-grocery food delivery service Samokat that was acquired by Mail.Ru Group.In February 2020, the international firm was lead investor for Finnish fashion marketplace Zadaa, raising €3.5m for its Series A round. Both Begin Capital and Bulgaria’s BrightCap Ventures were lead investors for Woom, raising €2m in May. The two investments are the biggest so far, compared to previous fundraisers for startups like Bulbshare in March 2020.
Based in Amsterdam, BC Begin Capital Limited was established in April 2019 by Alexey Menn as managing partner in Moscow. The VC has invested in five startups. In 2019, it invested in e-grocery food delivery service Samokat that was acquired by Mail.Ru Group.In February 2020, the international firm was lead investor for Finnish fashion marketplace Zadaa, raising €3.5m for its Series A round. Both Begin Capital and Bulgaria’s BrightCap Ventures were lead investors for Woom, raising €2m in May. The two investments are the biggest so far, compared to previous fundraisers for startups like Bulbshare in March 2020.
Diego Ballesteros is one of Spain's most prominent serial entrepreneurs and business angels, backing some of the most successful acquisitions in Spain and Latin America. He made his first disclosed investment in 2016, as an angel investor of Spanish femtech WOOM’s pre-seed and seed funding rounds. He is currently the sole founder of Bewe SaaS for beauty and wellness professionals.Ballesteros started his first enterprise in 1997, an online classified ads platform Ocioteca.com and also MundoSalud that was acquired by Sanitas of Bupa Group. Cabify and co-investments with Seaya Ventures also form part of his investment portfolio. One of his biggest successes is on-demand food delivery platform SinDelantal with operations in Spain and Mexico. In 2013, the Spanish delivery company was acquired by Just Eat that later also bought the Mexican company in 2015.
Diego Ballesteros is one of Spain's most prominent serial entrepreneurs and business angels, backing some of the most successful acquisitions in Spain and Latin America. He made his first disclosed investment in 2016, as an angel investor of Spanish femtech WOOM’s pre-seed and seed funding rounds. He is currently the sole founder of Bewe SaaS for beauty and wellness professionals.Ballesteros started his first enterprise in 1997, an online classified ads platform Ocioteca.com and also MundoSalud that was acquired by Sanitas of Bupa Group. Cabify and co-investments with Seaya Ventures also form part of his investment portfolio. One of his biggest successes is on-demand food delivery platform SinDelantal with operations in Spain and Mexico. In 2013, the Spanish delivery company was acquired by Just Eat that later also bought the Mexican company in 2015.
Established in 2015, Unovis Asset Management is a New York-based investor focussed on the alternative protein sector. It has raised two funds to date, the New Crop Capital Trust and The Alternative Protein Fund. It aims to transform the global food system by investing in solutions that facilitate sustained behavioral change and eliminate the consumption of animal protein products. It partners with entrepreneurs developing innovative plant-based and cultivated replacements to animal products, including meat, seafood, dairy and eggs. It currently has 33 companies in its portfolio and has managed three exits to date including Beyond Meat. Its recent investments include the undisclosed convertible note round of Spanish plant-based meat startup Foods for Tomorrow in May 2020 and in the $28m seed round of US plant-based startup Alpha Foods in February 2020.
Established in 2015, Unovis Asset Management is a New York-based investor focussed on the alternative protein sector. It has raised two funds to date, the New Crop Capital Trust and The Alternative Protein Fund. It aims to transform the global food system by investing in solutions that facilitate sustained behavioral change and eliminate the consumption of animal protein products. It partners with entrepreneurs developing innovative plant-based and cultivated replacements to animal products, including meat, seafood, dairy and eggs. It currently has 33 companies in its portfolio and has managed three exits to date including Beyond Meat. Its recent investments include the undisclosed convertible note round of Spanish plant-based meat startup Foods for Tomorrow in May 2020 and in the $28m seed round of US plant-based startup Alpha Foods in February 2020.
Partnerships Director of Eliport
Patrick Synge has lived in Spain for eight years since he left Britain after studying music at Warwick School. He has worked in sales since graduating from the University of the West of England. He started his sales career at Euro Sports Media and deVere Group. Synge was the head of sales at food-delivery startup Degustabox before joining Eliport as co-founder and director of partnerships. He and co-founder Dmitry Skorinko created Eliport to solve the last-mile delivery problem by using autonomous delivery robots in local neighborhoods. Since March 2019, Synge has also joined Alias Robotics as VP for sales.
Patrick Synge has lived in Spain for eight years since he left Britain after studying music at Warwick School. He has worked in sales since graduating from the University of the West of England. He started his sales career at Euro Sports Media and deVere Group. Synge was the head of sales at food-delivery startup Degustabox before joining Eliport as co-founder and director of partnerships. He and co-founder Dmitry Skorinko created Eliport to solve the last-mile delivery problem by using autonomous delivery robots in local neighborhoods. Since March 2019, Synge has also joined Alias Robotics as VP for sales.
COO and co-founder of Because Animals
Joshua Errett graduated in philosophy in 2004 and completed a postgraduate degree in journalism in 2006. He also completed an MBA in entrepreneurial and small business operations in Indiana University in 2015.In 2004, he co-founded Torontoist.com, a media website that attracted thousands of views per day. He left the startup to join New Brunswick Telegraph Journal as a reporter for one year before becoming digital managing editor for NOW magazine. In 2013, he went on to work for three years as a senior producer at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).He met Shannon Falconer at a cat rescue project in Toronto. The two pet owners co-founded the biotech Because Animals in 2016 to create more sustainable food for dogs and cats. Errett worked as a marketing manager at Equitable (EQ) Bank before working full-time as COO at Because Animals.
Joshua Errett graduated in philosophy in 2004 and completed a postgraduate degree in journalism in 2006. He also completed an MBA in entrepreneurial and small business operations in Indiana University in 2015.In 2004, he co-founded Torontoist.com, a media website that attracted thousands of views per day. He left the startup to join New Brunswick Telegraph Journal as a reporter for one year before becoming digital managing editor for NOW magazine. In 2013, he went on to work for three years as a senior producer at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).He met Shannon Falconer at a cat rescue project in Toronto. The two pet owners co-founded the biotech Because Animals in 2016 to create more sustainable food for dogs and cats. Errett worked as a marketing manager at Equitable (EQ) Bank before working full-time as COO at Because Animals.
Royal Golden Eagle (RGE) is an industrial group owned by Indonesian tycoon Sukanto Tanoto. It employs 60,000 people worldwide with assets worth over $20bn. Tanoto started his business empire in 1967 as a supplier of spare parts to oil and construction companies in Indonesia. He went on to invest in oil palm plantations in 1979. Since 1985, his group companies have been managing 30,000 acres of oil palm trees each year across a total land area of 160,000 hectares.Headquartered in Singapore, RGE has interests in diverse sectors like paper palm oil, viscose, asset management, real estate, construction and energy. RGE owns the world’s largest viscose producer Sateri, Asia Pacific Rayon and energy firm Pacific Oil & Gas. It is also the owner of the Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Limited (APRIL), one of the world’s largest pulp and paper mills. The Rainforest Action Network and other NGOs like Greenpeace and the WWF have put considerable pressure on the RGE group’s unsustainable operations such as the destruction of rainforests by APRIL. In 2019, RGE announced plans to invest $200m in cellulosic textile fiber research and development over a period of 10 years. Projects will include the scaling up of proven clean technology in fiber manufacturing, bringing pilot-scale production to commercial scale and R&D in emerging frontier solutions.
Royal Golden Eagle (RGE) is an industrial group owned by Indonesian tycoon Sukanto Tanoto. It employs 60,000 people worldwide with assets worth over $20bn. Tanoto started his business empire in 1967 as a supplier of spare parts to oil and construction companies in Indonesia. He went on to invest in oil palm plantations in 1979. Since 1985, his group companies have been managing 30,000 acres of oil palm trees each year across a total land area of 160,000 hectares.Headquartered in Singapore, RGE has interests in diverse sectors like paper palm oil, viscose, asset management, real estate, construction and energy. RGE owns the world’s largest viscose producer Sateri, Asia Pacific Rayon and energy firm Pacific Oil & Gas. It is also the owner of the Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Limited (APRIL), one of the world’s largest pulp and paper mills. The Rainforest Action Network and other NGOs like Greenpeace and the WWF have put considerable pressure on the RGE group’s unsustainable operations such as the destruction of rainforests by APRIL. In 2019, RGE announced plans to invest $200m in cellulosic textile fiber research and development over a period of 10 years. Projects will include the scaling up of proven clean technology in fiber manufacturing, bringing pilot-scale production to commercial scale and R&D in emerging frontier solutions.
Well-known for co-founding JobsCentral in Singapore, Lim Der Shing has been an angel investor since 2009. JobsCentral was acquired by CareerBuilder USA in 2011 and Der Shing became its Asia-Pacific MD. He left the new role after six months in 2014 to become a full-time investor and partner at Singapore-based VC Jungle Ventures. The electrical and electronic engineer graduated in 1999 with a Summa cum Laude from the University of Michigan, USA. As a scholar, he returned to work at Sembcorp before co-founding JobsCentral’s predecessor JobsFactory in 2000 with co-founder and wife Huang Shao-Ning.
Well-known for co-founding JobsCentral in Singapore, Lim Der Shing has been an angel investor since 2009. JobsCentral was acquired by CareerBuilder USA in 2011 and Der Shing became its Asia-Pacific MD. He left the new role after six months in 2014 to become a full-time investor and partner at Singapore-based VC Jungle Ventures. The electrical and electronic engineer graduated in 1999 with a Summa cum Laude from the University of Michigan, USA. As a scholar, he returned to work at Sembcorp before co-founding JobsCentral’s predecessor JobsFactory in 2000 with co-founder and wife Huang Shao-Ning.
IGF is a crowdfunding platform for impact investing in Asia. It aims to partner with innovative, high-impact enterprises in need of capital to scale their businesses and, as a result, be of value to society and the environment. The fund seeks to mobilize its US$50m in investment capital to deliver affordable healthcare, cut CO2 emissions, help more than 2m people gain access to clean energy and empower women. IGF's investments range in size from US$250,000 to US$5m, and primarily take the form of equity or quasi-equity. All its investments include pre-agreed social or environmental impact targets.
IGF is a crowdfunding platform for impact investing in Asia. It aims to partner with innovative, high-impact enterprises in need of capital to scale their businesses and, as a result, be of value to society and the environment. The fund seeks to mobilize its US$50m in investment capital to deliver affordable healthcare, cut CO2 emissions, help more than 2m people gain access to clean energy and empower women. IGF's investments range in size from US$250,000 to US$5m, and primarily take the form of equity or quasi-equity. All its investments include pre-agreed social or environmental impact targets.
AIA Group is the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group. Headquartered in Hong Kong, the group operates in 18 markets across Asia-Pacific. In 2014, AIA began to partner with venture capital firms to launch AIA Accelerator to support innovative and disruptive startups.AIA Group was originally founded in Shanghai, under the name of American Asiatic Underwriters. In 1939, the founder Cornelius Vander Starr relocated the head office to New York. AIA became a subsidiary of American International Group (AIG). AIA was listed in Hong Kong in 2010 and AIG sold all its shares of AIA Group in 2012.
AIA Group is the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group. Headquartered in Hong Kong, the group operates in 18 markets across Asia-Pacific. In 2014, AIA began to partner with venture capital firms to launch AIA Accelerator to support innovative and disruptive startups.AIA Group was originally founded in Shanghai, under the name of American Asiatic Underwriters. In 1939, the founder Cornelius Vander Starr relocated the head office to New York. AIA became a subsidiary of American International Group (AIG). AIA was listed in Hong Kong in 2010 and AIG sold all its shares of AIA Group in 2012.
Arrive is the venture capital arm of Roc Nation, the full-service entertainment management company established by US musician Jay-Z. Aside from managing musicians and producing music under their label, Roc Nation also manages equity distribution for musicians, as well as talents in the sports industry. Arrive has made a number of investments in the Southeast Asia region, including in Singapore-based scooter rental startup Beam and fashion e-commerce Zilingo. In Indonesia, it has invested in Kopi Kenangan, a chain of grab-and-go coffee outlets. It has also invested in Super, a Y Combinator graduate startup enabling social commerce through group-buying.
Arrive is the venture capital arm of Roc Nation, the full-service entertainment management company established by US musician Jay-Z. Aside from managing musicians and producing music under their label, Roc Nation also manages equity distribution for musicians, as well as talents in the sports industry. Arrive has made a number of investments in the Southeast Asia region, including in Singapore-based scooter rental startup Beam and fashion e-commerce Zilingo. In Indonesia, it has invested in Kopi Kenangan, a chain of grab-and-go coffee outlets. It has also invested in Super, a Y Combinator graduate startup enabling social commerce through group-buying.
Danish asset management company Maj Invest was established in 2005. Based in Copenhagen, it is owned by the management, employees and Danish institutional investors, PKA, Realdania and PBU. Its main businesses are in asset management and private equity. It recently ventured into the financial services sector with Maj Bank.In 2009, Maj Invest launched into international private equity activities, with offices in Singapore, Indonesia’s Jakarta,Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City and Lima in Peru. Its Maj Invest Equity Southeast Asia II K/S, worth US$90 million, is still looking for new investment opportunities in the region.
Danish asset management company Maj Invest was established in 2005. Based in Copenhagen, it is owned by the management, employees and Danish institutional investors, PKA, Realdania and PBU. Its main businesses are in asset management and private equity. It recently ventured into the financial services sector with Maj Bank.In 2009, Maj Invest launched into international private equity activities, with offices in Singapore, Indonesia’s Jakarta,Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City and Lima in Peru. Its Maj Invest Equity Southeast Asia II K/S, worth US$90 million, is still looking for new investment opportunities in the region.
Startmate is an accelerator program for tech-enabled Australian and New Zealand start-ups. It also operates a seed fund backed by venture capitalists and established entrepreneurs. The organisation was established in 2011 by Niki Scevak, founder of Blackbird Ventures, and a team that included the founders of Australian enterprise software company Atlassian. Since its inception in 2011, Startmate has invested in more than 150 startups with a combined valuation of more than A$1 billion. Startmate runs two accelerator cohorts a year, usually from January–April and July–October. This accelerator program is open to a wide range of entrepreneurs, from idea-stage groups and pre-Series A startups, to solo founders and complete teams. Companies participating in Startmate’s accelerator program each receive A$75,000 from Startmate’s community of mentors, in exchange for 7.5% equity. In 2019 Startmate launched a dedicated Climate Cohort, which runs parallel with the standard program and focuses on startups in cleantech and climate-tech. Startmate also runs a First Believers program twice a year, which trains future or aspiring angel investors from Australia and New Zealand by building their confidence and networks and refining their investment strategies. In addition, the organization runs a coaching and mentorship program and holds other networking programs, like a Founders’ Fellowship, Women Fellowship, and Student Fellowship, at various dates throughout the year.
Startmate is an accelerator program for tech-enabled Australian and New Zealand start-ups. It also operates a seed fund backed by venture capitalists and established entrepreneurs. The organisation was established in 2011 by Niki Scevak, founder of Blackbird Ventures, and a team that included the founders of Australian enterprise software company Atlassian. Since its inception in 2011, Startmate has invested in more than 150 startups with a combined valuation of more than A$1 billion. Startmate runs two accelerator cohorts a year, usually from January–April and July–October. This accelerator program is open to a wide range of entrepreneurs, from idea-stage groups and pre-Series A startups, to solo founders and complete teams. Companies participating in Startmate’s accelerator program each receive A$75,000 from Startmate’s community of mentors, in exchange for 7.5% equity. In 2019 Startmate launched a dedicated Climate Cohort, which runs parallel with the standard program and focuses on startups in cleantech and climate-tech. Startmate also runs a First Believers program twice a year, which trains future or aspiring angel investors from Australia and New Zealand by building their confidence and networks and refining their investment strategies. In addition, the organization runs a coaching and mentorship program and holds other networking programs, like a Founders’ Fellowship, Women Fellowship, and Student Fellowship, at various dates throughout the year.
Jason Stockwood is the chairman and co-owner of Grimsby Town Football Club. The Grimsby working-class lad managed to get a scholarship to study in the US, worked at Trailfinders and Lastminute.com in the 1990s. He was a non-executive director of Skyscanner and international MD at Travelocity Business and also at Match.com. In 2010, he became the CEO and vice-chair of online insurance company, Simply Business, that was sold for £400m in 2017.The co-founder of VC 53° has also invested in British startups across market segments, including the Series B investment round of food-sharing app OLIO in September 2021 and August 2020 financing of carbon tracking platform for banks and investors CoGo UK.
Jason Stockwood is the chairman and co-owner of Grimsby Town Football Club. The Grimsby working-class lad managed to get a scholarship to study in the US, worked at Trailfinders and Lastminute.com in the 1990s. He was a non-executive director of Skyscanner and international MD at Travelocity Business and also at Match.com. In 2010, he became the CEO and vice-chair of online insurance company, Simply Business, that was sold for £400m in 2017.The co-founder of VC 53° has also invested in British startups across market segments, including the Series B investment round of food-sharing app OLIO in September 2021 and August 2020 financing of carbon tracking platform for banks and investors CoGo UK.
Future Food Asia 2021: Regenerative agriculture in Asia
The unique challenges facing regenerative agriculture in Asia require solutions different from those in the West, presenting opportunities for microfinancing and impact investment
Future Food Asia 2021 announces finalists for $100,000 prize
Ten startups from agrifood tech and cleantech sectors will pitch during the five-day conference, are also eligible for two more prizes from sponsors Cargill and Thai Wah
Future Food Asia 2021: Consumers crucial for agrifood growth
President of AppHarvest David Lee thinks consumers must be told the truth about the need for technology for change in food because capitalism and consumerism are powerful forces
Future Food Asia 2021: Agrifood tech at an inflection point
Agrifood tech startups urged to harness consumer, investor and government feedback to create plentiful, nutritious food through sustainable means, but exercise caution when considering IPOs
Future Food Asia 2021: Impact assessments – getting the metrics right
Common impact measures are useful but each situation requires specific, sometimes subjective considerations. The priority is to gauge if the impact has led to positive changes
Future Food Asia 2021: Two winners take home $100,000 each
Agrifood startups, corporations and investors urged to collaborate and take action, tackling challenges in nutrition and climate change
Future Food Asia 2021: Fireside chat with Green Monday's David Yeung
For Chinese startup Green Monday, it’s important to resonate with different local audiences by adapting to local culture and dietary habits and continuously fine-tuning existing products
Future Food Asia 2021: Long road ahead for the clean meat industry
Crucial basic research is still needed to ensure the safety, quality, and production efficiency of lab-grown meat. Concerted public and private sector efforts will accelerate progress
Future Food Asia 2021: Potential of pulses in the alt-protein space
Asia presents a unique opportunity for pulses as people in the region, who traditionally fractionated pulses for starch, now see protein as a useful byproduct
Future Food Asia by ID Capital: Introducing Asia's agrifood startups to the world
More than a meeting of startups and investors, the conference showcases ID Capital’s investment thesis and Big Ag’s support for agrifood tech in the world’s most populous region
China a “positive environment” for uptake of cultured meat, researcher tells Future Food Asia
But for interested cultured meat companies, China-based Chloe Dempsey suggests it would be better to wait, observe and learn more about the market before trying to tap its massive potential
Future Food Asia: Covid-19 sparked dramatic shifts in agriculture in China and India
Key Chinese players from e-commerce giant Pinduoduo and and agritech VC Omnivore share their insights at last week’s agrifood conference by ID Capital
Future Food Asia: Temasek, Continental Grain on investing in agrifood in Singapore and China
The two heavyweight investors discuss opportunities, needs and how agrifood startups can scale in Asian markets
New Food Invest: Growing an alternative protein business in Asia
With more than 4bn people, Asia presents unique opportunities and challenges to alternative protein startups. Four leading entrepreneurs shared their experiences at the recent New Food Invest conference
SWITCH Singapore: Alternative protein sure to take off in Asia, with Singapore as innovation hotbed
In an in-depth discussion, food industry experts say products made with alternative protein in hybrid forms could offer the fastest route to commercialization
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