pladis Accelerator Programme seeks fermentation and cocoa alternatives

The snacking group pladis has opened its second Accelerator Programme, targeting start-ups that can improve snack nutrition and sustainability through fermentation and cocoa alternatives. The initiative responds to consumer shifts linked to GLP-1 weight-loss medications and climate impacts on ingredient supply.

The snacking group pladis has opened applications for the second year of its Accelerator Programme. The company wants to find start-ups that can improve snack nutrition and sustainability through fermentation and cocoa alternatives. pladis owns brands like McVitie’s, GODIVA and Ülker. The company says GLP-1 weight-loss medications are changing consumer habits. At the same time, climate change is putting strain on the supply of key ingredients. The programme focuses on two main areas. The first area covers whole-food and upcycled ingredients, gut health, personalised nutrition, and minimal processing methods such as fermentation and enzymatic processing. The second area focuses on smart indulgence. This includes sugar, fat and calorie reduction, flavour and texture technologies, and cocoa and chocolate alternatives. Applicants must have a working product at minimum viable product stage or later. This product needs backing from scientific, technical or early commercial validation. Participation in the programme is free. Tim Ingmire is the VP global innovation and technology at pladis. He states that food pressures are increasing while the pleasure people expect from food remains the same. He challenges the food-tech community to find new ways to improve nutrition and rethink ingredients while keeping the flavour and texture people love. The first edition of the programme attracted around 300 applications from five continents. Twelve finalists worked with 37 mentors from pladis and its parent company, Yıldız Holding. That first round resulted in six proof-of-concept collaborations. The first cohort included Fermtech, a company that ferments food-industry by-products into a cocoa alternative. Another participant was Zya, which uses an enzyme called Convero to convert up to 30% of sugar into fibre after consumption without altering the taste. Nuritas, based in Dublin, uses artificial intelligence and genomics to identify bioactive plant peptides for functional food ingredients. pladis will choose up to 12 start-ups for the new group. Three to six of these could move on to pilots or co-development projects. Applications close on 15 January 2027. Final selection takes place on 1 March. The 12-week programme runs from 8 March to 4 June 2027. Finalists will present their work at pladis INNO Day at the London headquarters in Q4 2027. Selected start-ups may also be considered for follow-on investment by Yıldız Ventures, the innovation and growth arm of Yıldız Holding, with assessments happening separately in Turkey after the programme ends. Forward Fooding is managing start-up sourcing and coordination.

Read source: Cultivated X