The Future of Proteins from different perspectives

Dear FoodHack Netherlands community,

One week until our next event ‘Beyond the “Alternatives”: The Future of Proteins’. Have you saved your spot yet? Click here to grab the last seats! 🚨

What makes this session exciting is the variety of lenses we’ll explore the topic through. Ferry and Sneha bring investor views from both early and later stage startups, while Xander offers the lens of a founder and chef, grounded in what truly works on the plate. Together, they’ll spark a lively conversation you won’t want to miss.

Here’s a taste of what we’ll cover:

📖 Looking back
Why didn’t the first wave of alternative proteins live up to the hype? As Ferry reminds us: “Food isn’t just tech, food is slow and consumers need time to change.”

💬 Language matters
Does calling something an “alternative” set it up for disappointment? Our speakers believe it’s time to move beyond just imitation and celebrate plant-based foods on their own terms.

🌱 What’s happening now
Consolidation, hybrid approaches, fermentation, upcycling and so much more. Sneha sees collaboration with bigger players as a key path for a sustainable growth of the sector given that CAPEX and costs in general are a key challenge start ups in this space face.

🔮 Looking forward
Where will the breakthroughs come from? Regulation, ingredients, storytelling? Xander hints at a simpler path: “Let’s valorize what we already have, like Muchroom does - we don’t always need to reinvent the wheel.”

And as always, we’ll close with our pitch round: anyone with a project or company gets 30 seconds to share their idea. Reply to this email with your name and company if you’d like to be added to the list.

After the conversation, Muchroom will treat us to what might be your best plant-based tasting yet. Some call them meat alternatives - we just call them delicious mushroom-based treats.

📅 Save the Date: October 9th, 2025

🕐 Time: 18:00 - 20:00 (doors open at 17:30)

📍Venue: AMS Institute

The event is free but registration is necessary. You can save your spot here.

More about our host:

AMS Institute is an urban innovation hub founded by TU Delft, Wageningen University & Research, and MIT, in partnership with the City of Amsterdam. As a thought leader and accelerator, it drives scientific insights and impactful innovations in many sectors including food. Right now, applications are open for their Startup Booster - a free, zero-equity incubation program welcoming ideas from sustainable mobility to clean energy and food. Ready to turn your food idea into a thriving business? Then we encourage you to apply using this link.

If you have registered but are unable to attend, please cancel your registration. Muchroom will generously provide their tasty products, which will be prepared according to the number of attendees.

We can’t wait to see you there on October 9th! 🚀

Team FoodHack Amsterdam