Praise be to scientists, who work behind the scenes, with little fanfare, to make our lives better. Case in point: Apeel, a company dedicated to reducing global food waste. In 2018 the company introduced a plant-based coating that helps extend the shelf life of produce, including avocados. No more avocados going from rock-hard in the grocery store to mushy brown goo on our kitchen countertops the moment we take our eyes off of them! The coating has been used commercially on avocados, organic apples, and citrus fruits, and it has been helping grocers save over 20 million pieces of fruit annually.

The food industry has been taking heat from consumers and critics who are demanding healthier ingredients, transparency about where their meals come from and better treatment of animals. There is also a growing awareness of the harmful effect that food production can have on the environment. Now big food companies and entrepreneurs are taking advantage of advances in robotics and data science to meet those challenges--and the trend will likely continue as technology improves, and natural ingredients become easier to cultivate. It also helps that venture capitalists are flocking to the companies cooking up these innovations. This year is on pace to set a record for this decade for venture investment in food technology, according to the PitchBook Platform data provider.