Timestamps:
2:32 - Startups and climate change
11:00 - The impact of food production/distribution
15:53 - Transgenic foods
18:10 - Vertical farming
21:42 - Food packaging
About Arman Anatürk:
Arman Anatürk is the co-founder of the cleantech fund HackCapital and a founding member at FoodHack, the world’s largest foodtech community. He previously worked for companies like CoderCourse and OneRoof Agency.
Arman is very enthusiastic about the role cleantech startups can play in successfully navigating climate change, and especially the progress being made by foodtech startups. Some studies estimate that 34% of greenhouse gas emissions come from food production and distribution, and we will soon have 10B people in the world to feed, so this is a very pressing issue. Currently, ⅓ of all food goes to waste, and the plastic used in packaging our food ends up in landfills and in the ocean, contaminating the food we eat with microplastics.
New technology will allow us to overcome these issues: plastics are nowadays being developed from algae or mycelium, and techniques like precision fermentation and cultivating meat will soon allow us to enjoy our favorite dishes without the huge expenditure of land and water (and animal suffering) that the current meat farming system requires.
Running a cleantech fund himself, Arman encourages other investors to take a bet on these technologies, but warns them that certain industries, like, for instance, foodtech, simply do not adhere well to the 10 year fund cycle, but can nonetheless be successful and provide much needed alternatives.
Memorable Quotes:
"Foodtech companies can’t typically adhere to the 10 year fund cycle, and investors need to understand this."
To listen to the first episode in our startup days 2023 bonus series, check out our conversation with Christoph Bertschi.
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