Are you really what you eat?  As people move out of the traditional healthcare delivery system in search of healthier lifestyles and a more holistic approach to interventions, food is becoming the new designer drug.  Food isn’t just about the healthier choice anymore; it is also about the culture and community that it breeds. Whether it’s organic, gluten-free, low carbs, low sodium or if it’s highly social or tweetable, there is a new food economy emerging today.

Inspired by insights from our last event, “Design a Healthy Startup: Prevent Burnout,” we decided to take a look at the world of food and technology and what kinds of investment opportunities there are today. Join us on August 10th from 6:00-9:00 p.m. at 500 Startups for an event entitled, “The New Food Chain: Investing in Food Startups.” Learn more about the event and reserve your spot here.

We will hear from investors and representatives from green and sustainable food brands and explore the new appetite for food apps and how social media and user-generated rating sites are changing the way we think about buying and consuming food.  Our distinguished panel of investors, include:

• William Rosenzweig, Managing Director, Physic Ventures

• Ilya Fushman, Principal, Vinod Khosla Ventures

• Tom Cole, Former investor, Trinity Ventures

• Dave McClure, Founding Partner, 500 Startups

• Aki Sano, Founder of Cookpad & Investor

Attendees will get a taste of where the new food market is right now and where it may lead us. They will also hear from our very own 500 Startups including SpoonDate, CultureKitchen, and FoodSpotting. We will also see how food plays a part in corporate wellness programs and the culture of new startups.  Other notable speakers include:

• Andrew Pederson, Global Chocolate Sustainability Manager, Mars

• Scott Gambiastiani, Quentin Topping, and Olivia Wu, Executive Chefs at Google

• Jeff Miller, Punchfork Founder and Investor

• Nitzan Waisberg, Design School (d.school), Stanford University

• Mark Cerqueira, Senior Food Officer, Smule

• Emily Dellas, Cooking Teacher, First Class Cooking

Check out additional food startups that have been asked to demo like E La Carte, Shopwell, and GogoMongo.  A special shout out to our sponsors: Calafia, SanFranola Granola, Coupa Cafe, Curry Village Foods and Equator Coffee who are leaders in the organic and healthy food movement and will be providing dinner for the evening.

If you are a foodie, a food lover, or just trying to understand how food plays a role in the world of technology today, this is an event you won’t want to miss.­­­­­­­