2026 Agenda

As demand for next-generation ingredients grows, the challenge is not just discovery – but scaling fast enough to meet demand, while meeting safety and regulatory requirements for market entry. From precision fermentation to novel colourings and additives, innovators are racing to turn breakthrough science into commercial reality. AI is transforming discovery, helping predict functionality, optimise formulations and uncover new ingredient possibilities. But beyond the promise, what does success look like at scale? Which ingredients are proving viable? What can today’s frontrunners teach the next generation of food innovators?

As scrutiny rises from investors and CPGs, the rules of progress are shifting from vision to viability. In this high-energy session, Series A+ innovators put their businesses to the test, demonstrating how they perform against real-world constraints: cost, procurement, regulation, manufacturability, and ultimately, revenue. Through fast-paced pitches and live Q&A, what really separates traction from hype: validated demand, viable pricing, regulatory readiness, or truly adaptive commercialisation strategies? And in today’s volatile environment, which businesses are built to survive, not just impress?

In this rapid-fire case study series, CPGs and start-ups take the stage in pairs to unpack what it really takes to move from pitch to partnership, and from innovation to scale. Each joint conversation breaks down a real-world collaboration: what tipped the balance, where friction nearly killed the deal, and how performance, pricing, risk and organisational fit were resolved in practice. Offering a grounded look behind the deal, this session reveals what works, what stalls, and what both sides wish they had known earlier.

Fast forward to 2046: imagine a food system rebuilt around a deeper understanding of why we eat. Behavioural science, cultural insight, and sensory design sit alongside data, technology, and automation. Eating is shaped as much by emotion and experience as it is by health or cost. In this future, success is measured not just by what people should eat, but what they genuinely want to return to. What had to change across R&D, investment, and mindset to unlock this 2046 food system - and what does that mean for how we start building it today?

As GLP‑1 treatments evolve and usage becomes more sustained - particularly through pill formats - appetite patterns are shifting permanently. Consumers are eating less, choosing differently, and becoming more selective about what food is worth eating at all. For CPGs, this changes the game. As portions shrink, the pressure on every bite increases. Food has to work harder, nutritionally and emotionally. So, what now earns a place in the basket? From protein to fibre, how should brands rethink formulation and portioning as consumer demand fundamentally resets?  

Chefs and innovators showcase how novel ingredients deliver on taste, texture, and functionality in real dishes.   

Chefs and innovators showcase how novel ingredients deliver on taste, texture, and functionality in real dishes

Why we mustn’t forget food’s role as an emotional anchor.

Food is being optimised to perfection: faster, cheaper, healthier. But that’s not what makes people come back. Food is emotion, culture, and identity. As the system becomes more engineered, how do we define real success and design food people choose on repeat?

Meet early-stage companies operating at the convergence of food, supplements, and medicine. Hear what it takes to make health-driven innovation real, credible and scalable.

Food might be designed using data and science, but it still has to be made in the real world. Supply chains and factories are getting faster, smarter, and more connected - using automation to keep up with changing ingredients and rising expectations. But as products become more complex, can production keep up without compromising on taste, quality or safety? And as more decisions are made by machines, what role do people still play in making sure the food we buy is something we trust and want to come back to?

The destination is clear, but right now the path is still full of friction - and regulation is an increasingly defining force. As supply chain disruption places greater focus on food quality and safety, regulatory scrutiny is rising. But at the same time, innovation cannot afford to slow, especially as new ingredients and technologies promise to reshape how food is designed and experienced. So, how do we balance both? When does regulation enable or stall progress, and how do timelines, evidence requirements and classification decisions shape what ultimately reaches market?

Over drinks our teams take to the stage to pitch their idea to the crowd. Who has the GOAT snack and the cleverest prompt? We’ll let democracy decide as the crowd crowns its winners. Join us in the main arena for networking drinks and continue the day’s conversations in a relaxed setting. Unwind with crafted non- and low- alcoholic cocktails powered by botanicals, novel ingredients, and flavour innovations. 

The focus is shifting from simply living longer to living better. This creates new opportunities for product innovation around consumers’ healthspan. But as food takes on a more functional role in healthy ageing, it still has to deliver experiences people want to come back to. How do nutrafoods and food’s vibe shift translate into reformulation strategy and new product development in this space?

From sleep and energy to satiety, wearables are putting real-time health data into the hands of consumers - reshaping what people expect from food. For brands, this unlocks a new layer of insight into how products actually perform in everyday life. How can companies turn this data into tailored, science-driven products that respond to different health needs across life stages? And as food becomes more personalised and measurable, what drives repeat behaviour?

Some foods people can’t live without, and chocolate is a great example. As cocoa harvests fail and prices surge, the pressure on one of the world’s most loved ingredients has exposed something deeper about how the food system works. Innovation speeds up when consumers care enough. Cocoa is proof that when emotional connection and commercial urgency align, viable alternatives can move fast from lab to shelf. So, what can we learn from cocoa - and which other ingredients could trigger that same acceleration when pressure hits?

Join us for one of the most interactive sessions of the programme. Each networking roundtable discussion group is hosted by a senior decision maker, offering you a valuable opportunity to connect, network, and discuss ideas with existing and new business partners on shared areas of interest

Snacking is where food innovation moves fastest – driven by mood, moment, and immediate reward. In this fast‑paced mini hackathon, cross‑functional teams will come together to rapidly ideate the next generation of snack concepts, using creative collaboration rather than code. The brief: pick a snacking opportunity and build a compelling NPD idea that responds to how, why, and when people snack today. 

As food moves into nutraceutical territory, the lines between food, supplements, and medicine are starting to blur. Food is being repositioned as part of healthcare and prevention. This shift is fundamentally changing how brands innovate, from how products are designed and validated to how they are positioned in the market. And as demand for functionality rises, so does the need for food to feel good. How do brands balance precision nutrition with taste, experience, and pleasure?

If 2046 promises food that is functional, personalised, and anchored in culture, reformulation is where that future is won or lost today. How are brands balancing scientific evidence with perception, speed, and reputation risk in a world where products are judged instantly? Where are data and digital tools genuinely accelerating reformulation, and how are CPGs navigating trade-offs between taste, shelf life, functionality, and cost to deliver affordable, nutritious food that is chosen repeatedly?

Meet innovators creating the future of food as they showcase their solutions and give a glimpse into their revenue roadmaps

Meet innovators creating the future of food as they showcase their solutions and give a glimpse into their revenue roadmaps.

In a system moving this fast, standing still means falling behind. The question now is what happens when we are back in the office on Monday morning. How will the insights from the past two days translate into action – to deliver food that people truly want to come back to? Which assumptions need to be challenged, which priorities must be reset, and which decisions can no longer be delayed?

Trust is shifting from brands and regulators to consumers themselves, armed with apps, data, and new narratives around indulgence, health, and processing. As the UPF debate intensifies and tools like Yuka reshape how products are judged at the point of purchase, what really determines what makes it into the basket: scientific evidence, ingredient lists, algorithmic scoring, or emotional connection? And as consumers take control, how should brands respond and reformulate in a world where trust is no longer claimed but constantly recalculated?

Simpler to reformulate and faster to scale, drinks often lead functional innovation. They are one of the fastest-moving formats in nutrition, yet they strip away much of food’s emotional anchor, prioritising convenience over experience. So, why are consumers willing to adopt them? What do beverages reveal about what people want from food, and what lessons should shape wider portfolio decisions?

There’s one ingredient that all food-tech has in common: cash. While food innovation has never been more ambitious, it comes at a cost. From new ingredients and biomanufacturing platforms to reformulation strategies and food chain automation, building next-gen food businesses requires capital that doesn’t always fit traditional VC models. So where is liquidity really coming from?