This is one in a series of interviews with CFIN member companies that have successfully applied for and received funding.
Burnaby, BC-based TrendiTech Inc. upcycles food waste to produce nutrient-dense products. The company is receiving $85,667 in funding through CFIN’s Innovation Booster program to create technology that aligns with CFIN’s smart product and process development priority. We sat down with co-founder and CEO Craig McIntosh to find out more about the company’s plans.
Q: What does TrendiTech do and how are your services improving the food industry?
A: Trendi uses robotics and automation to upcycle otherwise wasted food at the farm and food processor level, fractioning fruits and vegetables into a variety of nutrient-dense products, a fraction of its original size and weight and shelf-stable output. We offer flexible terms for farmers and reduce volumes without sacrificing nutrition, making it more cost-effective for transportation and for inclusion in other food products.
Q: What is TrendiTech’s mission?
A: Our mission is to stop the cycle of food waste by using our advanced technological innovations, impactful partnerships, and a suite of products that enable food waste reduction across the supply chain.
Q: Why did you apply for this funding and how will you use it?
A: Saving and upcycling misfit fruits and vegetables is only the first step. We want to create a circular economy by designing a new generation of our Smoothie Machine to convert our powders to hot soup.
Q: What excites you most about working in this area of the food industry?
A: So many things. Farmers are at the riskiest end of food production, and they’re at the whim of weather and markets. We help them maximize their return by rescuing the perfectly good food that wouldn’t otherwise get to market. Where consumers are concerned, snack foods are often junk foods. We want to make it as convenient as possible to choose healthy alternatives with no sacrifice of flavour or convenience.
Q: Why do you think public funding is important in helping companies clear innovation hurdles and access leveraged funds?
A: Canadian investors are notoriously conservative, much more willing to invest in a technology once it has proven itself in the marketplace. Public funding helps companies like ours accelerate to that level so we can create jobs and expand to export markets much more quickly. The funding from CFIN means we can jump start the design for a hot soup kiosk, which will use our own freeze-dried products. While making it easy for people to get nutritious food on the fly, we will begin to create a circular economy.
Q: Looking ahead, what’s on the horizon for TrendiTech?
A: Our goals are to scale production of our vending kiosk innovations and maximize their use of recycled food waste, position our one-of-a-kind farm food waste fractionation units (BioTrim) to address the enormity of food waste globally, and source markets for all the potential uses of the unit output (BioFlakes).
Q: What are your passions or hobbies outside of work?
A: Cooking, sharing food, and travelling to eat.
Q: If you had to pick one person to make you a meal, who would you choose?
A: Definitely my mom. She’s a great cook and loves to eat food she wouldn’t normally be comfortable cooking. Our shared love for soups was part of the soup machine inspiration.
Ready to access funding for your innovative initiative? Click here to find out more about CFIN’s funding programs.
#FIC
#FoodInnovation
#foodinnovationchallenge
#Funding