Short description:

The vegan and plant-based marketplace has exploded into the mainstream over the past twelve months. The obvious side of this is the wide range of vegan foods now available, with many supermarkets now having their own in-house plant-based brands. But at the same time, veganism is expanding into almost every sector with investors now starting to look for opportunities beyond just burgers and plant-milk.

David Pannell has advised some of the world's biggest food brands on the vegan marketplace. In this presentation, he will update you on the explosive growth of the vegan sector and explain what is fueling it. He will also bring you right up to date on the latest developments and opportunities in plant-based, from the rise of the vegan children's marketplace through to vegan pet-care and vegan service industries.

Biography:

David Pannell is the Co-Founder of Vegan Business Tribe, the presenter of the weekly Vegan Business Tribe Podcast, and a specialist consultant and speaker on the vegan marketplace and plant-based buyer behaviour. David has advised some of the world's largest food brands on understanding the vegan marketplace and is also the official UK agent for The Vegan Society's Vegan Trademark scheme.

Additional information:

https://promotevegan.co/

http://veganbusinesstribe.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davepannell/

Topic: 

Investments in the vegan/plant based market [the focus is more on the investment part and financial aspects of the vegan/plant based market.

Summary:

As of 2020, the alternative protein industry raised US$ 3.1 billion in investments. This is 3X times higher than in any single year in the industry’s history. Since 2019, this industry witnessed 400% rise in Investments. Furthermore, more than 50% of global food and beverage brand owners are likely to invest their NPD and R&D budgets in plant-based products.

As plant based investments are at an all-time high year-over-year, this session delves into what is driving this movement towards plant base, what is the demand forecast for this market, how plant based entities and start-ups are charting winning strategies to succeed.

Biography:

Nandini is an experienced Research professional and client research partner at ESOMAR-certified market research and consulting firm Future Market Insights (FMI).

With over 7 years of management consulting experience in Food & Beverages industry, Nandini advises industry leaders on their biggest opportunities and challenges, putting processes, develop outcome based strategy and operating models to support their growth objectives.

For more information:

Market Research & Business Intelligence | Future Market Insights, Inc.

Future Market Insights: My Company | LinkedIn 

Presentation title: 

"The Ethical, Environmental and Economic Returns on Animal-free Investments"

Sentient Ventures is a partnership between Veg Capital and MVK Group and its mission is to remove animals from production. Alexandra and Manish will present how they screen and monitor investment opportunities to assess both the impact and capital return potential and how to achieve win-win investments for both the investors and animals.

Biography:

Alexandra spent over a decade leading the EU advocacy for a policy and regulatory landscape to incentivise a shift away from animal product production and consumption. She led initiatives at high-level international bodies, including the EU institutions, national governments, and UN agencies, while Head of Office to the Vice President of the European Parliament and a lobbyist for an international animal protection organisation.  

Biography:

Manish brings over 11 years’ experience within private equity, investment banking and finance at large institutions such as Royal Bank of Scotland and Credit Suisse Investment Bank, creating new investment structures, raising funds, and investing over USD 1B AUM. In 2015, Manish set up MVK Group, a multi- family office, and has teamed up with Veg Capital due to a shared desire to reform the food system and support diverse founders.

Biography:

Claire SMITH is the founder of humane investment platform Beyond Investing. She is a vegan and environmentalist with 34 years’ experience in finance and investment at top-tier banks and investment houses, including UBS and Albourne Partners.

Beyond Investing creates investment programs designed for animal advocates and climate-conscious investors in both public listed equity markets and venture capital. Beyond Investing is the architect of the US Vegan Climate Index, a stock index which screens out all animal exploitation and fossil fuel from a US market benchmark, and the sponsor of the US Vegan Climate Exchange Traded Fund (ETF). Beyond Investing affiliate Beyond Impact focuses on early stage and growth companies that provide vegan, plant-based and cruelty-free products and services.

Based in Switzerland, Claire is the founder of Beyond Cruelty Foundation, formed to campaign for zero animal exploitation and to fund safe havens for animals, which will also receive a portion of profits of companies under the Beyond Investing umbrella.

Together with IT strategist Dhanesh Kothar, Claire co-founded the Beyond Animal integrated digital platform, which aims to accelerate the growth of the global vegan economy.

Previously, Claire was a research analyst, partner and shareholder at alternatives advisory firm Albourne Partners, covering managers globally across systematic quantitative equity, convertible and volatility and hedging strategies. Claire also led a project to expand Albourne's proprietary database on alternatives managers and digitize the research process.

Prior to joining Albourne in 2004, Claire provided bespoke hedge fund research to London funds of funds and published well over 100 articles in the financial press, including the Financial Times and The Economist.

From 1986 to 1998 Claire was employed at various UBS group companies as a derivatives broker, marketer and structurer. Claire started her career in 1985 as a credit analyst at Chase Manhattan Bank after completing a Masters program in Chemical Engineering and Management at Imperial College, London.

Claire founded 100 Women in Finance in Geneva in 2007 and oversaw its growth in Switzerland through till 2014, as a member of the London Board, organizing over 100 events, including seven galas which raised well over $1 million for charity.

Since 2013 Claire has served on the Board of AVVEC, a Geneva-based charity that provides support to victims of domestic violence.

Additional information:

www.beyondinvesting.com

www.veganetf.com

Biography:

Sebastiano Cossia Castiglioni is an animal rights activist and investor. Directly, or through various partnerships, he has invested in almost 100 companies in the vegan/cruelty-free/alternative protein space. He is also the chairman of Natural Order Acquistion Corp., the first SPAC targeting the alt-protein space.

Sebastiano serves on the board or advisory board of six different animal protection organizations.

He is the owner of vegan, organic and biodynamic Tuscan winery Querciabella, and of vegan, organic, gluten-free pasta brand Bontasana.

Additional information:

www.linkedin.com/in/sebastianocc

linktr.ee/sebastianocc 

Charities: Sea Shepherd France