For the second 12 months operating, Large Thought Ventures and Mars Petcare have joined forces to launch the Next Generation Pet Food Program. This 12 months’s program will happen in collaboration with AAK, Bühler, and Givaudan.
The initiative goals to speed up sustainable innovation within the pet meals sector by supporting the event of novel components, sustainable fat and proteins, and superior processing applied sciences. It’s open to startups from around the globe, although APAC-based corporations are most popular. Ideally, functions ought to show scalable, sustainable options with real-world impression.
Firms chosen for this system will obtain knowledgeable steering, potential industrial partnerships, and the chance to showcase their options on the Asia-Pacific Agri-Meals Innovation Summit in Singapore from November 4–6, 2025.
“We should spend money on innovation to assist us supply the very best components and construct a future the place the planet stays wholesome, and the place folks and their pets are thriving,” mentioned Paul Gardner, Business VP, Mars Pet Diet. “We’re excited to be launching the second spherical of this program, harnessing the creativity of startups alongside companions that share our imaginative and prescient.”
“Invaluable insights”
This system took place for the first time in 2024, reportedly receiving an “enthusiastic response”. Winners included BiomeMega, Anomaly Bio, KIDEMIS, String Bio Non-public Restricted, and MiAlgae.
“Working with Mars final 12 months was implausible!” mentioned Andrew D. Ive, founder and Managing Basic Companion of Large Thought Ventures. “We wish to take the learnings and implement them on a giant scale as we proceed to seek for and develop sustainable options for the pet meals ecosystem.
“Final 12 months, the groups from Mars Petcare, Bühler, and AAK provided invaluable insights to our startups. Now, by integrating Givaudan into the combination, we’ll additional improve the assets accessible to the startups we select.”
Startups fascinated with collaborating on this 12 months’s program should apply here earlier than July 16.
