PURCHASE, N.Y. (PRNewswire) PepsiCo announced the ten emerging food and beverage brands that will join its first collaborative accelerator program in North America. Each of the ten participating startups will receive $20,000 in grant funding and participate in a 6-month business optimization program. The Nutrition Greenhouse program is designed to accelerate the growth of these startups with personalized mentorship from experts at some of PepsiCo's leading and emerging brands, including Quaker, Naked, KeVita, Stacy's, Red Rock Deli and Off the Eaten Path.
The PepsiCo mentors will collaborate with the startups on areas ranging from marketing, distribution, manufacturing, supply chain, packaging, label claims and fundraising. At the end of the program, one company will receive an additional $100,000 in funding based on the company's progress, the level of collaboration and partnership with the PepsiCo mentors, and the effective use of the initial $20,000 grant. That company will also have the opportunity to continue partnering with PepsiCo.
The ten startups are:
- Bohana (Boston, Massachusetts) - an ancient high-protein snack with popped lily seed water.
- Hapi Drinks (Austin, Texas) – sugar-free kids drink.
- IQ BAR (Boston, Massachusetts) – A nutrition bar formulated for cognitive energy, function and health.
- Remedy Organics (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey) – Plant-based beverages made with superfoods, ayurvedic herbs and botanicals as well as protein and probiotics.
- Rule Breaker Snacks (Brooklyn, New York) - Bean-based treats packed with protein and fiber. They're gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO and free from the top eight allergens.
- Sophie's Kitchen (Sebastopol, California) - The first company to make plant-based seafood alternatives that are: 100 percent gluten free, 100 percent soy free, Non-GMO Project Verified, and Kosher.
- Too FIT (Fort Worth, Texas) - Nutritional supplements for "adventurers, athletes, and weekend warriors."
- Torii Labs (Calabasas, California) - Plant-based functional beverages that balance, build and brighten your body and mind.
- Wildway (San Antonio, Texas) - Breakfast and snack foods with products that provide "real nutrition from real food."
- YoFiit (Toronto, Canada) - Plant-based meals that includes a patent-pending high-protein, high omega-3 and gum-free chickpea milk alternative.
The finalists were selected by a committee of PepsiCo leaders, and were chosen based on their product and brand qualities, focus on consumer nutrition, scalability and uniqueness. "Nutrition Greenhouse was created with the intent of supporting change-making startups of the future," said Daniel Grubbs, Managing Director, PepsiCo Ventures Group. "Each finalist is unique in their own way, but one thing they all share is they're mission-driven and purposeful, which is very much aligned with our own Performance with Purpose agenda."
