EXBERRY® colour supplier GNT has officially launched an independent investment firm to accelerate innovation and boost sustainability at every stage of the value chain.
GNT Ventures was created to invest in start-up companies that have the potential to help pioneer new and improved plant-based colouring solutions. Its focus is on four key areas: raw materials and fermentation, processing, food ingredients, and upcycling.
It is part of GNT’s long-term strategy to reshape the plant-based colour landscape with innovative new products that can drive a healthier future for the people and the planet.
GNT Ventures has already executed some investments, including the recently announced partnership with Plume Biotechnology to create new plant-based EXBERRY® colour solutions using unique fermentation technologies. The firm is now aiming to significantly step up its investment activity and is actively seeking out new collaborations with further start-ups worldwide.
Finn Rieken, Managing Director of GNT Ventures, said: “We’re looking to build mutually beneficial relationships with start-ups that dare to dream big and have the drive to shape tomorrow’s planet. We can provide financial, technical, commercial, and regulatory support, using our expertise to not only help bring bold new visions to life but successfully market them worldwide.”
GNT Ventures is seeking to collaborate with start-ups by providing them with the tools they need to bring cutting-edge ideas to life. It can provide comprehensive financial support, whether by leading the financing as a sole investor or helping to share the load as co-leads. It is primarily focused on pre-seed to series A funding, with a maximum ticket size of EUR 1 million.
GNT Ventures also has a state-of-the-art food grade pilot plant to test and optimise processes. It can offer research and development know-how as well as processing expertise to help new businesses develop their ideas more quickly and effectively.
In addition, GNT Ventures can deliver comprehensive commercial support. This includes ensuring innovations reach a wide range of customers within the food and beverage industry as well as connecting start-ups with partners across the entire value chain. It also offers guidance on regulatory compliance and IP.
Dr. Kai Reineke, Technical Lead at GNT Ventures, said: “We aim to establish synergistic partnerships with innovative start-ups that aspire to achieve significant breakthroughs. Leveraging our extensive technical expertise, we provide comprehensive support to facilitate the realisation of ambitious projects and ensure their success.”
GNT was founded in 1978 with a vision to pioneer truly natural colors from fruit, vegetables, and plants. It remains an independent, family-owned business with a commitment to creating plant-based, sustainable ingredients.
Frederik Hoeck, GNT Group’s Managing Director, said: “GNT is now firmly established as a global leader in natural colors, but we know what it’s like to be a small company and grow. We started from humble beginnings and fully understand the challenges involved and how hard it can be to overcome them. We want to help start-ups find their own successful paths so that we can reshape tomorrow’s planet together.”
Cutting edge start-ups, technology companies and universities join hands with Tetra Pak to tackle challenges and unlock new opportunities for the Food & Beverage industry.
Ahead of the United Nations World Food Safety Day Tetra Pak announced its new set of research collaborations and programmes to further accelerate efforts to address challenges facing food systems worldwide. The initiative is part of the company’s drive to nurture an innovation ecosystem to open new opportunities in the areas of food availability, safety and sustainability.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation UN FAO, the world is in a very different place compared to six years ago, when it committed to the goal of ending hunger, food insecurity and all forms of malnutrition by 2030. The current reality is that we have not been progressing fast enough towards ensuring access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food for all people. As an example, over 2 billion people did not have access to enough safe and nutritious food in 2020.
Laurence Mott, Executive VP Development and Technology at Tetra Pak says: “Tetra Pak has been an early advocate of forming and strengthening links between academia and the food industry. We have several long-standing relationships with universities and research institutions. We’ve also been working with game changing start-ups and tech companies to accelerate innovation. Now more than ever this is vital. The challenges of the global food industry are broad and varied. The only way we can meet these challenges is to pool our expertise. Only together will we secure a better future in the areas of sustainability, food safety and food availability. I’m very happy to see the progress so far and will take this opportunity to thank all our partners”.
In an attempt to address challenges around food and sustainability, Tetra Pak is teaming up with entities across countries such as France, US, Sweden and Italy, among others, to explore different innovations across the food system. These includes a range of development programmes – from exploring new food categories, such as plant based food, to using enzymes that reduce food waste to advancing the insect protein movement.
Rodrigo Godoi, VP Processing Portfolio Management at Tetra Pak, says: “To drive innovation, we need to question status quo and keep pushing our boundaries, working together with external partners who bring fresh ideas and perspectives to the table. At Tetra Pak, we are continuously exploring new concepts, new food ingredients and new production methods that sit outside of our ‘core’ competencies. As an example, we have conducted over 300 screenings that resulted in more than 10 pilot projects to be researched. We encourage start-ups to come to us with their ideas as well as to join cross-industry teams to explore opportunities. We recognise the value in coming together with experts across an ecosystem in food, science and engineering to help identify new solutions and address challenges intensified by the changes in the food supply chain.
Dr Karim Engelmark Cassimjee, CEO at EnginZyme, said “The food industry faces many sustainability challenges, especially the ability to achieve efficient and sustainable production at the same time. The cell-free biomanufacturing that we have pioneered at EnginZyme can meet this need with its broad applicability, low cost of production, short development timelines and predictable scalability. Our collaboration with Tetra Pak is an incredibly exciting opportunity – in particular how we are exploring solutions to unlock the potential of by-products like acid whey”.
Some of the programmes announced include, France’s Paris&Co innovation platforms, Smart Food Paris and Urban Lab, technology start-ups EnginZyme, NuCaps and Tebrito and leading research universities in Italy and Sweden including University of Modena, Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE) and Lund University.
SIG opens next round of SIGCUBATOR applications
With start-up companies already benefitting from SIG’s SIGCUBATOR accelerator program, SIG is once again offering new food and beverage innovators an amazing no-strings opportunity to get their exciting new product idea to market. Interested start-ups can apply now at no cost via www.sigcubator.com until 28 February 2022.
This is the fourth time SIG has opened-up its SIGCUBATOR accelerator program to forward-thinking food and drink start-ups and small businesses, eager to partner with SIG at no cost or obligation, to help launch their products. It is these small entrepreneurial start-ups who are increasingly driving industry innovation and value creation. However, many don’t have the volume to produce big batches with co-packers or the expertise and financial ability to invest in their own production plant. This is where SIG can offer an incredible opportunity.
SIGCUBATOR takes innovative start-up ideas on a ‘consumer-centric’ journey, from testing prototypes in SIG’s test centre in Germany, through to a successful launch to market. SIG is there to help at every step, giving expert advice, consumer-focused insights, and access to its extensive global network within the food and beverage industry.
SIG partnering with start-ups and co-manufacturers brings opportunities to all three parties: SIG’s expertise, filling capabilities, and industry network help talented start-ups launch innovative concepts, which can then be commercially filled at one of SIG’s co-packing partners. This creates space for further innovation to assure a speedy launch to market. For co-packers, such partnerships help them enter and experience new and attractive beverage categories and grow these innovative segments in the future. For SIG, working together with forward-thinking food and beverage start-ups is key to driving innovation and value creation.
Food and drink start-ups can apply now at www.sigcubator.com. All ideas are welcome – as the famous saying goes “mighty oaks from little acorns grow”. SIG can also be contacted directly at sigcubator@sig.biz after the closing date.
The combined trade fair of BIOFACH, the World’s Leading Trade Fair for Organic Food, and VIVANESS, the International Trade Fair for Natural and Organic Personal Care, will be more international and diverse than ever before when it opens its doors at Exhibition Centre Nuremberg from 12 – 15 February. Both shows are setting new records for exhibitor numbers, display area and international focus. A total of 3,792 exhibitors – 292 of them at VIVANESS – from 110 countries will showcase their products to the trade public on a display area measuring 57,609 m2. BIOFACH and VIVANESS 2020 are offering their roughly expected 50,000 visitors even more diversity than ever, in two additional halls. The approaches that the organic system already offers for resolving urgent issues affecting the future will be discussed by the organic sector as part of the congress theme “Organic delivers!”, while water will be the focus of the special show “All about water – is the basis of life endangered?”. The key trends at BIOFACH this year are “Packaging”, “Vegan 2.0”, “Open Pollinated Varieties” and “Region 2.0”.
All facets of organic: the thematic focus areas at BIOFACH
BIOFACH offers three major thematic focus areas to explore: Know-how & Learning, New Products & Trends, and Experience & Discover. Besides the BIOFACH Congress, the Know-how & Learning area includes the German-language “Fachhandelstreff” for specialist retailers, the network hubs “Generation Future” and “Initiatives & NGOs” as well as the new special show “All about water – is the basis of life endangered?”. The focus of “New Products & Trends” is on new products, newcomers and start-ups. This also includes the Novelty Stand (www.biofach.de/noveltystand) with 629 registered new products and the Best New Product Award, which is decided by trade visitors based on the products showcased at the Novelty Stand. The “New Products & Trends” area also includes the Pavilion that the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy sponsors for innovative new companies, the “German Newcomers”. Twenty-five newcomers and start-ups will be presenting to the trade public there under the heading of “Innovation made in Germany”. (www.biofach.de/en/newcomer).
The Experience the World of OLIVE OIL, WINE and VEGAN are part of the thematic focus area “Experience & Discover”. Product presentations, tastings and accompanying events for trade visitors are a long-standing part of the program there. There is also a standing tradition of coveted awards: the international organic wine prize known as MUNDUS VINI BIOFACH, and the Olive Oil Award.
BIOFACH World
NürnbergMesse has proven expertise in the field of organic foodstuffs.In February every year, the international organic sector gathers in Nuremberg at BIOFACH, the World’s Leading Trade Fair for Organic Food. The comprehensive range of certified organic products on display shows their diversity – from fresh products like dairy and cheese, fruit, vegetables, dry products like grains and pulses, nuts and confectionery to beverages. The international patron of BIOFACH is IFOAM – Organics International, while the national supporting organization is the German Federation of Organic Food Producers (BÖLW). An integral part of this world-leading fair is the BIOFACH Congress, a knowledge-sharing platform that is unique worldwide. With another six BIOFACH events in China, India, Japan, South America, Thailand and the USA, BIOFACH World has a global presence and year for year brings together more than 4,500 exhibitors and
150,000 trade visitors.
The industry is being disrupted by significant trends with consumers, products, brands, and distribution. As niche players eat up more of the market share, established companies must evolve to stay competitive.
From the traditional powerhouses to new entrepreneurial start-ups, non-alcoholic beverage companies are operating in a whole new world as the industry is undergoing monumental shifts. For example, with an eye on health-conscious consumers, PepsiCo purchased the sparkling water company SodaStream in 2018, and after Coca-Cola moved into the tea market a decade ago with its organic, fair-trade Honest Tea subsidiary, the company is dipping its toe in the rapidly growing coffee segment by buying Costa Coffee in 2019. Meanwhile, new entrant Boxed Water is nudging plastic bottles off the shelves with its paper-based packaging.
With today’s consumers thirsty for healthy and eco-friendly options, massive changes are coming. …
Please download the full article as pdf-file under https://bit.ly/2z2bOKc.
