The winner of this year’s Vegan Women Summit Pathfinder pitch competition, which was established to provide key investment in early-stage plant-based women founders (especially crucial at a time when investment in women founders has fallen 20% over the past year). This year’s judges included leading industry investors, including Caroline Cormier of Upfield, Heather Courtney of Alwyn Capital, Noramay Cadena of Supply Change Capital, Beatriz Franco of Vita Vera Ventures, and Mariliis Holm of Sustainable Food Ventures.
Watch the Pitch Competition below:
This year’s winner was Toronto’s Fei Luo from Liven Proteins Corp.
What set Liven apart to win:
- Innovative Use of Pea Starch: Liven’s focus on upcycling pea starch is set to disrupt the market economics by making pea protein more accessible and affordable.
- Deforestation and Collagen: With deforestation in the Amazon being directly linked to the collagen industry, Liven’s alternative protein approach presents a critical solution.
- Cutting-edge Technology: The jury was impressed by the novel technological process employed by Liven, showcasing the potential for scalable, impactful change.
“Pathfinder is THE opportunity and place to accelerate your mission and get inspired to venture out into the world with your creations!”, explains Fei. “For example, I met Irina Miller the CEO of Daisy Lab as the finalist of Pathfinder 2021. After a great pitch, Sustainable Food Ventures became their 1st investor and most recently she raised a successful seed round. Pathfinder catalyzes change all over the world, it has been an absolute pleasure to be part of this amazing group of women!”
VWS Pathfinder remains a beacon for women founders from diverse backgrounds, and this year’s cohort comes at a crucial time. “Despite a 20% drop in investment in women-led startups, from 2.4 to 1.9 billion, the women in our program continue to defy the odds and build groundbreaking companies. The landscape may be challenging, with investment declining, but the level of innovation and new companies emerging is inspiring,” said VWS founder Jennifer Stojkovic. “VWS Pathfinder is committed to being the platform where resilient women build a sustainable, plant-based future.”
The 2023 VWS Pathfinder Top 10 Finalists included:
- Fei Luo, Liven Proteins Corp, of Toronto, Canada
- Asha Wheeldon, KULA Foods, of Vancouver, Canada
- Jasmine Byrne, Big Mountain Foods, of Vancouver, Canada
- Michelle Lee, Lypid, of San Francisco, California
- France Emmanuelle Adil, Tiamat Sciences, of Durham, NC
- Majbritt ByskovBridges, Alver, of SaintAubin, Switzerland
- Julia Kirouac, nud fud Inc., of Toronto, Canada
- Sònia Hurtado Piñol, Poseidona, of Barcelona, Spain
- Sharon Cryan, FoodNerd Inc., of Buffalo, NY
- Saskia Tersteeg, Time Travelling Milkman, of Wageningen, The Netherlands
The top finalist won a trip to speak at The Vegan Women Summit 2024. Past winners have showcased their products at the Vegan Women Summit in NYC and have been featured in media outlets such as ABC’s Good Morning America, Fast Company, MSNBC, and more. VWS Pathfinder alumni have successfully raised over $20M in investment.
About VWS Pathfinder
Since its inception in 2020, VWS Pathfinder has featured the world’s leading CEOs, founders, and investors, receiving over 1,400 pitch applications from women founders across 40 countries. This year marks the fourth consecutive annual summit, showcasing a diverse array of talent and innovation.
Participants can learn from experts, watch live experts, and network virtually with hundreds of other industry leaders, investors, advocates, and founders from around the world.
About the Vegan Women Summit:
Vegan Women Summit® (VWS) is a global events and media organization created to empower women to build a kinder, more sustainable world. VWS events foster a community of strong, ambitious rising leaders working to bring compassion to their careers in the plant-based and animal-free industries. For more information, please visit www.veganwomensummit.com.
