- A new pilot initiative aims to drive innovation in pet food and engage with the startup ecosystem to develop more sustainable solutions
- The program provides a unique opportunity for human food startups eager to innovate in the sustainable pet food space to receive support from industry experts
- Selected startups will present their innovations at the Singapore International AgriFood Week in November
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Big Idea Ventures, a global investment leader in the food-tech, agri-tech, and materials science sectors, in partnership with Mars Petcare, a global leader in veterinary care, nutrition, and breakthrough programs in diagnostics, wearable health monitoring, DNA testing, and pet welfare, announced the launch of the Next Generation Pet Food Program.
The pilot initiative, in collaboration with AAK, a multi-oil ingredient house specializing in plant-based vegetable oils and fats, and Bühler, a global technology partner for the food, feed, and mobility industries, aims to drive innovation in pet food and engage with the startup ecosystem to develop more sustainable solutions. The program is looking for startups working on sustainable protein and fat that can support pathways to reducing carbon emissions in pet food production. This includes novel ingredients and trailblazing processing technologies, such as upcycling food waste and innovative extraction methods.
“This initiative aims to highlight the exciting opportunity for developing sustainable pet food products. It represents a significant step forward in fostering innovative, eco-friendly solutions within the pet food industry,” said Andrew D. Ive, Founder and Managing General Partner of Big Idea Ventures.
“At Mars Petcare, our purpose is: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS. This program aligns perfectly with our commitment to sustainability and innovation, and we are excited to collaborate with startups that share our vision,” said Elise Malandain, VP R&D, Mars Petcare.
Startups will be chosen based on their innovative solutions, production volume capability, potential to reduce the carbon footprint of pet food products, and willingness to collaborate with partners. While APAC-based startups are preferred, companies from all geographies are encouraged to apply.
“The pet nutrition and care industry offers opportunity to innovate with sustainably sourced speciality oil and fat systems. We are proud to support this initiative and look forward to contributing our oil and fat expertise,” said Niall Sands, President Commercial Development and Innovation of AAK.
“Ensuring a sustainable source of pet nutrition requires new ideas, technologies, and innovative practices. Collaborative innovation between industry leaders like Mars Petcare and Big Idea Ventures attracts start-ups from both within and beyond the pet care sector, supporting them in scaling their solutions to enhance the sustainability of pet nutrition. We are eager to see the innovative solutions that will emerge from this program!” said Dr Ian Roberts, CTO at Bühler.
For more information, visit bigideaventures.com/petfoodprogram. Interested startups are encouraged to apply as early as possible and will be able to do so until early September.
Media contacts:
Bühler:
Dalen Jacomino Panto, Media Relations Manager
Bühler AG, 9240 Uzwil, Switzerland
Phone: +41 71 955 37 57
Mobile: +41 79 900 53 88
E-mail: dalen.jacomino_panto@buhlergroup.com
Katja Hartmann, Media Relations Manager
Bühler AG, 9240 Uzwil, Schweiz
Mobile: +41 79 483 68 07
E-mail: katja.hartmann@buhlergroup.com
Big Idea Ventures:
Shruti Salkar
Email: news@bigideaventures.com
About Big Idea Ventures
Big Idea Ventures is the leading investor in food and agri technology globally. As one of the most active investors in the food-tech, agri-tech, and materials science sectors, we focus on identifying and investing in the most innovative and sustainable technology companies around the world. We collaborate with universities for tech transfer and by combining capital, knowledge, and partnerships, we drive economic growth and help to create food ecosystems. Our collaborations with leading corporations and governments aim to support entrepreneurs, scientists, and engineers in solving some of the world's biggest challenges. Big Idea Ventures has teams in New York, Paris, and Singapore, and has invested in more than 120 companies across 30 countries.
About Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated is driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. As a $50bn+ family-owned business, our diverse and expanding portfolio of leading pet care products and veterinary services support pets all around the world and our quality snacking and food products delight millions of people every day. We produce some of the world’s best-loved brands including ROYAL CANIN®, PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, CESAR®, DOVE®, EXTRA®, M&M’s®, SNICKERS® and BEN’S ORIGINAL™. Our international networks of pet hospitals, including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, VCA™ and ANICURA™ span preventive, general, specialty, and emergency veterinary care, and our global veterinary diagnostics business ANTECH® offers breakthrough capabilities in pet diagnostics. The Mars Five Principles—Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom—inspire our 150,000 Associates to act every day to help create a better world for people, pets and the planet.
For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
About AAK
Everything AAK does is about Making Better Happen™.
We specialize in plant-based oils and fats, the value-adding ingredients in many products people love to consume. We make these products better tasting, healthier, and more sustainable.
At the heart of AAK’s offer is Customer Co-Development, combining our desire to understand what Making Better Happen™ means for each customer, with the unique flexibility of our production assets, and deep knowledge of products and industries, including Chocolate & Confectionery, Bakery, Dairy, Plant-based Foods, Special Nutrition, Foodservice, and Personal Care.
Our 4,100 employees support our close collaboration with customers through 25 regional sales offices, 16 dedicated Customer Innovation Centers, and with the support of more than 20 production facilities.
Listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and headquartered in Malmö, Sweden, AAK has been Making Better Happen™ for more than 150 years.
About Bühler
Bühler is driven by its purpose of creating innovations for a better world, balancing the needs of economy, humanity, and nature in all its decision-making processes. Billions of people come into contact with Bühler technologies as they cover their basic needs for food and mobility every day. Two billion people each day enjoy foods produced on Bühler equipment; and one billion people travel in vehicles manufactured using parts produced with Bühler solutions. Countless people wear eyeglasses, use smart phones, and read newspapers and magazines – all of which depend on Bühler process technologies and solutions. Having this global relevance, Bühler is in a unique position to turn today’s global challenges into sustainable business.
As a technology partner for the food, feed, and mobility industries, Bühler has committed to having solutions ready to multiply by 2025 that reduce energy, waste, and water by 50% in the value chains of its customers. It also proactively collaborates with suppliers to reduce climate impacts throughout the value chain. In its own operations, Bühler has developed a pathway to achieve a 60% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 (Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scopes 1 & 2, against a 2019 baseline).
Bühler spends up to 5% of turnover on research and development annually to improve both the commercial and sustainability performance of its solutions, products, and services. In 2023, some 12,500 employees generated a turnover of CHF 3.0 billion. As a Swiss family-owned company with a history spanning 164 years, Bühler is active in 140 countries around the world and operates a global network of 105 service stations, 30 manufacturing sites, and Application & Training Centers in 25 locations.
