Tyson Ventures, the venture capital arm of Tyson Foods, hosted its annual pitch event at World Headquarters on July 11. Tyson Demo Day serves as a platform for entrepreneurs from around the world to showcase their groundbreaking ideas, and this year’s event was centered around the theme of upcycling. With a focus on transforming the food system, Tyson Ventures aimed to identify potential partners who could help drive sustainable practices within the industry. 

Tyson Demo Day 2023 attracted an impressive lineup of startups eager to present their upcycling business concepts to top executives at Tyson Foods. Eleven startups were selected from a pool of applicants spanning over 15 countries. These entrepreneurs shared a vision of revolutionizing the food industry by promoting sustainable nutrition and mitigating waste. 

Among the selected companies that presented their upcycling innovations at Demo Day were Ancera, BioVeritas, Dog & Whistle, Ecto, GenoTwin, Netzro, Chix Soup Co., ReproHealth Technologies, ResiLI. AG, SuperGround, and ZwitterCo. These startups demonstrated their potential to revolutionize the industry through their creative approaches to sustainable practices. 

Tyson Ventures President and Tyson Foods Chief Financial Officer John R. Tyson expressed his excitement and admiration for the creative minds present at the event. He emphasized the vital role Tyson Foods plays in responsibly producing food for a growing global population. “We have a critical role to play in responsibly producing food for a growing world,” Tyson said. “I’m excited to dig deeper into the startup solutions that can help us feed the world.” 

A diverse panel of Tyson Foods team members, known as the Ventures Innovation Partners (VIP), played a crucial role in selecting the most promising startups to progress further in potential collaborations. The VIP chose four startups: 

  • GenoTwin 
  • NetZro 
  • SuperGround 
  • ZwitterCo 

Each partner covers a specific segment of the supply chain, offering a wide spectrum of innovative solutions that range from upcycling animal byproducts to leveraging digital technologies to enhance sustainability practices. 

Connor Dowling, the chief executive officer of GenoTwin, described Demo Day as an awe-inspiring experience for himself and other small startups in attendance.  

“The enthusiasm of the Tyson Ventures team has been amazing. It shows their commitment to sustainability and upcycling technologies. The energy in this room is fantastic. We’re having a great time,” Dowling said. “Tyson is a very admirable company. It’s been around for generations. It’s great to come to Arkansas and meet people who have been doing this for decades and are experts in this space.” 

Tyson Ventures is committed to sustainability well beyond the Demo Day pitch event. Since its establishment in 2016, Tyson Ventures has invested over $100 million in emerging proteins, innovative food and worker safety technologies, and sustainable food production.

Learn more about Tyson Ventures and Demo Day 2023.

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