Startups will receive guidance, R&D facility access, tailored opportunities, and a $15,000 cash prize to refine their solutions and accelerate their path to market.Mars PetCare
Mars Petcare and Big Idea Adventures, partnering with AAK, Bühler, Givaudan, and Ingredion,has selected three startup companies for the 2026 Next Generation Pet Food Program.
There were 83 applications received this year from 33 countries. Nearly half came from the Asia-Pacific region, reflecting the program’s expansion in Asia and the region’s growing role in ingredient innovation focused on addressing sustainability challenges. The applicants faced stricter application criteria and delivered against the program’s request for ventures with a higher level of commercial maturity. The cohort signaled an acceleration in alternative ingredient innovation and a transition from proof of concept toward supply chain readiness.
Over half of the applications focused on dry proteins, a third were geared toward wet proteins, and the remaining across fats and oils; produced through plant-based processing, fermentation, insect farming, and other emerging methods. After a multistage selection process evaluating innovation, scalability, potential sustainability benefits, and commercial potential, three companies were selected. They are:
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EcoBean— This Polish company valorizes spent coffee grounds from industrial production, creating high-value ingredients for cosmetics, food, and pet applications.
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Loopworm— This Indian insect biotech company manufactures, high-performance protein and fat ingredients from silkworms using proprietary technology.
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Space Ark Biomedical— This Taiwanese company upcycles okara and brewer’s spent grain into functional protein ingredients, powered by enzyme technology and precision fermentation.
Though none are US-based, these companies are focusing on better food products for pet food and will have access to Mars Petcare staff and opportunities. The startups will receive expert guidance, access to R&D facilities, tailored opportunities and a $15,000 cash prize to refine their solutions and accelerate their path to market.
Now in its third year, the program identifies and accelerates breakthrough materials with the potential to reduce the environmental footprint of pet food, including alternative proteins, fats, oils, and novel ingredients.
