PURCHASE, N.Y. — PepsiCo, Inc. has unveiled the 10 start-ups chosen to participate in its first collaborative accelerator program in North America, the Nutrition Greenhouse program. The finalists are Bohana, Hapi Drinks, IQ Bar, Remedy Organics, Rule Breaker Snacks, Sophie's Kitchen, Too Fit, Torii Labs, Wildway and YoFiit.
Launched in September, PepsiCo’s Nutrition Greenhouse program was designed to help the company discover and support emerging food and beverage brands. Participants will participate in a six-month business optimization program and receive personalized mentorship from executives and experts at PepsiCo brands such as Quaker, Naked, KeVita, Stacy’s, Red Rock Deli and Off the Eaten Path. These mentors will collaborate with the start-ups on a range of business challenges, including marketing, distribution, manufacturing, supply chain, packaging, label claims and fundraising.
Additionally, Nutrition Greenhouse participants will receive $20,000 in initial grant funding. At the end of the program, one company will receive an additional $100,000 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, PepsiCo said. That company also will be given the opportunity to continue partnering with PepsiCo.
An external and internal committee of PepsiCo leaders selected the 10 finalists. The companies were chosen based on their product and brand qualities, focus on consumer nutrition, scalability of their business model and uniqueness in the market, PepsiCo said.
“Nutrition Greenhouse was created with the intent of supporting change-making start-ups of the future,” said Daniel Grubbs, managing director of PepsiCo Ventures Group. “We are very excited to collaborate with, help grow and learn from these incredible companies. 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.”