Plantible Takes Home the Grand Prize at IFT FIRST Startup Pitch Competition
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a prominent nonprofit organization focused on promoting food science and innovation throughout the global food landscape, has named Plantible as the grand prize winner of The Pitch at IFT FIRST: Annual Event and Expo 2025. This exciting event, which took place from July 13 to 16 in Chicago, highlighted cutting-edge food technology innovations and wrapped up with a fast-paced pitch finale featuring six early-stage startups from the popular Startup Pavilion.
Plantible, a biotech company that's shaking up food production with its plant-based solutions, earned the top accolade for its standout innovation, Rubi Protein™. This groundbreaking, functional, and nutritious protein ingredient allows food manufacturers to swap out traditional animal-derived ingredients—like eggs, dairy, and synthetic emulsifiers—for a single, clean-label alternative.
Rubi Protein boasts high solubility and excels in foaming, emulsifying, and binding applications, often outperforming whole eggs, whey, skimmed milk powder, and methylcellulose in commercial use. With a complete amino acid profile and a Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) of 1, it provides top-notch nutrition while being free from all major allergens. Plus, it’s produced using significantly less water, land, and carbon than animal proteins, helping brands meet both nutritional and sustainability targets.
Alongside Rubi Protein, Plantible also unveiled Lemna Leaf Greens—an exciting new ingredient sourced from nutrient-dense plants. This adaptable green powder is packed with protein, fiber, and essential micronutrients like iron, calcium, potassium, and vitamins A, B, C, and E. Its neutral flavor and functional benefits make it perfect for ready-to-mix drinks, nutrition bars, supplements, and culinary creations.
As the grand prize winner, Plantible walked away with $10,000, generously sponsored by the Seeding The Future Foundation.
“Winning IFT FIRST’s The Pitch competition underscores our belief that the food system doesn’t need an alternative – it needs an upgrade,” said Tony Martens, Plantible Co-Founder and CEO. “We’re growing novel plants and transforming them into next-generation ingredients that deliver better functionality, nutrition, and resilience than today’s staples. We are starting with our amazing Rubi Protein. This recognition is a powerful signal that the future of food will be built on innovation at the supply chain level, because when you start with better building tools, you unlock better food.”
The competition also recognized two runners-up, each taking home $2,500:
- Crush Dynamics, a company that crafts ingredients through the natural fermentation of pressed grapes left over from winemaking.
- RedLeaf Biologics, which is working on a powerful botanical extract known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties.
In 2024, the grand prize went to Scentian Bio, a biotech startup that uses synthetic insect olfactory receptor biosensors to analyze smell and taste, took home the grand prize.
Christie Tarantino-Dean, the CEO of IFT, shared her thoughts:
“At IFT, we believe innovation is essential to building a healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable food future,” said Christie Tarantino-Dean, CEO of IFT. “The Pitch is a great way to spotlight bold, science-driven solutions that have the potential to transform our food system. Congratulations to Plantible and all the finalists—and thank you to Seeding The Future Foundation for making this platform possible.”
For more details about the Institute of Food Technologists, check out www.ift.org.
