DFI Retail Group and The Mills Fabrica Name Number 8 Bio as the Winner of DFI Sustainability Innovation Challenge

HONG KONG SAR- Media OutReach Newswire – 9 June 2026 – DFI Retail Group (DFI or the Group), a leading Asian retailer, and The Mills Fabrica, a global collaborative hub propelling sustainability-focused innovations in the techstyle and agrifood sectors, named Number 8 Bio as the winner of the DFI Sustainability Innovation Challenge 2026. This announcement follows the Final Pitching event, which was held on 5 June, World Environment Day. The Australia-based innovator was recognised for BetterFeed™, a range of proprietary feed additives that cut enteric methane from grazing cattle and sheep while improving the productivity of every animal that uses it. The team takes home a HK$120,000 grant and the opportunity to partner with DFI to scale its solution across the Group’s regional beef and dairy supply chains.

Scott Price, Group Chief Executive, DFI Retail Group said: “Tackling Scope 3 emissions requires collaboration across the value chain, and we are pleased that the Challenge has created opportunities for innovators to test and scale practical solutions within real operating environments. We look forward to seeing how they support our progress towards more sustainable and resilient food systems.”

Meet the Winner: From Pitch to Pilot Across Asia’s Supply Chains

Thomas Williams, CEO and Co-Founder of Number 8 Bio said, “We are grateful for the exposure to such a high-calibre ecosystem, from fellow innovators addressing the same problem from different angles to the investors and industry players. The conversations alone have accelerated our thinking in ways that months of independent work could not.”

A Global Search Anchored in Asia: Addressing the Region’s Beef and Dairy Decarbonisation Challenge

Across Asia, rising incomes and urbanisation continue to drive demand for meat and dairy products. Supporting the transition to lower-emission production will be key to ensuring the long-term resilience of food systems while meeting evolving consumer expectations.

Launched in December 2025, the DFI Sustainability Innovation Challenge was designed to bridge innovation and implementation by connecting global innovators directly with DFI’s extensive supply-chain network.

Through The Mills Fabrica’s global scouting network across 30 countries, including university research institutions, venture capital and startup-incubator networks, the Challenge attracted over 40 submissions from five continents. These solutions ranged from novel feed, feed additives and biomanufacturing to AI and SaaS data platforms, processing innovations and energy management systems. Nearly half were at commercial-ready maturity, reflecting a strong pipeline of scalable solutions rather than early-stage concepts.

Cintia Nunes, General Manager, Head of Asia, The Mills Fabrica said, “The next phase of climate innovation is not just about discovering new technologies but helping them scale in ways that create tangible change. DFI is an industry leader willing to put real supply-chain access and pilot pathways behind climate-tech innovators. We are committed to deepening this partnership with DFI and to working with more forward-looking partners, so that the most promising innovators get the partnerships, capital and pilots they need to translate their work to commercial impact.”

The Finalists: A Global Cohort Tackling Beef and Dairy’s Hardest Climate Problems

The finalists represent leading approaches to reducing ruminant emissions, including novel feed additives, synthetic biology, AI-enabled monitoring, genetic optimisation, and waste-to-renewable resources:

• Provectus Algae (Australia): Creator of Surf’N’Turf®, a scalable seaweed-based feed supplement designed to reduce ruminant livestock methane emissions. Powered by Provectus Algae’s proprietary Precision Photosynthesis® and AI-enabled biomanufacturing platform, Surf’N’Turf® has demonstrated enteric methane reductions of up to 98% while improving feed efficiency and supporting lower-emission livestock systems.
• AbacusBio (New Zealand): A genetics consultancy working in over 30 countries. Its Methane Sire Selection Tool is an app that generates a selection index to help select breeding sires for genetic methane reduction, balancing total and intensity emissions cuts with on-farm profitability metrics.
• eVerse.AI (India): Their dual-track platform is revolutionising dairy sustainability and productivity, leveraging cutting-edge innovation. GreenCow harnesses methane measurement tech and eco-friendly interventions to generate verified carbon credits, empowering farmers to monetise their sustainable practices. ConnectedCow, a SaaS platform, integrates biometric ID with AI-driven insights to optimise milk yield, fertility, and herd health, providing a unified dashboard for monitoring productivity, breeding, and methane.
• Kinava (South Korea): G2E Company (Green Waste to Energy) applies Hybrid Hydrothermal Carbonization to convert organic waste — livestock manure, food waste, wood waste, and sewage sludge — into odorless biofertilizer, biocoal, biocokes, biochar, and biogas in under three hours, using 70% less energy than conventional drying. Kinava’s first commercial plant has processed 100T/d pig manure since 2024, with a cassava-to-biocoal pilot plant also installed in Thailand in 2025.

Finalists pitched to a panel of leading academics and industry experts in ruminant nutrition, environmental science, agri-food sustainability, and corporate decarbonisation strategy. The pitching day brought together the DFI Management Committee, leading regional beef and dairy suppliers, academic experts, and ecosystem partners, enabling direct engagement between solution innovators and industry stakeholders.

In addition to formal pitches, all finalists presented their solutions through a dedicated Product and Technology Showcase, facilitating deeper discussions on pilot and deployment opportunities.

Erica Chan, Group Chief Legal, Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, DFI Retail Group added: “We are pleased that this partnership with The Mills Fabrica has identified technologies with real commercial potential. Their global network and deep expertise in sustainability innovation helped us connect with a very strong cohort of climate-tech innovators. What impressed us most was the commercial readiness of the solutions. These are practical technologies with the potential to reduce emissions, strengthen supply chain resilience, and support more sustainable food systems.”

DFI Retail Group and The Mills Fabrica will continue to provide ongoing mentorship, ecosystem connections, and access to its global network, both to the winner and to the wider finalist cohort.