The latest news, trends, analysis, interviews and podcasts from the global food and beverage industry

PepsiCo has announced ten finalists from around the world to join its fifth Greenhouse Accelerator, in a bid to grow the next generation of wellness technologies, services and ingredients.

The mentor-guided programme will support the acceleration of emerging innovators that “seek to transform the ways consumers eat, drink and live their lives,” a statement from PepsiCo explained.

Each finalist will receive $20,000 in grant funding and begin a six-month programme designed to foster and support growth through personalised mentorship, with a focus on R&D, supply chain and design.

Mentors will also collaborate with the companies to solve a range of challenges, for example, business model development, scaling technology and go-to-market strategy.

“We’re excited to evolve our Greenhouse Accelerator programme to new areas, including cutting-edge science and technology,” said Daniel Grubbs, managing director, PepsiCo Ventures Group.

“We have a lot to learn from this group and look forward to collaborating closely with these ten innovators who are changing the game through personalisation, emerging technologies, and unique services and ingredients.”

In June, one selected company will be awarded an additional $100,000 in funding to continue its growth.

“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 of 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.”

The ten companies selected for the fifth annual Greenhouse Accelerator include:

BioLumen (California, US): A nutritional technology company engineering 100% natural structured fibre that absorbs sugars and fats in the stomach.

Biosustain Labs (Kodagu, India): Which develops sustainable functional products for consumers looking for specific health benefits from their foods.

Braingaze (Barcelona, Spain): A scientifically proven and clinically validated digital solution to detect and treat cognitive dysfunctions using mind-tracking technology.

Canomiks (Minnesota, US): Which makes ‘food as medicine’ a reality through its genomics and AI-based Product Superiority Platform.

Carbiotix AB (Lund, Sweden): A company pioneering microbiome healthcare through modulators and gut health testing services.

LifeNome – Ask Sophie (New York, US): A precision pregnancy nutrition and health companion that targets an expecting mother’s unique biological needs from preconception to post-delivery.

Melico Science (London, UK): Which uses advanced technology to provide metabolically personalised dietary advice using chemical fingerprinting of a urine sample.

Seqbiome (Cork, Ireland): Which currently offers microbiome sequencing, analysis and consultancy for the industry to academia clients, 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.

Sphera Encapsulation (Verona, Italy): Which is building a more sustainable food system by using patented technology to develop the next generation of encapsulated products.

ZBiotics (California, US): A company using proprietary technology to make genetically engineered probiotics that execute specific beneficial functions for your body, making your healthy life healthier.