Big Idea Ventures and Mars Launch Next-Generation Pet Food Pilot with AAK and Bühler

New pilot initiative aims to drive pet food innovation and work with startup ecosystem to develop more sustainable solutions
This program provides a unique opportunity for human food startups looking to innovate in the sustainable pet food space to gain support from industry experts
Selected startups to showcase their innovations at Singapore International Agri-Food Week in November

NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Big Idea Ventures, a global leader in investment in food technology, agrifood technology and materials science, in partnership with Mars Petcare, a global leader in veterinary care, nutrition and groundbreaking programs in diagnostics, wearable health monitoring devices, DNA testing and pet welfare, announced the launch of the Next Generation Pet Food Program.

The pilot initiative, in partnership with AAK, a multi-ingredient company specializing in 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 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 reduce carbon emissions in pet food production. This includes new ingredients and pioneering processing technologies such as food waste recycling and innovative extraction methods.

“This initiative highlights the exciting opportunity for sustainable pet food products. It represents a significant step forward in driving innovative, environmentally friendly solutions in 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 partner with startups that share our vision,” said Elise Malandain, Vice President of Research and Development at Mars Petcare.

Startups will be selected based on their innovative solutions, production volume capabilities, potential to reduce the carbon footprint of pet food products and willingness to collaborate with partners. While startups from APAC are preferred, companies from all geographies are encouraged to apply.

“The pet food and care industry offers an opportunity for innovation through sustainable sources of specialist oil and fat systems. We are proud to support this initiative and look forward to contributing our expertise in oils and fats,” said Niall Sands, President of Commercial Development and Innovation at AAK.

“Ensuring a sustainable source of pet nutrition requires new ideas, technologies and innovative practices. Innovation collaborations between industry leaders like Mars Petcare and Big Idea Ventures are attracting startups from both within and outside the pet care sector, supporting them in scaling their solutions to increase the sustainability of pet nutrition. We look forward to seeing the innovative solutions that 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 have until early September to do so.

Media contacts:

Buhler:

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: [email protected]

Katja Hartmann, Media Relations Manager
Bühler AG, 9240 Uzwil, Schweiz
Mobile: +41 79 483 68 07
E-mail: [email protected]

Big Ideas Projects:

Sruti Salkar
E-mail address: [email protected]

About Big Idea Ventures

Big Idea Ventures is a leading global food and agriculture technology investor. As one of the most active investors in food technology, agritech and materials science, we focus on identifying and investing in the most innovative and sustainable technology companies worldwide. We partner with universities to transfer technology and by combining capital, knowledge and partnerships, we drive economic growth and help create food ecosystems. Our partnerships with leading corporations and governments are designed to support entrepreneurs, scientists and engineers in solving some of the world’s greatest challenges. Big Idea Ventures has teams in New York, Paris and Singapore and has invested in more than 120 companies in 30 countries.

www.bigideaventures.com

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 family-owned company valued at more than $50 billion, our diverse and growing portfolio of leading pet care and veterinary services supports pets around the world, and our high-quality snacks and food delight millions of people every day. We produce some of the world’s best-loved brands, including ROYAL CANIN^®LINEAGE^®WHISKAS^®CAESAR^®PIGEON^®ADDITIONAL^®M&M’s^®SNICKERS^® and BEN’S ORIGINAL™. Our international animal hospital networks, including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, VCA™ and ANICURA™, provide preventative, general, specialist and emergency veterinary care, as well as our global veterinary diagnostics business ANTECH^® offers breakthrough capabilities in pet diagnostics. 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, visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

About AAK

Everything AAK does is about Making Things Better™.

We specialize in vegetable oils and fats, the value-added ingredients in many of the products people love to eat. We make these products tastier, healthier, and more sustainable.

The AAK offering is based on co-development with our customers, combining our desire to understand what Making Better Happen™ means to each customer with the unique flexibility of our manufacturing resources and in-depth knowledge of products and industries including chocolate and confectionery, bakery, dairy, plant-based foods, specialty nutrition, foodservice and personal care.

Our 4,100 employees work closely with customers through 25 regional sales offices, 16 dedicated Customer Innovation Centers and more than 20 manufacturing plants.

Listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and headquartered in Malmö, Sweden, AAK has been committed to Making Better Happen™ for over 150 years.

www.aak.com

About the company Bühler

Bühler is driven by its mission to innovate for a better world, balancing the needs of the economy, humanity and nature in all decision-making processes. Billions of people touch Bühler technologies to meet their basic needs for food and mobility every day. Two billion people consume food produced on Bühler equipment every day; and one billion people travel in vehicles manufactured using parts manufactured using Bühler solutions. Countless people wear glasses, use smartphones and read newspapers and magazines – all of which depend on Bühler process technologies and solutions. With this global footprint, Bühler is uniquely positioned to transform today’s global challenges into a sustainable business.

As a technology partner for the food, feed and mobility industries, Bühler is committed to having turnkey solutions that will multiply by 2025 and reduce energy, waste and water consumption by 50% in its customers’ value chains. It also proactively works with suppliers to reduce climate impacts throughout the value chain. In its own efforts, Bühler has developed a path to achieving a 60% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 (GHG Protocol Scopes 1 and 2 compared to a 2019 baseline).

Bühler spends up to 5% of its turnover on research and development annually to improve the commercial and sustainable performance of its solutions, products and services. In 2023, around 12,500 employees generated sales of CHF 3.0 billion. As a Swiss family business with a history spanning 164 years, Bühler operates in 140 countries worldwide and operates a global network of 105 service stations, 30 production plants and application and training centers in 25 locations.