Start-Up Success Story: How Prefer Turned a Pitch into a $15M Growth Opportunity

When you’re a start-up with big ambitions and a bold mission, sometimes the right room can change everything. For Prefer, that room was the stage at the Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit.

In the race to build a more sustainable and resilient food system, Prefer uses fermentation to transform overlooked food system side-streams into high-value ingredients. Their tech-driven approach enables scalable, climate-friendly alternatives to resource-intensive staples like coffee and cacao without compromising on function or flavour.

For this fast-moving company, participating at the summit was a strategic move; highlighting an opportunity to connect with decision-makers, spark meaningful conversations, and plant seeds that could grow into something much bigger. And that’s exactly what happened.

A Summit That Sparked Strategic Momentum

“We participated to connect with leaders and innovators specifically within the APAC agri-food ecosystem,” shared Prefer CEO, Jake Berber. “The region is a primary focus for us.”

The summit delivered. Through rich, in-depth discussions and targeted interactions with prospective partners and customers, Prefer leveraged the platform to significantly boost its regional visibility.

In the months following the summit, Prefer closed over $15 million in offtake agreements. These agreements are helping fuel the company’s evolving B2B ingredient supply strategy, positioning Prefer not just as an innovator, but as a reliable supplier embedded within the value chains of its customers.

Prefer also teased a breakthrough product line that’s now in development: cacao-free chocolate. A move that could redefine the landscape of sustainable indulgence. And once again, it was those early summit conversations that helped catalyse the idea and lay the groundwork for execution.

Fermentation for the Future
 

At the heart of Prefer’s technology is a proprietary fermentation platform that converts underutilized food system side-streams into high-value ingredients.

“We’re particularly excited about technologies that upcycle scalable side-streams,” Beber noted. “Our approach addresses multiple pain points—cost, availability, and sustainability—while meeting the growing demand for resilient, climate-conscious supply chains.”

For Prefer, APAC is not just a market; it’s a microcosm of global food system challenges. The company predicts that the region will become "a leading testbed for climate-resilient, cost-effective solutions tailored to large, cost-conscious populations." The goal? To deliver scalable alternatives that maintain price stability while safeguarding long-term food security.

Wisdom for the Next Generation of Founders

In a time when start-up ecosystems are grappling with funding slowdowns and growing pressure to demonstrate traction, Prefer offers grounded advice to others building in agri-food: “Obsessively validate the market problem before committing resources. Engage deeply with potential customers: ours was the rising cost and volatile supply of coffee. Don’t just build something innovative. Make sure it solves a problem the market is actually paying to fix.”

It’s a lesson in customer-first product development, one backed by Prefer’s own trajectory. Berber also underscores the importance of grit: “Stay resilient. It’s a tough time for start-ups and our industry, so stay after it.”

From One Summit to a Movement

What started as a few meaningful conversations at a summit turned into millions in deals, a breakthrough product, and a sharper strategy. Prefer’s journey is proof that with the right platform, the right mindset, and a real-world problem to solve, small teams can drive big change.

Are you a game-changing agri-food startup with a story to tell? Apply now to be a Featured Startup in this year’s campaign and showcase your innovation to the region’s top investors, corporates, and collaborators. Your story could be next.