In our new interview series, we quiz future food investors about the solutions that excite them the most, their favourite climate-forward restaurant, and what they look for in successful founders.
Andrew D Ive is the General Managing Partner at Big Idea Ventures.
What future food technologies most excite you?
- Cultured meat and dairy: I’m still excited by this technology, the current scale-up phase and finding ways to work with the traditional protein industry to enhance protein production overall.
- Precision fermentation: This is the second candidate in the race that can unlock a more sustainable food future.
- Scaling Technology: Though not a specific technology, scaling presents challenges that require innovative solutions and approaches.
What are three future food verticals you are actively looking at for 2025?
- Food and biology.
- Agriculture and nature: Enhancing agriculture’s interaction with nature and biodiversity, and collaborating with top universities.
- Food production technologies: Boosting food production and utilising waste to develop bio-materials, bio-surfaces, and sustainable packaging.
What do you consider the food tech sector’s greatest achievement in the past five years?
Investors have been supporting remarkable future food companies across various sectors, discovering what’s possible with cutting-edge technologies. The next focus is scaling these technologies to benefit the food system sustainably.
If you could wave a magic wand, how would you fix plant-based meat?
Enhance taste and texture, lower costs through scalable methods, and improve nutritional profiles to meet or surpass traditional meat.
What’s the top trait you look for in a founder?
Tenacity: the perseverance to navigate challenging times.
‘The One That Got Away’: tell us about the deal you wish you had gotten into, but didn’t.
The jury is still out.
What do you consider your most successful future food investment so far?
Too many great investments to choose just one. We have 20+ companies that have the potential for global impact in our portfolios.
What do you consider your most disappointing future food investment?
I am disappointed when a company that is growing well and has found product market fit fails because the founders fall out and don’t want to move forward as a team. This scenario is the most disappointing investment.
What do people get wrong most about VC?
VC is often not all about the money. Many of us are focused on finding and working with great founders and companies who have the potential to make an enormous difference in our world.
What is the most ‘future food’ dish or ingredient you have eaten this month?
Plant-based shrimp salad from Bayou Best Foods. Delicious!
Where is your favourite climate-forward restaurant/dish/place to eat anywhere in the world?
Did I mention the plant-based shrimp salad from Bayou Best Foods?
What’s your ‘why’? What motivates you to do what you do?
I believe founders, scientists and engineers have the ability to solve many of our greatest challenges and we need to do everything we can to help them to achieve their visions. Time is pressing.
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