Nestle is a multinational food and beverage company renowned for its extensive product portfolio, which includes well-known brands such as Nestle, Nescafe, Perrier, Pure Life, and Purina. With annual revenues exceeding CHF 90 billion, Nestle operates in 189 countries and boasts 34 brands that each generate over CHF 1 billion in sales. In addition to its core business, the company engages in initiatives focused on nutrition education, research, and charitable efforts, including food donations and financial support for various causes. Nestle also holds a significant stake in the French cosmetics firm L'Oréal, reflecting its diverse interests beyond food and beverages.

The Hershey Company is a global confectionery company that produces chocolates, candies, mints and other snacks. Its portfolio includes core brands such as Hershey's, Reese's, Kit Kat, Kisses, Jolly Rancher and Ice Breakers, and has broadened to include snacks like SkinnyPop and Pirate's Booty through acquisitions. The company operates in about 80 countries and is focused on growing its international presence while maintaining strength in North America. Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania, the business has expanded beyond confectionery to diversify its offerings across multiple snack categories, currently featuring more than 100 brands. It has pursued inorganic growth to extend its reach beyond traditional chocolate into related snack segments.

Barry Callebaut is a global leader in manufacturing and supplying high-quality chocolate and cocoa products. They operate vertically, from sourcing and processing cocoa beans to producing premium chocolates for industrial food manufacturers and professional users like chocolatiers, pastry chefs, bakers, hotels, restaurants, and caterers.

Founded in 1995, SOSV is a global venture capital firm headquartered in New Jersey. It focuses on seed-to-growth stage investments in deep tech innovations, primarily in bio-tech/life sciences and hardware/robotics sectors, with a commitment to human and planetary health.

Natra is a multinational company specializing in the production and distribution of chocolate products and cocoa derivatives. It offers a wide range of chocolates, including snacking products, spreads, and specialty chocolates, as well as cocoa mass, butter, and powder. Natra serves private label brands and other food companies primarily in Europe, North America, and Asia through its Consumer Goods division. Additionally, it provides industrial chocolates and fillings via its Industrial Goods division.

Mars is a multinational manufacturer of pet food, confectionery, and other food products. Established with a long-term vision spanning generations, the company aims to transform business practices while maintaining its commitment to quality and innovation.

Mondelez International is a global snack manufacturing company that produces and sells food products under renowned brands such as Oreo, Chips Ahoy, Halls, and Cadbury. Its portfolio spans across biscuits (49%), chocolate (31%), gum/candy (11%), beverages (3%), and cheese/grocery (6%) categories.

Puratos is an international company specializing in bakery ingredients. It offers a wide range of products such as bread enhancers, active bakery ingredients, mixes, fillings, glazes, cakes, non-dairy toppings, and chocolate compounds. Puratos provides these products to artisans, industrial manufacturers, supermarkets, and food service companies, enabling them to deliver high-quality, nutritious food.

Founded in 1985, The Chefs' Warehouse is a leading distributor of specialty food products, serving high-end chefs and establishments across the United States and Canada. Its extensive portfolio includes over 55,000 items such as artisan cheeses, unique oils and vinegars, truffles, caviar, chocolate, pastry products, and center-of-the-plate proteins like custom cut beef and seafood.

AccelFoods is a New York-based company founded in 2013 that focuses on partnering with high-growth early-stage food and beverage companies. It provides driven founders with access to industry expertise and infrastructure necessary to develop unique products and effective go-to-market strategies. By connecting emerging companies with valuable resources, AccelFoods aims to foster the creation of the next generation of enduring brands within the food and beverage ecosystem.

Cloetta AB is a leading confectionery manufacturer based in Northern Europe, specializing in a wide range of products including sugar confectionery, chocolate, pastilles, and chewing gum. The company serves both local and international markets, with a presence in over fifty countries, particularly focusing on Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Germany, and the UK. Cloetta's diverse brand portfolio features well-known names such as Lakerol, CandyKing, Jenkki, Kexchoklad, Malaco, Sportlife, and Red Band. The company operates approximately seven production units across five countries, enabling it to efficiently produce and distribute its confectionery offerings.

IndieBio is an accelerator that supports startups using biology to solve major problems, delivering four-month programs for companies and teams with ideas. Based in San Francisco with an office in New York, it focuses on life sciences, biotechnology and synthetic biology, investing in seed and early-stage ventures that place biology at the core of their technology across products, processes and software. The program favors teams with two or more co-founders and generally provides equity-based funding in the early stages, often combining direct investments with additional financing options. Founded in 2014, IndieBio operates within the SOSV accelerator network, a global platform that supports portfolio companies through mentorship, resources and cross-border programs.

Founded in 1979, Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines was a bottling and distribution company for soft drinks, water, and juices. It operated as a subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company until its closure in January 2018.

The Development Bank of Wales is an independent company that provides commercial funding to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Wales. It invests private and public funds, including EU funds, across various sectors such as B2B, healthcare, technology, and life sciences.

DSG Consumer Partners is a venture capital firm based in Singapore that focuses on identifying, investing in, and growing consumer brands in India and Southeast Asia. It primarily takes minority equity stakes in unlisted companies but may pursue control deals with the right management. The firm provides growth capital and liquidity to founders and shareholders, including secondary transactions, and pursues a long-term investment approach. The founders have backed leading consumer brands since 2004, such as Sula Wines, Saffronart, Cleartrip, Redmart, Mocha, and Veeba Food Services.

Founded in Bengaluru in 2006, Saama Capital is a venture capital firm focusing on technology, fintech, and consumer-oriented industries in India. The firm invests in early-stage companies, collaborating with entrepreneurs to drive growth and diversification across sectors.

V3 Ventures is a venture firm that invests in early-stage consumer-focused companies with mission-led, scalable brands.

Portillo's offers classic Chicago-style street food like hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, and chocolate cake. Portillo's prides itself on its ingredients and service.

Vintage Wine Estates is a privately held wine company comprised of a consortium of vintner families with extensive experience in the wine industry. The company owns a diverse collection of winery estates and brands, including Clos Pegase Winery, Cosentino Winery, Girard Winery, B.R. Cohn Winery, Swanson Vineyards, Viansa Sonoma, Windsor Vineyards, Cameron Hughes, Firesteed, and several others. Vintage Wine Estates is dedicated to producing high-quality wines and providing exceptional customer experiences across its wineries located in Napa, Sonoma, California's Central Coast, Oregon, and Washington State. The brand portfolio also features exclusive labels such as Middle Sister, Tall Dark Stranger, Pro-mis-Q-ous, Monogamy, Girl & Dragon, and Purple Cowboy, reflecting a commitment to craftsmanship and innovation in winemaking.

Chenguang Biotech Group Co., Ltd. specializes in the processing of agricultural products and natural extracts, producing over 80 types of products across four main categories: natural pigments, natural spice extracts and essential oils, natural nutrients and drug-use extracts, and grease and protein. The company is recognized for its leadership in the production and sales of natural pigments in China, with capsanthin being the top product globally and chili extract accounting for over 85% of domestic volume. Chenguang also manufactures a variety of spice extracts and essential oils, including paprika oleoresin, ginger oil, and turmeric oil, among others. As a national high-tech enterprise, it has established various research and development platforms and holds numerous patents, reflecting its commitment to innovation and quality in the agricultural industrialization sector.

Edita manufactures, packages, markets, and distributes a wide range of food products including jam, juices, ready-made meals, baked snacks, chocolates, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, meat products, and related ingredients. The company operates across six segments: bakery, cakes, rusks, wafers, candy, and biscuits.

The Company manufactures, markets and distributes a diverse line of brand name candies, cookies, chocolates and other food products. The Company's principal products are Cows butter toffee candies, demitasse(R) biscuits, Ruger(R) wafers and Elana(R) Belgian chocolates. The Company also markets Soup Du Jour soups, Sour Fruit Burst fruit-filled hard candies, as well as certain holiday specialty products, such as Pirate's Gold Coins milk chocolates for Christmas and Tokens of Love milk chocolates for Valentine's Day. The Company's marketing strategy, including its packaging of products designed to maximize freshness, taste and visual appeal, emphasizes highly distinctive, premium quality products that are sold at prices that compare favorably to those of competitive products.

AAK is a Swedish company primarily engaged in food processing. It specializes in refining vegetable oils into customized products for various industries such as bakery, dairy, chocolate and confectionery, nutrition, plant-based foods, and technical applications.

Sunny Sky Products, LLC is a manufacturer specializing in premium dispensed beverages. The company provides a diverse range of beverage solutions, including hot, cold, and frozen options, as well as beverage enhancers. Its product lineup features specialty coffee, hot chocolate, fountain drinks, sweeteners, smoothies, and energy drinks. Sunny Sky Products caters to various sectors such as convenience stores, food service, healthcare, education, concessions, and supermarkets, ensuring a comprehensive offering for different consumer needs.

Nestlé is a global food and beverage company headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, with a history spanning more than 150 years and operations in about 185 countries. It is the largest in its sector by sales and maintains a diversified portfolio across baby foods, beverages, cereals, confectionery, coffee, culinary and frozen foods, dairy, ice cream, and pet care. Its brands include Nescafé, Nespresso, KitKat, Maggi, Purina, Nesquik, Nestea, Milo, and many others. The company operates through regional zones and segments such as Nestlé Waters, Nestlé Professional, nutrition and health science, and food service products, serving consumers, the food service industry, and health markets worldwide.

Vakko is a Turkey fashion house and luxury goods brand, that started out as a small hat shop called Şen Şapka (Merry Hats). Founded by Vitali Hakko in 1934, Şen Şapka soon became the Vakko brand, producing scarves made of Turkish silk based on the latest fashions. These scarves reflected the company’s decision to make only the very best for customers who demanded the very best. Inspired by the mood of development and innovation in the country at the time, Vakko recognized the need to expand beyond hats, scarves, and printed fabrics and ventured into the ready-to-wear industry, where the company has been a sector leader ever since. As a fashion house, Vakko’s primary goal was to create collections that interpreted the latest fashions, while offering superior quality, exquisite craftsmanship, and excellent service. Consequently, as reflected in the Vakko motto, “Fashion is Vakko”. Today, Vakko specializes in high-fashion luxury goods through its numerous collections and stores: Vakko Scarves, Vakko Men and Vakko Women, Vakko Couture, V2K Designers, Vakko Wedding, Vakkorama concept stores, W Collection Menswear and Vakko Home. Vakko also brings its high quality to the gourmet food sector with Vakko Chocolate, Vakko Tea Atelier, Vakko Coffee Atelier, as well as the high-end patisserie concept Vakko Patisserie Petit Four, and French restaurant Vakko Bistrot. Vakko Espace ensures that the Vakko quality can also be experienced at event organizations. Committed to supporting the future of the industry, Vakko has established two pioneering initiatives: the Vakko ESMOD Fashion Academy and the Vitali Hakko Creative Industries Library. The Vakko HQ Building in Istanbul and the Vakko Fashion Center were designed by the renowned New York architecture firm, Office REX. The Vakko Fashion Center was named “Best Workspace” by Wallpaper magazine.

Founded in Sweden in 1990, Werners Gourmetservice specializes in importing and distributing premium food products such as truffles, caviar, chocolates, spices, oils, vinegars, fruits, desserts, and seafood. It caters to both professional chefs and home cooks, offering culinary education services.

Punch Edibles manufactures and supplies a variety of flavorful medicinal-CBD gummies, chocolate, rolls, fruit snacks, extracts, and vapes.

IRCA is a European B2B manufacturer specializing in semi-finished products for the pastry, bakery, and horeca industries. With approximately 1,800 SKUs, IRCA caters to industrial clients, hypermarket internal bakeries, and pastry shops.

New Age India Fund, headquartered in Mumbai, is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage companies across sectors such as fintech, agritech, consumer tech, envirotech, and healthtech. It offers a mix of debt and equity financing to support the growth of emerging and young businesses.

Eatable Adventures is a Madrid-based accelerator and incubator established in 2015 that focuses on European food and beverage startups. It identifies innovative early-stage ventures and supports their growth by offering mentorship, resources, and access to a network of industry partners to accelerate product development, validation, and market entry in the global food market.

Founded in 1980, Whole Foods Market is an American grocery chain dedicated to selling natural and organic products. It adheres to stringent quality standards, sourcing from suppliers who meet these criteria and sharing this information with customers. The company offers a wide range of food products, excluding artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners, and hydrogenated fats. As of now, Whole Foods Market operates over 450 stores across North America and the United Kingdom.

Founded in 1997, Industrial Growth Partners is a private equity firm based in San Francisco. It specializes in investing in and building global, market-leading manufacturing businesses, with a focus on engineered products companies. The firm collaborates with experienced management teams to create long-term equity returns.

Scottish EDGE is a Glasgow-based organization that runs a competitive funding program to identify and support Scotland’s innovative, high-growth entrepreneurial talent. Established in 2014, it provides grants and loans to early-stage startups, social enterprises, and charities, alongside mentorship and ongoing follow-up support to help participants develop and scale their ventures. The program offers financial awards ranging from £10,000 to £100,000 and prize funding up to £150,000, reinforcing its role as a leading source of early-stage capital and advisory assistance for Scotland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Middleby specializes in designing, manufacturing, marketing, distributing, and servicing a wide range of foodservice equipment for commercial restaurants, institutional kitchens, food processing operations, and premium residential kitchens.

Venture Catalysts is recognized as Asia's largest integrated incubator, established in 2016, which offers investments ranging from $500,000 to $2 million per startup, along with incubation support for 18 to 24 months. It has successfully incubated notable companies such as BharatPe, Fynd, and Innov8, which have emerged as leaders in their respective categories. With a robust network of over 4,500 angel investors across 36 cities in six countries, including India, Hong Kong, and the UAE, Venture Catalysts has attracted participation from prominent global investors like YCombinator and Greenoaks. The organization focuses on nurturing the startup ecosystem in Tier II and III cities in India, conducting incubation programs in locations such as Ahmedabad, Lucknow, and Surat, as well as major metros. In addition to providing seed and Series A funding, Venture Catalysts excels in startup development, strategic guidance, and investor education, ensuring substantial returns for its investors. Its leadership in the early-stage investment landscape is underscored by the successful fundraising of over ten incubatees in a challenging market environment, solidifying its reputation as a top early-stage investor in India.

Founders Group of Food Companies Inc., based in Vancouver, Canada, is a private equity firm that specializes in investing in mature, middle-market companies, particularly in the food and consumer packaged goods sectors. Founded in 2014, the firm is family-owned and utilizes its own capital to seek opportunities in businesses where growth has plateaued or management systems need enhancement. The firm primarily invests in protein harvesters, processors, and distributors, as well as other consumer durables, beverages, and household products. It focuses its investments in the Western and Eastern United States, the Midwest, and Canada, targeting companies with recurring EBITDA between $3 million and $10 million and real estate net operating income ranging from $0.5 million to $4 million. Founders Group typically invests between $3 million and $20 million, aiming for a majority stake and board involvement, with a commitment to hold investments for a minimum of five years, potentially extending beyond 15 years.

InvestIndustrial is a London-based private equity firm that specializes in funding mid-market companies in Southern Europe, particularly Italy and Spain. Established in 1990, it provides industrial solutions and capital to portfolio companies across consumer, healthcare, industrial manufacturing and technology sectors. The firm traces its origins to the BI-Invest Group, a historic Italian financial and industrial conglomerate owned by the Bonomi family. It maintains advisory teams in the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Spain, the United States and China to support growth and cross-border opportunities.

Reshape is an investor focused on technology-enabled companies requiring real estate for growth.

Horizons Ventures, established in 2002, is a Hong Kong-based venture capital firm specializing in seed, early-stage, and late-stage investments. It focuses on disruptive and technology-driven startups, particularly in the areas of artificial intelligence and machine learning, fintech, healthcare technology, and SaaS. The firm has a track record of successful exits, including notable companies like Skype, Siri, Facebook, Summly, and Waze.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), established in 1956, is a member of the World Bank Group dedicated to fostering private sector development in emerging markets. It provides financial services, including loans and equity investments, ranging from $1 million to $100 million, with a focus on projects that drive economic growth and social impact. IFC invests across various sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, education, technology, and financial services.

Nordic FoodTech VC is a venture capital firm based in Helsinki, Finland, founded in 2018. It focuses on early-stage investments in Nordic food tech companies, supporting startups across the Nordic region, including Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. The firm targets innovative solutions in the food sector and aims to back companies that drive the future of food in the Nordic market.

Denmark's Export and Investment Fund (EIFO) serves as a single point of contact for Danish firms seeking risk-tolerant government finance. We aspire to help successful enterprises that can expand the Danish economy and green the world on a daily basis, guided by professionalism and an international perspective.

Rockstart is an early-stage accelerator and impact investor based in Amsterdam with international reach, founded in 2011. It supports purpose-driven founders building in energy, health, agrifood, and emerging technologies by providing capital, hands-on mentorship, and access to a global network of co-investors, mentors, partners, and corporates. The firm operates across Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Bogota, and maintains a team of professionals who help startups scale, connect to markets, and navigate funding rounds. Rockstart has backed more than 350 startups, with a focus on generating positive social or environmental impact while achieving growth.

Branded Hospitality is a New York-based platform that drives growth and transformation in the food service and hospitality industries through three integrated lines: venture investments, solutions, and media. With more than 25 years of industry experience, it connects emerging brands, cutting-edge technologies, and capital to accelerate success. Its venture investments back innovative technologies and scalable concepts reshaping hospitality, providing capital and strategic guidance to entrepreneurs and startups. In its solutions business, Branded Hospitality develops tailored programs with corporate partners to improve operational efficiency, broaden brand visibility, and open new markets, including influencer marketing, digital storytelling, and B2B partnerships. As a media company, it creates and distributes content through channels such as its award-winning podcast The Hospitality Hangout, reaching decision-makers and industry leaders to foster dialogue and share insights. The firm emphasizes practical support and strategic guidance to portfolio companies and partners to drive growth and industry-wide change.

Established by Mondelēz International in 2018, SnackFutures is an innovation hub dedicated to exploring emerging snacking trends globally. It focuses on building and growing small brands with significant potential, leveraging entrepreneurial talent and technologies.

Established in 1984, Foresight Group is an independent investment manager specializing in infrastructure and private equity. With over £7.2 billion in assets under management, the company caters to institutional investors, family offices, high net worth individuals, and retail clients. Foresight's investment strategies emphasize environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors, aiming to create sustainable long-term value.

Established in 2019, Level One Fund is a venture capital firm specializing in early-stage investments.

Hamilton Lane, established in 1991, is a global private markets investment firm headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It serves institutional and private wealth investors worldwide, offering adaptable investment programs across various private market strategies, sectors, and geographies. As of December 31, 2022, the firm managed and supervised $831.9 billion in assets, with $107.5 billion under discretionary management.

Zintinus is a Berlin-based venture capital firm that invests in European food tech companies.