Sophie’s Kitchen brings home a S$200,000 (US$147,000) grant and free workspace at JTC LaunchPads from SLINGSHOT@SWITCH 2017

US-based foodtech startup Sophie’s Kitchen on Wednesday has been named as winner of the SLINGSHOT@SWITCH 2017, an inaugural startup competition by Startup SG which was held as part of the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH).

Founded in 2010 by Eugene Wang, Sophie’s Kitchen produces plant-based seafood alternatives that are developed using “innovative ingredients” and a patent-pending technology.

The startup is set to receive a S$200,000 (US$147,000) grant and a free workspace at JTC LaunchPads.

The competition also named the following startups as runners-up:

BLITAB Technology (Austria)
BLITAB® is said to be the world’s first tablet for blind and visually impaired people. It converts any document into Braille text –little smart dots (“tixels”) that “raise immediately from the surface and then fall down again.”

LPixel Inc. (Japan)
The startup is a spin-out venture from the University of Tokyo. It is dedicated to offer researchers top-tier image analysis solutions that integrate AI technology. LPixel is currently working with the National Cancer Center Japan to further the research and development of AI-based medical diagnosis software.

Also Read: Here are the 30 finalists of the Singapore’s central bank FinTech Awards

Lucence Diagnostics (Singapore)
The startup provides proprietary blood testing through its central laboratory specialising in Asian cancers.

Smart Animal Husbandry Care (Singapore)
The startup builds a smart device for pig farming industry in order to improve quality of work and productivity.

Each startup is set to receive a S$100,000 (US$73,000) grant and a workspace at the same location as the winner.

The winners were selected by a panel of judges that comprised venture firms and multinational corporations such as B Capital Group, DeClout, Golden Gate Ventures, Google, KK Fund, Mistletoe, P&G, and Red Dot Ventures.

Startup SG is an initiative by SPRING Singapore (SPRING), an agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry responsible for helping Singapore enterprises grow.

Through SLINGSHOT@SWITCH, SPRING said it aims to add “more vibrancy” to the local startup ecosystem by providing promising startups with a platform to showcase their technology and business ideas.

The event said it has attracted more than 900 teams from over 30 countries.

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Image Credit: leungchopan / 123RF Stock Photo

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