Bühler and Icos: accelerating global food innovation

Climate tech venture capital fund Icos Capital and global technology provider Bühler have concluded their 17th Collaborative Summit, a gathering focused on shortening the distance between laboratory innovation and industrial-scale production.

Held at Bühler’s CUBIC Innovation Campus on April 1–2, 2026, the event brought together 35 scale-ups and 40 industry leaders to address the urgent need for faster routes to market in the food and biotechnology sectors.

Collaboration in volatile times

The summit opened against a backdrop of market uncertainty, with participants agreeing that “close collaboration and sharing insights on innovations are more important than ever.” For Bühler, hosting the event for the fourth consecutive year reinforces its commitment to a global collaboration ecosystem.

Ian Roberts, chief technology officer at Bühler, stressed the role of established corporations in this journey: “With their established supply chains and strong market positioning, corporates in the room can play a pivotal role in a scale-up’s journey – helping them to grow their business and amplify their positive impact far more quickly.”

The challenge of the scale-up phase

A central theme of the 2026 summit was the structural and operational barriers facing emerging biotech firms. Unlike software development, biotechnology is characterised by long development cycles and high capital requirements.

Jeroen van Rotterdam, co-founder and CEO of Foamlab, noted the specific hurdles of the sector: “Biotech takes time to ramp up, especially compared to other industries. That is why it is important to move quickly where possible, have a plan B and C, and work closely with partners to accelerate development.”

Furthermore, speakers cautioned against the “technology trap.” Roger Ottenheym, CEO of Mevaldi, pointed out that “too many companies focus on the technology itself, without clearly defining who the customer is. Scale-up requires a strong understanding of market needs, pricing, and how a solution fits into existing value chains.”

Shifting consumption patterns

The discussions highlighted that sustainability is no longer a separate objective but the “starting point for innovation.” Three major developments were identified as critical pressure points for the industry:

• The growing influence of GLP-1-type treatments on consumption patterns
• The nutritional needs of an aging population
• Increasing scrutiny regarding ultra-processed foods.

“These shifts are redefining how we think about food,” Roberts said. “They also create significant opportunities for entrepreneurs who can develop solutions that combine health, affordability, sustainability and wonderful customer/consumer experience.”

The power of partnerships and AI

For established players like the dairy cooperative FrieslandCampina, collaboration provides the agility needed to respond to these market changes. Jonathan Rason, discovery & venturing manager at FrieslandCampina Ingredients, stated: “Start-ups play an important role by bringing agility and energy, helping us to move faster and explore new opportunities.”

The summit also explored the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) to optimise complex bioprocessing. While AI has the potential to improve efficiency across the value chain, participants noted that realising this potential requires targeted investments and access to high-quality data.

Nityen Lal, founding partner at Icos Capital, concluded: “This year, we focused on four key aspects: Raising capital in challenging markets, tackling the challenge of scaling up, powering biotech advancements with artificial intelligence, and the strategy from growth to exit. Our focus is on supporting those who are ready to scale and create measurable impact.”

Start-ups and innovators interested in collaboration are encouraged to connect directly with Icos Capital via www.icoscapital.com or directly at [email protected]