PepsiCo has announced the ten emerging nutrition food and beverage entrepreneurs that will join its incubator programme, Nutrition Greenhouse.
Designed to support nutrition food and beverage entrepreneurs, the programme returned for its second year in June 2018. Nutrition Greenhouse offers each of the ten participating companies a €20,000 grant, and access to PepsiCo mentors and experts to take their business to the next level.
This year's finalists - three of which are from the UK - were chosen based on their product quality and positioning, focus on health and wellness and scalable business model.
The 10 startups, one of whom will receive an additional €100k at the end of the programme, are:
Nibble Protein (London) High protein, gluten and dairy free bites made with less sugar, suitable for vegan and diabetic diets. https://www.nibbleprotein.com/
Revolicious (London) Ready-to-eat dairy and gluten free smoothie bowls, made with a 100% natural ingredient base of coconut milk, banana and flax seeds - blended with fruits and vegetables. http://www.revolicious.com/
Rokit Pods (SCEV) (Oxfordshire) Organic, vegan-friendly drinks capsules compatible with a range of well-known coffee machines, containing on-trend ingredients including matcha, yerba mate, ginseng, maca and goji berry. https://rokitpods.com/
A1C Foods (Ramat Gan, Israel) Make low-carbohydrate food products, such as chocolate, bread and ice cream, using a formula designed to lower the glycemic index without use of artificial sweeteners.
Agrasys (Barcelona) The company behind Tritordeum - a Mediterranean cereal made from a combination of durum wheat and a wild barley, with nutritional and agronomic benefits that is suitable for a wide range of cereal-based foods and beverages. http://www.agrasys.es/en/
Gryö (Paris) Organic snacks made with alternative proteins - including algae and plant-based proteins. http://gryo-bars.com/
Le Petit Béret (Béziers) Non-alcoholic wine produced without fermentation, preservatives or sulphites. Developed in partnership with agri-food research institutes and leading wine sommelier, Dominique Laporte. http://www.lepetitberet.com/en/
The Sprouted Grain Company (Ramat Gan, Israel) Nutritionally superior, easy-to-digest whole grains, legumes, flours, nuts and seeds, with exceptionally long shelf life. http://www.sproutedgrainco.com
Welldrinks (Sofia, Bulgaria) qwell is a new brand of functional beverages, made by combining hydrolyzed collagen with vitamins and minerals for smart, healthier hydration. http://feel-qwell.com/en/
Yofix (Ashdod, Israel) Clean-label vegan and soy-free fermented dairy alternatives. https://www.yofix.co.il/
As well as receiving an initial €20k grant, the 10 companies will collaborate with functional and brand experts from some of PepsiCo's leading brands to help them achieve accelerated growth. The programme includes a dedicated schedule of in-person workshops and virtual training, designed to address critical early-stage business issues and overcome immediate market challenges.
The company that demonstrates the most scalable and sustainable market approach by the end of the programme, will be awarded a €100k prize to continue its expansion.
