Mondelēz International has announced a collaboration with Israeli food-tech incubator The Kitchen to boost opportunities in the snacking segment.
The partnership is led by Mondelēz’s research and development team as well as SnackFutures, the company’s innovation and venture hub.
Through the collaboration, Mondelēz said it will have “unparalleled access and visibility to one of the world’s leading food-tech ecosystems”. At the same time, the firm will offer technological and commercial expertise to entrepreneurs from The Kitchen and provide an opportunity to work in the company’s global technical centres, including access to pilot plants and internal experts across areas such as research and development, food safety, marketing insights and operations.
Founded in 2015 and owned by Strauss Group, The Kitchen invests in and nurtures technology start-ups. It has partnered with 12 companies so far including plant-based yogurt maker Yofix and Inspecto, an Israeli firm that aims to make food contaminant testing quicker and more reliable.
“With over 6,600 active start-up companies and a steady growth year on year, the Israeli innovation ecosystem is one of the most dynamic in the world and we’re thrilled to be part of it,” said Tim Cofer, chief growth officer of Mondelēz International.
“We’re looking to collaborate with the best and brightest talent in advancing the future of snacking. We know we don’t have all the answers within our four walls, so we’re on a mission to create an unconventional ecosystem of partners. The collaboration with The Kitchen is another great example of this ecosystem at play.”
Jonathan Berger, CEO of The Kitchen, said: “The Kitchen, as a ventures builder, constantly seeks to bring value to its portfolio companies. Partnering with an industry leader such as Mondelēz International will bring tremendous value to The Kitchen and our portfolio companies.
“We look forward to working with their dedicated team and to introducing Israeli food-tech innovation from seed to shelf around the globe.”
As part of the collaboration, Rob Hargrove, executive vice president of research, development and quality at Mondelēz International, has joined The Kitchen advisory council. “There’s no doubt that Israel is a world leader in food and agricultural innovation, and we’ve been truly inspired by the talented entrepreneurs that are part of The Kitchen,” he said.
SnackFutures was launched by Mondelēz last November in a move to capitalise on emerging growth opportunities in the snacking segment.
Last week, the company made the second investment as part of the programme – partnering with the company behind snack brand Hu Products.
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