Startups in industries such as Financial Technology (FinTech) and Education Technology (EdTech) have been prominent in Southeast Asian countries. But in recent years, FoodTech has also proved its potential in these countries. The social and economic trends that attributed towards this growth are consumer lifestyle, values, and preferences. The impact of the COVID19 pandemic is also playing a significant role as people have become more conscious about what they are consuming and moved to a more nutritious diet. These changes have fueled the growth of FoodTech in Southeast Asian Nations. 

Considering the scope of success in this industry, many startups have been trying to venture into this less crowded space. The consumer demand for food that is healthier, more sustainable, ethically produced and easier to access is predicted to be a long lasting demand, and so the investors are also willing to invest in such startups. Below is a list of a few investors who have invested majorly into this industry. 

1. Gobi Partners: Founded in 2002, Gobi partners is a leading Venture Capitalist firm which invests in emerging markets across Pan-Asia and Middle East. It is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai. It has raised 13 funds to date, invested in over 270 startups and nurtured 9 unicorns. In the FoodTech industry, it has invested in startups like Farm66, Nosh, Qraved and DeliverEat. The firm seeks to make minority investments in seed-stage, early-stage, later-stage, and minority or women-owned companies.
2. Temasek Holdings: Temasek Holdings is a private equity firm which seeks to invest in diverse industries like healthcare, technology, property, education, etc. It was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Singapore. It has invested in over 330 startups. It focuses more on the organic and plant based products, eGrocery and food delivery in the FoodTech industry. It has invested in startups like NextGen Foods, v2Food, Impossible Foods and a few other farming startups. 
3. Brinc: Founded in 2014, Brinc is a Venture Capitalist firm which is headquartered in Hong Kong. Brinc invests is Pre-seed to Series-A startups which revolve around technology, healthcare, blockchain, etc.. It has invested in around 130 companies. In the FoodTech industry, they mostly deal with the plant-based products, food processing and delivery logistics. It has invested in companies like Avant, Aurora Foods, Hakko Bako, Plento, Shandi and Sova Health. 
4. Hatch Blue: Hatch is a Venture Capitalist firm, which was founded in 2017. It is headquartered in Singapore. It is an aquaculture accelerator supporting start-ups in the fields of aquaculture feed, health, genetics, tech and production. It has invested in around 30 startups and they invest mostly in nutrition and plant based diets. In FoodTech it has invested in Aquaconnect, Kinnva, AlgaePro, etc. 
5. Horizons Ventures: Horizons Ventures was founded in 1999 and is based in Hong Kong. It focuses on investing in disruptive and technology-focused start-ups. Till date, it has invested in around 254 startups. Its major areas of investment in FoodTech are in plant based food production and processing and innovative technology. It has invested in FoodTech startups like Impossible Foods, Nourish Ingredients, etc. 
6. VisVires New Proteins: A venture capitalist firm, which was founded in 2016 and is based in Singapore. Their main focus in the FoodTech industry is based on healthier, safer and more sustainable food and feed systems. It has made investments in around 9 startup companies like Ynsect, Mitte, Nutrition Innovation, etc. 
7. Big Idea Ventures: Founded in 2018, Big Idea Ventures is a venture capitalist firm, investing and accelerating in the new food space. They focus on investing in startups focusing on plant based and cell based foods, ingredients or technology. It has made an investment in around 43 FoodTech companies. A few of them are Evo Foods, Gaia Foods, Angie’s Tempeh, etc. 
8. Antler: Antler is a global early stage venture capitalist firm which was founded in the year 2017 in Singapore. It has 15 offices, in almost all major startup hubs across 5 continents. Till date it has invested in over 350 companies worldwide. In the FoodTech industry, they have made a major investment in Yoripe, which is a cooking and grocery app in Southeast Aisa. 
9. ESP Capitals: ESP Capitals is a VC firm headquartered in Vietnam, with regional offices based in Singapore and Delaware. The firm seeks to invest in tech startup companies based in Vietnam and Southeast Asia which can create a profound impact to improve the quality of life. In the FoodTech industry, the firm has funded Cooky.vn, which is a social community platform for food lovers. 
10. Openspace Ventures: Founded in 2014, Openspace Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Singapore. It makes investments in Series A, B, C & D rounds of Southeast Asian B2B and B2C businesses. It has around 68 investments in the startup world, and usually makes investments in early-stage and growth-stage technology companies. In FoodTech, it has invested significantly in Chope, Sarisuke and FreshKet. 
11. Golden Equator Ventures: Founded in 2012, Golden Equator Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Singapore. It invests in high growth technology companies in Southeast Asia and has made around 15 investments in Seed, Series A and Series B stages. The firm seeks to invest in companies operating in the fintech, digital health and other technology sectors. In the FoodTech industry, it has made an investment in Pop Meals, which is an online platform for food order and delivery using AI technology. 
12. JAFCO Asia: Founded in 1990, JAFCO Asia is a Singapore-based venture capital firm which invests in early growth technology-based companies. Till date, they have made more than 500 investments in the sectors of technology, energy, healthcare, cyber security and consumer related services. In the FoodTech industry, they have invested in companies like TeaBox, NuvoEx, Pop Meals. 
13. Singapore Press Holding Ventures: SPH Ventures is a VC firm of Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. based in Singapore. The firm invests in early-growth technology, digital media, advertising and consumer internet companies globally. It has made around 37 investments till date and mostly in Series A or later stages. SPH Ventures has invested in startups like Chope and Burpple. 
14. BOD Tech Ventures: Founded in 2016, BOD Tech is a private equity firm based in Myanmar and is an active investor in Myanmar, Bangladesh and Cambodia. The firm seeks to make an early stage investment in companies in logistics, travel, finance, education, etc. and has invested in around 8 startups. The firm has invested in Yangoon Door2Door in the FoodTech industry, which is a food ordering and delivery platform in Myanmar. 
15. Convergence Ventures: Founded in 2014, Convergence Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Jakarta, Indonesia. The firm prefers to make an early stage investment, Pre-Series A to Series B, in companies located in Southeast Asia. They focus more in tech-based startups and have made around 55 investments. In FoodTech, it has funded Qraved, which is a restaurant listing and review application. 

FoodTech used to be a niche investment but now investors are seeking more into this industry. A total of $423 million was invested in startups innovating across Southeast Asia’s food and agriculture segments in 2019 which was around a 400% increase since 2014, and even more in 2020. This was a much needed revolution in the SEA nations because of food insecurity and safety issues. Although it is still not as mature as FoodTech in European and American industries, it is yet to grow more in the future.