This year’s top 5 Global Food Tech Awards APAC shortlist features startups spanning supply chain transparency, regulatory compliance, nutrition innovation and food waste reduction from Australia, Taiwan, South Korea and India.
Run in partnership with FoodNavigator and the Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit, the awards spotlight early-stage companies developing technologies that address critical gaps in the food value chain. Eligible startups must be less than five years old and have fewer than 20 employees, with innovations spanning areas including ingredients, processing, packaging, personalized nutrition, food waste reduction, regulatory compliance, AI and supply chain solutions.
This year’s judges assessed entrants on factors including innovation and technological excellence, real-world impact, commercial potential, sustainability credentials, scalability and industry leadership.
The winner of the APAC heat will be announced during the Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit which takes place Oct. 27-29, 2026 in Singapore.
Beyond recognition, the Global Food Tech Awards finalists and winners receive:
Editorial coverage on FoodNavigatorExposure to investors and global food companiesOpportunities for partnerships and scale-upIndustry validation from an expert judging panel
2026 GFTA APAC judges (Image: William Reed Business Media)
Founder-market fit was a key consideration for Cyril Ebersweiler, General Partner at venture capital firm SOSV and GFTA APAC judge, who said founders with direct experience in the sectors they’re targeting often have the strongest understanding of both the problem and opportunity.
“Sometimes it’s about the fact that they grew up in that environment and their parents were actually running something related to the food business. Some other time it’s because those people have spent an amount of time just working at certain companies and are enabled to really truly understand the issues and the opportunities that are out there. That’s still my go-to favourite [for] founders because they have an understanding, generally they have a bit more interest, and they have sometimes a grudge against it, and really want to fix something,” he said.
Tomi Haryadi, Director for Food, Water and Land Program at World Resources Institute and GFTA APAC judge, said he was looking for food-tech innovations that had the broadest possible impact on consumers.
“Innovations in food technologies need to be widely applicable to different levels of communities. I want to see innovations that are realistic in one way and widely applicable and less costly that can be applied in different settings,” he said.
Here are the five startups selected for this year’s APAC shortlist in alphabetical order.
FutureSense
South Korea-based FutureSense Co. Ltd. is targeting food loss across the supply chain, a challenge Haryadi emphasized as a growing priority for the food-tech sector as companies look to improve efficiency and reduce waste from production through consumption.
FutureSense created Food4Chain, a blockchain-enabled traceability platform that follows products at lot (Internet of Things) level beginning from farming through manufacturing and distribution.
Alongside traceability, the digital platform uses AI-driven analytics to identify where food loss occurs, quantifying waste, usage and costs in real time. Food4Chain aims to help food manufacturers, distributors and regulators improve transparency while reducing waste throughout the supply chain.
MileWise Innovations
MileWise Innovations Private Ltd., founded in India, is addressing a nutrition challenge increasingly linked to metabolic health: improving staple foods without sacrificing taste and texture.
The startup has developed a proprietary sprouted millet flour formulation designed to deliver a low-glycaemic, high-protein and gluten-free alternative to conventional flour systems. Unlike many gluten-free products, which often struggle with texture or nutritional performance, MileWise says its formulation can replicate wheat-like functionality.
The technology is intended primarily as a B2B ingredient platform, allowing food manufacturers to reformulate staple products using millet. From a commercial standpoint, the company has also launched its own proof-of-concept product, the Boost Bun, a ready-to-eat bun containing 18g of protein per serving.
Oxperial BioHealth
Taiwan-based Oxperial BioHealth’s platform addresses the consistency and performance of plant-based functional ingredients.
Its technology combines Evolve, a low-temperature extraction process aimed at preserving sensitive bioactive compounds, with GPDT, a proprietary formulation platform built around light-responsive botanical ingredients.
The company says its technology shifts innovation beyond simply adding more functional ingredients by focusing on how bioactives are extracted, formulated and activated.
The platform is protected by patents in Taiwan and the United Kingdom and has progressed through laboratory research, preclinical studies and an exploratory human pilot. Oxperial has already commercialized its first product, PropoLight, in Taiwan, where it has secured early distributor adoption in the nutraceutical space.
Produxiom Systems
Australia-based Produxiom Systems Pty Ltd. addresses the growing complexity of food and beverage regulatory compliance.
Its cloud-based platform incorporates product specifications, supplier information, regulatory requirements, label reviews, artwork approvals and audit trails into a single system. Produxium leverages its food regulatory knowledge from FoodLegal, an Australian food law and regulatory compliance consultancy. The AI-driven platform assesses product information and packaging against regulatory requirements, flags potential risks and provides guidance throughout development workflows.
With its platform already in the market, Produxium aims to reduce the manual workload typically associated with food compliance, helping regulatory and product development teams improve consistency, traceability and approval speed.
The Misfits
The Misfits, a startup based India, combines upcycling with functional nutrition to create value from food that would otherwise go to waste.
The company rescues cosmetically imperfect produce and incorporates it into a range of consumer products enhanced with Ayurvedic ingredients. Current products include Cocospread, Double Choco Bites, Pesto with Moringa, and Red Onion Relish with Ashwagandha, according to The Misfits.
Its sourcing model extends beyond individual products. The company builds supply chains around produce that would typically be rejected for cosmetic reasons, addressing food waste and creating a different ingredient stream.
The Misfits is already commercially active and has received recognition through multiple innovation awards. The company also participates in organizations including the Upcycled Food Association and WRI India’s Friends of Champions network.
A platform for global recognition and growth
The APAC winner and runners up will advance alongside a global lineup of the most promising food-tech innovators showcasing how technologies addressing transparency, compliance, nutrition and food waste are increasingly shaping the future food system.
Check out the winners and shortlist roster from the 2026 GFTA Americas and EMEA heats here.
For early-stage companies, GFTA recognition can be transformative, turning emerging innovation into broader commercial reality.