Fooditive Named a Finalist in $3 Million Grow-NY Business Competition

Startup is one of 20 with a chance to win up to $1 million investment

ROTTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS (August 24, 2026) — Empire State Development and Cornell University’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement today announced that Fooditive BV, led by founder and CEO Moayad Abushokhedim, has been chosen among the top 20 finalists for Grow-NY, a food innovation and agriculture technology business challenge which attracts entrepreneurs from across the globe.

The company, based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, develops precision fermentation technologies that enable food and beverage manufacturers to produce real, animal-free casein for dairy and a zero-calorie sweetener for sugar reduction, licensed to partners worldwide. Fooditive is the only company from the Netherlands, and the only company from Europe, among this year’s finalists.

Fooditive’s founders will now join 19 other finalists from around the world to compete for $3 million in investment, including a $1 million grand prize. Over the next three months, each finalist will work 1:1 with a dedicated mentor to craft a business pitch that will be presented to a panel of judges during a live pitch competition at the Grow-NY Summit on Nov. 12-13 in Rochester, N.Y. The winners will be unveiled following the competition.

“Out of 334 companies from 49 countries, Fooditive is the only European finalist. That is a proud moment for a company from Rotterdam, but what matters most is what comes next,” said Moayad Abushokhedim, founder and CEO of Fooditive.

“The United States is where our technologies are moving fastest. Grow-NY connects us with the dairy processors, food manufacturers and researchers of Upstate New York who can bring them into everyday food.”

Grow-NY is a renowned business competition focused on enhancing the emerging food, beverage, and agriculture innovation cluster present in upstate New York. In total, 334 startups applied from 49 countries. Domestic teams also showed strong interest, with 32 states represented in the applicant pool, including 96 entries from New York state. Forty-six percent of applicants included a female founder, and 69% included a founder from a historically underinvested community.

A panel of 30 judges, reflecting a depth and breadth of regional expertise, knowledge of the region’s agriculture and food production communities, and entrepreneurial experience, reviewed all the applications to determine the top 20 finalists that will pitch their business plans at the Grow-NY Food and Ag Summit in Rochester this November. Grow-NY will invest a total of $3 million in seven winners. This includes a $1 million top prize investment, two $500,000 prize investments, and four $250,000 prize investments.

Fooditive’s leaders believe they have developed something unique in their industry.

“Fooditive does not make food. We develop the technologies that let manufacturers make it better and more affordable,” Abushokhedim said.

“Our precision fermentation technology produces real casein, the protein behind cheese, without cows. Our 5-KDF technology turns fruit side-streams into a sweetener with zero calories. We license both to partners who already have the factories, so healthy ingredients can be made anywhere, at scale, without waiting years for a new plant to be built. 5-KDF is already self-affirmed GRAS in the United States with a GRAS notification under FDA review, and our casein technology is covered by a multi-year off-take agreement with a global consumer goods company.”

The 10-week business development phase is an accelerator through which the 20 finalists receive:

1. Dedicated mentorship from a business advisor selected by our program team for their subject matter expertise and presence in the region;

2. Introduction to the region’s leaders and resources to connect them to potential partnerships and other strategic opportunities;

3. Site visits, business tours, and industrial and economic development agency introductions for finalist team representatives;

4. Business development support and workshops helping them fine tune their regional plans; and

5. Pitch training to hone their live presentation skills for the Grow-NY judges and other potential sources of capital.

   
   

“Being selected as a Grow-NY finalist is a game-changing credential,”

said program director Jenn Smith.

“While seven of these companies are guaranteed a piece of our $3 million investment, all 20 finalists will leave with something money can’t buy: mentorship and strategic relationships. Their journey over the next 10 weeks culminating with presenting their ideas to judges at the competition will bring access to industry leaders, and a strong network that’s already generated more than $100 million in follow-on funding.”

The accelerator culminates with a live pitch at the Grow-NY Food and Ag Summit, scheduled for November 12 and 13, at the DoubleTree Rochester in Rochester, NY. The Summit will be held in two formats simultaneously, in-person and virtually, with finalists pitching their business ideas live in front of an audience and answering questions from a judging panel. This year’s winners will be revealed in a live awards presentation at the conclusion of the Summit.

Cornell University’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement is administering the competition and Empire State Development is providing funding for the Grow-NY competition through its Upstate Revitalization Initiative connected with the three regions – Central New York Rising, Finger Lakes Forward, and Southern Tier Soaring.

The winner will be required to make a positive economic impact in the Grow-NY region, which features counties within Central NY, the Finger Lakes and the Southern Tier of New York state where there are vibrant farmlands as well as several major urban centers, including Rochester, Syracuse, Ithaca, Geneva, Corning, and Binghamton. The winning business will help contribute to job growth, connect with local industry partners, and contribute to a thriving economy.

Registration for the summit is now open. To learn more about the finalists and mentors and register for the Summit, visit grow-ny.com.

About Fooditive

Fooditive is a food biotechnology company headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, founded in 2018. Its precision fermentation and bioconversion technologies enable food, beverage and ingredient manufacturers to produce animal-free casein and the zero-calorie sweetener 5-KDF, making healthy food more affordable. Fooditive licenses its technologies to partners worldwide and does not operate its own production.

To learn more, visit www.fooditivegroup.com. Media contact: Samar Abushokhedim, pr@fooditivegroup.com.

About Empire State Development

Empire State Development (ESD) promotes a vigorous and growing state economy, encourages business investment and job creation, and supports diverse, prosperous local economies across New York State through the efficient use of loans, grants, tax credits, real estate development, marketing and other forms of assistance. To learn more about ESD visit https://esd.ny.gov.

About the Cornell Center for Regional Economic Advancement

The Cornell Center for Regional Economic Advancement (CREA) supports economic growth in Upstate New York through entrepreneurship and innovation. We help people advance ideas that will create jobs in all fields in our region, to enrich the area’s economic diversity. To learn more, visit https://crea.cornell.edu.