Introduction

South-East Asian nations have had great success in developing technology-based companies in the fields of finance, real estate, and education. Given the presence of excellent cuisine and a large population of foodies in these nations in recent years, the food-technology industry has also gained prominence in these countries. These days, an increasing number of businesses are implementing new-age models and technologies in the food sector, whether via the use of fake meat, artificial intelligence algorithms, online markets, cloud kitchens, or subscription-based business models, among other methods. Due to an increasing need for food security and sustainability solutions, Southeast Asia has emerged as the one of regions that holds a lot of promise in the food-tech domain.

Top Food-Tech Startups in Southeast Asia

From applying biotech and cell-based solutions to generate “clean” beef to producing plant-based formulae for vegans, here is a list of the top SEA businesses working towards creating a meaningful change and making breakthroughs in the struggle for a better, more sustainable, and safer food ecosystem.

1. TurtleTree Labs: Founded in 2019, TurtleTree Labs is a Singapore-based biotech company creating lab-grown dairy milk that recreates the precise composition, functioning, and taste of cow’s milk, at a fraction of the carbon impact compared to traditional dairy products. Their product, i.e. cell-based cow’s milk, can be utilised to manufacture all types of additional dairy products, such as formulae for infants, cheese, butter, yoghurt, and cream.
2. Shiok Meats: Shiok Meats has established itself as a forerunner in the cell-based meat market since its inception in 2018. Rather than actual chicken or beef, the Singaporean food-tech company uses stem cells to create cruelty-free shrimp, crab, and lobster flesh. Despite its research driven business, the firm has achieved several significant milestones in a very short span of time. They staged the world’s first tasting session with lobster flesh derived from cells last November. In July 2021, the firm secured US$30 million from investors including Vinh Hoan Corporation, a major participant in Vietnam’s seafood sector. Their objective is to have Shiok Shrimp replace mass-market shrimp in stores and restaurants.
3. Zimplistic: Incepted in 2008, Zimplistic is a kitchen robotics firm that uses smart technology and robotics to assist people in eating healthier. It creates sophisticated kitchen gadgets and straightforward automation systems. Zimplistic is the creator of Rotimatic, a flatbread ‘roti’ maker in India capable of producing rotis with customizable thickness, oil, and roasting – all you have to do is enter in the components at once. Furthermore, it can be used to produce dough balls and wraps. Rotimatic began shipping in 2017.
4. Karana: Karana was founded in 2018 with the goal of using the plentiful young jackfruit found in the area to make a whole-foods, vegan-friendly meat substitute that performs well in traditional Asian cuisines. The unprocessed fruit is gathered at its peak and then blended with natural flavours to produce a user-friendly product with a stringy texture similar to pulled pork or chicken, making it a suitable substitute for dishes that call for meat fillings, such as dumplings. In comparison to other plant-based alternatives available on the market, Karana’s product is less processed and is naturally abundant in fibre, vitamins, and potassium. At present, their organic Sri Lankan Young Jack product, packaged in a glass jar, is offered in Singapore as a beta product at a few eateries.
5. Dahmakan: Based in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, Dahmakan is an online meal ordering and delivery platform that began operations in 2014. Customers may see the weekly menu and place orders by logging in to the website. They use Artificial Intelligence in both the delivery process and automating the cooking process, making the preparation of fresh meals in-house and delivery to customers something the firm manages across the value chain. Pre-ordering is strongly recommended since same-day delivery is only available in extremely limited numbers.
6. Grain: Full-stack models in the food and beverage industry were pioneered by the guys at Grain, who built their own technology platform for taking orders, cooking in a cloud kitchen, and curating their own menu that was made by their chefs. Even the meals are brought to you by Grain’s own staff. It is no longer necessary for food and beverage enterprises to have a physical location in order to operate. Grain has been providing nutritious and economical meals to Singaporeans since 2013, without being hampered by high food and beverage rental prices as a result of the cloud kitchen.
7. LIFE3 Biotech: LIFE3 Biotech, a food-tech firm established by Ricky Lin at the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2016, develops vegan-friendly meat replacements using natural plant-based components. Their signature product is Veego, a vegan chicken substitute made of legumes, grains, non-GMO soybeans, and lentils. Veego has at least 18 grams of protein, is rich in fibre, and is gluten-free, according to Lin. Additionally, they developed a false prawn alternative called Seago, which is made from identical plant elements.
8. Chope: Founded in 2011, Chope links clients with the best restaurants in Singapore. Online reservations are available via the company’s website, smartphone application, and plug-ins for restaurant websites and Facebook pages. As of 2015, it has expanded to over 200 locations throughout Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing. Moreover, to target people who love to travel, Chope has partnered with travel site TripAdvisor, bringing more diners to Singapore restaurants. The company is also working to improve the customer experience in the restaurants. For instance, Chope acquired Ticktok™, a queuing service provider that assists restaurant patrons in making the greatest use of their time while waiting in line. 
9. TiNDLE: It’s no secret that our current method of meat consumption is unsustainable. That is why an increasing number of firms are developing novel and innovative methods of recreating meat from plants. After a very successful funding round in October, Tindle is poised to take the US market by storm. With a promising uptake rate so far, the brand’s plant-based chicken is available in over 70 eateries in Macau, Hong Kong, and Singapore after just being founded in 2020.
10. Polpa: Polpa is a Bangkok-based on-demand meal delivery business that encourages healthy eating habits, and discourages the consumption of fatty and processed foods, which contributes to an increased risk of premature mortality. It has a rotating weekly menu of exclusively healthy dishes produced using natural, organic ingredients. Each food item is accompanied by a brief summary of its nutritional advantages. Polpa was bought in March 2018 by Dahmakan, a Malaysian food delivery business expanding into the Thai market.
11. Cooky: Founded in 2015, Vietnamese startup Cooky is an online directory of culinary recipes. Written recipes, as well as video recipes, are included in the site’s collection. Recipes uploaded by professional chefs are categorised separately from the rest of Cooky’s repository. Culinary, cuisine, and dish varieties are all available for users to explore, with options for desserts, vegetarian fare, appetisers, entrees, and breakfast dishes among the many options. Users are also permitted to publish reviews and comments on the website.

Conclusion

Food insecurity remains a big issue in Southeast Asia, which is directly being tackled by food-tech startups. The region has been turning to food technology to resolve these food shortages and meet their people’s nutritional needs in recent years. Food-tech in Singapore is developing at a fast pace, as the country has limited farm space. The demand for alternative, safer, healthier, and environmentally friendly food will continue to rise. The government continues to invest in sustainable agriculture and set policies that encourage food-tech startup growth and innovative research to ensure the future of Singapore’s food security. Based on the current market scenario, it’s quite evident that startups working in this sector will hold a lot of promise for the future.