Bühler and Icos Capital Drive Collaboration to Accelerate Sustainable Food and Biotech Innovations

Switzerland, April 08, 2026: Climate tech venture capital firm Icos Capital, in collaboration with Bühler, hosted the 17th edition of the “Collaborative Summit” at Bühler’s CUBIC Innovation Campus, bringing together investors, industry leaders, and scale-ups to accelerate innovation in the food and biotechnology sectors.

The two-day summit focused on advancing sustainability-driven solutions and addressing key challenges faced by scale-ups, including access to capital, scaling operations, and leveraging emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). A total of 35 scale-ups and 40 industry partners, including venture capital firms and public institutions, participated in discussions aimed at strengthening collaboration across the ecosystem.

Nityen Lal, Founding Partner at Icos Capital, highlighted the evolving focus of the summit, noting, “Since 2006, the start-ups backed by Icos have disrupted and led their respective markets. 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.”

A key theme of the discussions was the need to embed sustainability at the core of innovation and business decision-making. Participants highlighted structural shifts impacting global food systems, including changing consumption patterns, the nutritional needs of ageing populations, and growing scrutiny of ultra-processed foods. These trends, experts noted, present both challenges and opportunities for companies developing sustainable and consumer-centric solutions.

Ian Roberts, Chief Technology Officer at Bühler, emphasized the importance of partnerships in scaling innovation. “We are proud to contribute to strengthening this collaborative venture approach that accelerates meaningful innovation at scale,” he said, adding that corporates can play a pivotal role in helping scale-ups expand and amplify their impact.

The summit also addressed the complexities of scaling biotech innovations, where long development cycles and high capital requirements often slow progress. Speakers stressed the importance of aligning technological development with market needs, customer expectations, and pricing strategies to ensure successful commercialization.

Artificial intelligence emerged as another critical enabler, with participants highlighting its potential to optimise processes, improve efficiency, and support decision-making across food and bioprocessing value chains. However, the discussions also underscored the need for high-quality data and targeted investments to fully realise AI’s potential.

The Collaborative Summit continues to serve as a platform for fostering partnerships between start-ups, corporates, and investors, with a shared goal of accelerating sustainable innovation and industrial-scale impact across food and biotech sectors.