This year’s programme looks outside the box in areas like emerging science and technology that can help PepsiCo stay close to evolving consumer tastes and preferences. The finalists were selected based on their ability to offer ingredients, products or services that encourage a healthy lifestyle and enable health management and wellness on a global scale.
“There’s no question that COVID-19 has renewed consumer interest in taking control of their personal health and wellness, and we continue to explore how this evolves in the food and beverage space,” said Antonio Tataranni, SVP, R&D and Chief Medical Officer, PepsiCo.
“Our Research and Development team continues to look for emerging and disruptive solutions that address consumer needs, such as creative innovations in personalised nutrition, functional foods and supplements, and new technologies that enable vitality.”
Daniel Grubbs, MD of PepsiCo Ventures Group, added: “We’re excited to evolve our Greenhouse Accelerator programme to new areas including cutting-edge science and technology.
“We have a lot to learn from this group and look forward to collaborating closely with these 10 innovators who are changing the game through personalisation, emerging technologies and unique services and ingredients.”
The startups – chosen from a myriad of applicants from around the world – include:
- Californian nutritional technology company BioLumen engineers 100% natural structured fibre that absorbs sugars and fats in the stomach.
- Indian concern Biosustain Labs develops sustainable functional food products for consumers looking for specific health benefits from their foods.
- Braingaze – headquartered in Barcelona, Spain – is a scientifically proven and clinically validated digital solution to detect and treat cognitive dysfunctions using mind-tracking technology.
- Minnesota, US-based Canomiks is making the ‘food as medicine’ concept a reality with its genomics and AI-based Product Superiority Platform.
- Swedish company Carbiotix AB is pioneering microbiome healthcare through modulators and gut health testing services.
- New York-based LifeNome’s Ask Sophie is a precision pregnancy nutrition and health companion that targets an expecting mother’s unique biological needs from preconception to post-delivery.
- The UK’s Melico Science specialises in precision nutrition and wellness, using chemical fingerprinting of a urine sample to provide consumers with the tools they need to be their healthiest self.
- Irish company SeqBiome currently offers microbiome sequencing, analysis and consultancy services and is now looking to expand this into a B2C offering to athletic and performance consumers to improve or maintain their overall physical and mental performance.
- Italy’s Sphera Encapsulation is building a more sustainable food system by using patented technology to develop the next generation of encapsulated products, such as functional foods or taken as functional supplements that have a meaningful social, environmental and health impact.
- California-based ZBiotics uses proprietary technology to make genetically engineered probiotics that execute specific beneficial functions to make life even healthier.
The innovators will attend the six-month course, which includes personalised mentorship from PepsiCo experts to scale up their ideas and fast-track their go-to-market strategies. They will also each receive $20,000 in grant funding, with the real standout of the class being awarded an additional $100,000 to continue its growth.