Chobani offers incubator scheme for natural food start-ups

Dairy company Chobani will invite start-ups and entrepreneurs who are “looking to challenge big food companies with natural and affordable foods” to become part of a first-of-its-kind incubator programme, with guidance from the New York-based company and the chance to secure a $25,000 grant.

The Chobani Food Incubator was designed to help entrepreneurs and small food companies “to challenge the food industry, improve broken systems and make a difference”.

Alongside the opportunity to secure a $25,000 grant and equity-free capital, Chobani will offer successful applicants the chance to be part of a six-month incubator scheme from October until March both online and on site – and attend monthly programmes at Chobani locations across the US, including manufacturing facilities and a dedicated space at its New Berlin headquarters – culminating in an appearance at Expo West Natural Food Conference in California, where participants will be able to showcase their products in front of members of the natural food industry.

“Natural food start-ups with the right mindset can make a big difference,” said Hamdi Ulukaya, founder and CEO of Chobani. “I know that getting started can be the hardest part of the journey, so I designed the Chobani Food Incubator to share what we’ve learned when it comes to scaling up, challenging the big guys and fighting convention. This is a no-strings-attached, grant-based programme to support entrepreneurs so we can further fuel the food revolution.”

The incubator course itself will cover areas of business such as scaling, branding, marketing, packaging, sales and retail strategy, nutrition and food labelling, plus innovation and manufacturing.

Ulukaya is renowned for his record of philanthropy, having gifted shares in the dairy company amounting to at least $300 million to more than 2,000 of its employees in April.

Chobani has invited applications to the programme through a dedicated website.