Agriculture is linked to five of the seven planetary boundaries we've already breached, and food production accounts for roughly 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Yet it gets far less attention than topics like energy and transportation. The good news is that many of the solutions already exist. What's missing is bringing them into the mainstream, and that takes collective effort: marketers, communicators, policy people, designers, financiers, and founders all have a role to play.
BITE is a student-led response to that gap. With two parallel tracks, "Innovation" and "Implementation," it puts researchers, founders, established food companies, investors, policymakers, and students in the same room to look at where the alternative protein and dairy-replacement industry actually stands today, and how it gets built from here.
For students, BITE is a chance to see the alternative protein and dairy-replacement field up close, not just as a topic in a lecture but as a set of real, walkable career paths. You'll hear founders talk about what it actually takes to start a company, meet people working in policy, marketing, and technical research, and get a look at the local funding ecosystem, from startup accelerators to major industry events. Whether you leave thinking about a thesis topic, a first job or an internship, founding your own company, joining an organisation doing advocacy or lobbying, or planning to start an Alt Protein Project chapter here at Aalto, the point is the same: these are actions you can actually take.
For startups, BITE offers direct access to an audience not easily reached: students from across both universities and every field, not just technical ones. You'll get stage time to tell your own story your way, a chance to have one-on-one conversations with investors, researchers, and students, and space to showcase your product and let people try it throughout the conference.
For established food companies, BITE is a platform to share your own research and product work directly with students, and to meet founders, researchers, and policymakers to discuss topics such as hybrid products and techno-economic feasibility of alternative proteins. It's also a chance to hear directly from the next generation of professionals: what they care about, what they're skeptical of, and where they think the sector is headed.
For investors, BITE offers a concentrated look at Finland's alternative protein and dairy-replacement pipeline: founders, researchers, and policymakers, as well as students who are the next wave of talent and founders in the space. You'll be able to have one-on-one conversations with founders and researchers throughout the conference, participate in discussions about public funding and company-building, and get a first-hand look at a market still underrated by many investors, including where hybrid animal-plant products might fit into the case for investment. The conference is a way to get an early look at what's coming next.
Sustainability Action Booster grant is on a mission to empower students to unleash their creative ideas and implement their own sustainability actions. Whether you have a small project idea or a wild vision for sustainability - apply funding from us!
