Mars Petcare, Big Idea Ventures, Bühler and AAK champion sustainable pet food start-ups

23 Aug 2024 --- Big Idea Ventures, a player in food- and agri-tech and materials science, and Mars Petcare, a veterinary care and nutrition company, unveil a Next Generation Pet Food Program Pilot in collaboration with AAK, a specialist in plant-based vegetable oils and fats, and Bühler, a technology partner for the food, feed and mobility industries.

“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,” says Andrew D. Ive, founder and managing general partner of Big Idea Ventures.

Elise Malandain, VP of R&D at Mars Petcare, adds, “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 start-ups that share our vision.”

The initiative looks to spark innovation in pet food, engage with the start-up ecosystem and create more sustainable solutions.

It provides interested human food startups to innovate in the sustainable pet food space, while receiving support from industry experts. The selected start-ups will be able to present their innovations at the Singapore International AgriFood Week this November.

“The pet nutrition and care industry offers the opportunity to innovate with sustainably sourced specialty oil and fat systems,”says Niall Sands, the president of commercial development and innovation at AAK. “We are proud to support this initiative and look forward to contributing our oil and fat expertise.”

“Ensuring a sustainable source of pet nutrition requires new ideas, technologies and innovative practices,” Dr. Ian Roberts, CTO at Bühler, underscores. “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.”

The Next Generation Pet Food Program Pilot is, in particular, looking for start-ups working on sustainable protein and fat that can support pathways to reducing carbon emissions in pet food production. The initiative hopes to spotlight innovative ingredients and processing technologies, such as upcycling food waste and extraction methods.

Start-ups will be selected to present at Singapore International AgriFood Week based on the innovativeness of their solutions, their production volume capability, their potential to reduce the carbon footprint of pet food products and their willingness to collaborate with partners.