SYDNEY NOVEMBER 18, 2021 – Victorian startup Great Wrap has taken top honours in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) category at the prestigious global FoodBytes! by Rabobank Pitch 2021.
Recognised for its commitment to ending household plastic waste, Great Wrap manufactures home-compostable products, including cling wrap made from food waste, at the business’s solar powered factory in Victoria.
Unlike biodegradable products, Great Wrap is free of microplastics and is certified to break down into carbon and water in just 180 days, leaving no residual toxins. Being home compostable means Great Wrap doesn’t require the high temperatures needed to break down industrial compostable packaging.
The Mornington Peninsula-based business beat four other finalists, including Australia’s Fable Foods, to claim the coveted CPG crown at the 2021 FoodBytes! Pitch competition.
Co-founders Jordy and Julia Kay said they were honoured to be among this year’s elite CPG FoodBytes! cohort. “It’s been a steep learning curve and we’ve benefited from FoodBytes! mentorship and leadership,” Mr Kay said. “This experience helped introduce us to great potential partners who we are looking forward to working with in the future, and it’s also been helpful to meet other founders – some of the industry’s smartest – working in a similar space globally.”
Great Wrap, and fellow Australian startups Fable Foods, SBM-Transpirational and AgriDigital, were among 15 finalists selected across three sectors – FoodTech, AgTech and CPG – to contest FoodBytes! live virtual pitch competition on November 10. Great Wrap’s victory follows the success of Perth-based Swan Systems, whose innovative precision irrigation and fertiliser platform took out the FoodBytes! Pitch 2020 Agtech award.
Rabobank Australia head of Innovation, Chamidu Karunathilake said: “Great Wrap is answering the global consumer demand to find solutions for waste management and sustainability, two areas where we see significant interest from corporates and investors. Their FoodBytes! Pitch success, following Swan Systems last year, is validation of the entrepreneurship we’re seeing in the Asia Pacific region, and its dominance on the global stage.”
FoodBytes! by Rabobank is a global program, designed to discover the best and brightest emerging companies addressing the world’s food challenges and showcase food and agri startup companies to corporate leaders, investors and the wider market.
Mr Karunathilake said FoodBytes! corporate membership represented some of the most influential global food and ag companies, investors and service providers in the industry.
“Members play a pivotal role throughout the entire process – from scoring initial applications and helping to select the finalists,” he said.
Membership enrolment and startup scouting for 2022 is already underway.
Corporates or investors interested in food and agri innovation, or startups looking to get involved in the FoodBytes! community, can visit www.foodbytesworld.com or email FoodBytes@rabobank.com for further information .
About Rabobank F&A Innovation
Rabobank is a leading global food and agriculture bank providing sector expertise, strategic counsel and tailored financial solutions to clients across the entire food value chain. Rabobank’s F&A Innovation team supports the bank’s global mission of Growing a Better World Together – helping to turn today’s promising ideas into impactful solutions for a sustainable food supply. Through the FoodBytes! food and agriculture innovation platform, Rabobank has built one of the most valuable networks for corporates, investors and startups pioneering sustainable ways to feed the planet.
FoodBytes! drives collaboration between startups, large food and ag companies and investors through two complementary programs: FoodBytes! Pitch and FoodBytes! Pilot. Our approach to industry change: discovering and supporting startup innovation; and helping large food and ag companies embed and drive innovation across their organizations. To learn more, visit foodbytesworld.com or follow FoodBytes! on on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
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