Biofect Innovations has won the $10,000 prize at the Ontario Agri-Tech Pitch Competition held at the University of Guelph.
Biofect uses fermentation to process oubli berry from West Africa into a powder that is a powerful sweetener likely to be used first by the beverage industry and later by candy makers and other food processors.
The product, called Brazzein, is a protein 2,000 times sweeter than sugar,
Chief executive officer Ralph Christian Delos Santos said the team has completed proof of concept and is now working to scale up production and to refine Brazzein so it can be used in a wide range of products,
“Beverages are our main approach now. To get to confectionary, candy or cakes, you need texturizing abilities, so that’s a later market,” said Santos.
“The underlying intellectual property is our platform, which we are developing too. Brazzein is a proof point for the platform; we can also produce other proteins like casein, for example.”
There were five competitors for the prize.
Food Security Structures Canada won the People’s Choice Award with its moveable, modular Agrotunnel concept to support year-round food production.
Co-founder Kim Parker said a single Agrotunnel has the potential to produce the same yield of fruits, vegetables and herbs as six shipping container-based indoor farms.
One of the keys to its success is a proprietary grow light system.
