Lineage recently named Ryp Labs the winner of its first Food Chain Innovation Challenge.
Ryp Labs, the winner of the San Francisco regional event, was selected for its innovative solution for tackling post-harvest food waste, securing the global grand prize of $50,000 and an invitation into a six-month incubator program led by Lineage executives.
“At Lineage, we take great pride in our investments in the future of the global food supply chain, and we are thrilled to support Ryp Labs in furthering our ultimate shared purpose of eliminating waste and helping feed the world,” Greg Lehmkuhl, Lineage president and CEO, said in a news release. “On behalf of the entire Lineage team, I want to extend a warm thank you and congratulations to our winner and all competitors, as well as our panel of esteemed judges, partners, employees and everyone who made this event possible.
“Together, we can make significant strides toward tackling one of the world’s most pressing issues today.”
Ryp Labs’ winning idea is called StixFresh, a natural and safe formulation that mimics the defense mechanisms of plants to slow down the natural process of fruit spoilage, Lineage reported. It can be applied to a variety of surfaces, including food-safe labels and stickers, and has been shown to extend the shelf-life of fresh produce, thereby reducing food waste.
“We are incredibly humbled and excited to be selected as the winners of Lineage’s global competition,” said Moody Soliman, Ryp Labs CEO and co-founder. “This opportunity will be a significant step forward in our mission to eliminate food waste through our innovative biomimicry solutions.
“With Lineage’s extensive global network and commitment to sustainability, we believe we can scale our impact, not only reducing food waste but also creating lasting economic, environmental, and social change. The $50,000 prize and access to Lineage’s executive-led incubator program will undoubtedly provide us with the critical resources and support needed to accelerate our solution and make a real difference in feeding the world.”
The Dec. 2 global competition convened three regional winners selected from events in San Francisco, London, and Amsterdam, each recognized for their ideas for tackling food waste, including:
- London regional winner Mimica: A solution called “Bump” which is available as a cap or tag that shows the true longevity of food and drinks by responding to temperature changes and becoming bumpy when the food or drinks actually spoil.
- Amsterdam regional winner Barbara Šoštarić: A visual indicator that helps consumers determine what food to use first. It helps create awareness around the shelf life of products, thus reducing food waste.
