Food Systems

AI-powered intelligence for sustainable agriculture.

Raleigh's pay-what-you-can cafe where everyone eats with dignity.

AI and robotics solutions for precision farming and chemical reduction in agriculture.

Making ice cream better for you and the planet.

A precision enzyme that doubles protein absorption from any food source.

Extending produce freshness naturally to reduce food waste and feed more people.

Acumen is a venture philanthropy organization that invests in visionary entrepreneurs building transformational companies from seed to scale. They focus on funding bold entrepreneurs who are creating inclusive solutions across sectors like sustainable agriculture, quality education, renewable energy, healthy communities, dignified jobs, and gender equality. Their mission is to break the cycle of poverty through patient capital investments in high-innovation, high-impact enterprises. They operate by deploying philanthropic capital to shape markets and support entrepreneurs who are addressing the world's toughest poverty-related challenges, investing where traditional funders won't. Acumen Ventures has established itself as a significant force in the impact investing ecosystem since 2001, with an A to Z directory of portfolio companies spanning over two decades. They matter because they've reinvented the rules of return, prioritizing impact alongside financial sustainability and helping to demonstrate that venture philanthropy can drive meaningful systemic change in underserved communities globally.

The Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA) is a programme of the Adaptation Fund, implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP) Innovation Accelerator in Munich. It identifies, supports and scales locally rooted climate-adaptation solutions that protect food systems and livelihoods in communities hit by droughts, floods, storms and rising temperatures. AFCIA runs four regional cohorts from 2024 to 2029. Each year focuses on a different region. The first cohort (2024) supported ventures implementing in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon. The Asia-Pacific sprint (2026) includes ventures in Nepal, Pakistan and the Philippines. The third cohort targets Latin America and the Caribbean, with a live call for solutions tailored to climate-adaptation challenges in the Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Peru. The programme contributes to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). It seeks both low- and high-tech innovations from established legal entities (for-profit, nonprofit, social business, NGO or INGO) that already have a presence in the country of implementation and are at least seed stage. Selected teams join a bootcamp, then can enter a nine-month Sprint with WFP support and equity-free funding. Applications for the LAC cohort close 13 September 2026, 23:59 UTC; only English submissions are accepted.

Adenia Partners is a private markets investment firm focused on growth opportunities across Africa. Founded in 2002, the firm invests in high-potential companies that drive economic development while delivering strong financial returns. With offices across key African markets, Adenia Partners works closely with management teams to scale businesses, improve operational performance, and expand regional footprint. The firm integrates ESG and impact considerations into its investment strategy, with a focus on building resilient businesses that contribute to long-term economic growth on the continent.

Alterfin is a Belgian social cooperative that finances social enterprises worldwide, focusing on microfinance institutions and sustainable smallholder agriculture organizations. With nearly 6,000 cooperative members, they invest in organizations that help the most disadvantaged people develop economic activities and generate sustainable incomes across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The organization operates as a cooperative financed by individuals and companies, offering everyone an investment opportunity to generate positive social, environmental, and economic impact. Their mission centers on what they call "Human Yield" - a return measured in improved lives, dignity, resilience, and humanity rather than just financial returns. Alterfin has established itself as a significant player in the impact investment ecosystem over 30 years of operation, with 70.8 million euros in capital and a diverse membership base of 5,711 individual cooperative members and 190 companies and organizations. Their approach enables people to invest in entrepreneurs and farmers they might never meet but whose lives change through access to opportunities in regions where traditional banking channels don't exist or don't meet micro-entrepreneurs' needs.

Aqua-Spark is a Netherlands-based global investment fund dedicated to building a sustainable aquaculture industry. The firm invests across the entire seafood value chain, backing companies that improve how fish and other aquatic species are farmed, fed, and distributed. With a long-term, systems-level approach, Aqua-Spark partners with entrepreneurs to address critical challenges in aquaculture, including environmental impact, animal health, and resource efficiency. Its mission is to make sustainable seafood accessible and scalable while supporting the transition to a more resilient global food system.

Astanor Ventures is an impact investor that transforms the agrifood system by fostering innovation from "soil and sea to gut." They operate two complementary investment strategies - Astanor Venture for early-stage companies and Astanor Growth for scaling businesses across the entire agrifood value chain. Their mission centers on building a more resilient planet by investing at the intersection of planetary and human health, using food and agricultural systems as primary levers for change. They support ambitious entrepreneurs developing globally scalable solutions capable of driving systemic change, reconnecting planetary and human health through better nutrition and sustainable farming practices. As a global leader in impact investing, Astanor plays a crucial role in financing and scaling systemic disruption needed to reach ambitious targets set by the Paris Agreement and UN SDGs. With offices across Europe and the US, they demonstrate that there is no trade-off between return and impact - the more successful their portfolio businesses become, the greater the positive impact on both people and the planet.