Ambrosus launches blockchain based tech to assure food quality from farm to fork

Combining high-tech sensors, blockchain technology and smart contracts, Ambrosus was founded to overcome the current deficiencies and challenges of current global food supply chains and markets. Featuring Parity Technologies (Ethcore) co-founders Dr Gavin Wood and Dr Jutta Steiner as Technical advisors, Ambrosus aims to become the world’s first publicly verifiable and community-driven system to assure the quality, safety, and origins of food.

Ambrosus CEO and Co-founder Angel Versetti said: “At present the global system of food production and distribution does not adequately serve the needs of our society. With little trust amongst consumers, poor living standards for farmers, malpractice within supply chain networks or by large manufacturers, and regular major food scandals, the entire food supply chain ecosystem is nothing close to the thriving and valuable sector that we envision for all stakeholders.”

“With a dynamic ecosystem of complementing technologies developed within and around the Ethereum ecosystem, we have devised a bold rethinking of how the global food supply chains and markets could operate. A system of interconnected quality assurance sensors can reliably record the entire history of food from farm to fork; blockchain can protect the integrity and verifiability of sensor data; while smart contracts can enable automatic governance of food supply chains and manage commercial relationships between the different actors within them,” Versetti added.

Ambrosus was co-founded in 2016 by Angel Versetti and Dr Stefan Meyer. Prior to co-founding Ambrosus, Versetti, a recognised expert and frequent speaker on innovation, technology, and economic development, held roles at United Nations’ Trade and Investment Division and Department of Technology and Industry, the World Resources Forum, and Bloomberg. He was one of the youngest lead published authors and project leaders in the history of the UN and regularly sits on discussion panels for Davos, the Vatican, UNESCO, and COP21. Ambrosus co-founder and CTO Dr Stefan Meyer brings over 20 years of R&D experience in food analysis, ultrasound sensors, and data encryption at companies like Nestlé, MHM Microtechnique and Vitargent Biotech. In addition, Meyer was the Founding Managing Director of the Integrative Food and Nutrition Center at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL).

Advising Ambrosus as technical experts are Parity Technologies’ Dr Gavin Wood, the co-founder of Ethereum and Dr Jutta Steiner, former chief of security for the Ethereum Foundation, focusing on the Core Architecture and Supply Chains, respectively. In addition, Parity will serve as Ambrosus’ Core Technology Partner.

“Given Ambrosus’ emphasis on the integration of next-generation sensors with smart contracts, Parity’s contribution will help craft new best practices for the global IoT industry. Parity will also provide support as Ambrosus looks to integrate key aspects of blockchain into existing supply chains,” added Versetti.

“Parity was created to solve the thorniest and most complex problems,” said Dr Gavin Wood, Co-Founder of Parity Technologies. “We are proud to support the Ambrosus project to architect and develop the technology that could improve the lives of many people by ensuring food quality and safety throughout the world.”

The Ambrosus advisory team also includes Dr Vlad Trifa, the Founder of Web of Things, Co-founder of EVRYTHNG and former Head of Digital Lab at Swisscom; Dr Fabiola Dionisi, Nestlé’s Global R&D Programme Leader since 2014; Prof Malcolm Povey, Professor of Food Physics at the University of Leeds and serial inventor of several key food sensing technologies; Prof Esther Amstad, Tenure Track Assistant Professor and Head of the Soft Materials Laboratory at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL); and Prof Sandro Carrara, the Senior Scientist at the Integrated Systems Laboratory at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL).

Officially endorsed by EIT Food and SQS (Swiss Quality and Safety Association), Ambrosus boasts the support of significant global bodies and associations including the United Nations, EPFL, the Crypto Valley Association, and financial backing from the Government of the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland.

As the official partner of the 10YFP Sustainable Food Systems Programme, the flagship programme of the United Nations to align the global food supply chains and industries with the objectives of Sustainable Development Goals, Ambrosus showcased their blockchain solution at the Global Food Conference of the United Nations in Pretoria, South Africa in on 21 June 2017.

“The combination of the maturity of the technology and the brainpower and creativity of participating actors provides a unique and clear opportunity to build a bridge between Ethereum and the food sector. The funds secured through our crowdsale will fuel the creation of our vibrant, community-driven ecosystem ready to build a better future for the global food markets,” added Versetti.