China’s Quiet Advance Toward AgriFoodTech Dominance

While China’s startup scene has lost some of its shine, notably when it comes to funding, the country is quietly but steadily positioning itself for leadership in agricultural and food technologies. Underpinned by the strength of its institutional players, China’s model is redrawing the rules of global AgriFood innovation.

A delivery driver from the Meituan App courier network makes his way through the crowd. © tonpony / Unsplash

China may no longer be the hotbed for startups, but in AgriFoodTech, strategic progress continues, by different means. “To the point where China could soon claim a dominant position in the most disruptive technologies,” explains Matthieu Vincent, co-founder of DigitalFoodLab, a strategy consultancy focused on agricultural and food innovation.

Crucially, innovation in China is not limited to startups. It's happening behind the scenes. For instance, major universities are driving breakthroughs. Five institutions now rank among the global leaders in patent filings for cultivated meat, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the best-funded Western startups. It’s a sign that the innovation model is shifting from startup-led disruption to institutional powerhouses quietly accumulating technological leverage.

At the same time, China is known for industrializing innovations developed abroad – transforming them at scale and turning economic advantage into technological leadership. “It’s a fast-tracked version of what we saw with the solar panel industry a few decades ago,” notes Vincent.

One telling situation is what some are calling the “second food delivery war” in China. After years of fierce competition, a few dominant players like Meituan have emerged. But the latest wave of disruption is no longer led by nimble startups. Instead, large tech like ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, are entering the arena.

This new wave brings ultra-competitive pricing, ostensibly to the benefit of consumers. “Who would say no to a €1 coffee delivered to your door?” quips Vincent. But the model has a darker side: restaurants are increasingly caught in a price squeeze, and product quality is beginning to decline.

A new equilibrium is likely to emerge. However, as always in China, authorities could decide at any moment to put the brakes on the race. Until then, concludes DigitalFoodLab, “this model may well inspire tech companies in other parts of the world.”