Big Idea Ventures and Mars Petcare select three startups for Next Generation Pet Food Program
Big Idea Ventures and Mars Petcare, with partners AAK, Bühler, Givaudan and Ingredion, have selected three startups for the 2026 Next Generation Pet Food Program. Now in its third year, the initiative identifies and accelerates alternative proteins, fats, oils and novel ingredients with the potential to reduce the environmental footprint of pet food.
Applications by ingredient type
The 2026 call attracted 83 applications from 33 countries, with nearly half from the Asia-Pacific region. The release says this reflects the program’s deliberate expansion in Asia and the region’s growing role in ingredient innovation focused on sustainability challenges. Applicants faced stricter criteria and a request for ventures with a higher level of commercial maturity, and the cohort signalled a transition from proof of concept towards supply chain readiness.
Over half of the applications focused on dry proteins and a third on wet proteins, with the remainder across fats and oils. They were produced through plant-based processing, fermentation, insect farming and other emerging methods. A multistage selection process evaluated innovation, scalability, potential sustainability benefits and commercial potential.
The 2026 cohort
EcoBean, a Polish company, valorises spent coffee grounds from industrial production to create high-value ingredients for cosmetics, food and pet applications. Loopworm, an Indian insect biotech company, manufactures high-performance protein and fat ingredients from silkworms using proprietary technology. Space Ark Biomedical, a Taiwanese company, upcycles okara and brewer’s spent grain into functional protein ingredients, using enzyme technology and precision fermentation.
Together the cohort shows how side-stream valorisation, insect biotechnology and fermentation can unlock new sources of protein and functional ingredients for pet nutrition, each drawing on feedstocks that are abundant or underused in existing industrial supply chains.
“This program is a powerful opportunity to bring together ingredient innovators, scientists, manufacturers and industry experts around a common goal. Together, we’re focused on accelerating innovation and turning promising ideas into scalable solutions that could help advance pet food systems with a lower environmental footprint and deliver high-quality nutrition,” said Elisabetta Pierangelo, VP R&D, Mars Pet Nutrition.
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.
The program will culminate at the Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit in Singapore on 27-29 October 2026, where the cohort will pitch to an international audience of industry leaders, investors and decision makers.
“What makes this program powerful is the ecosystem behind it. By bringing together breakthrough science, industry expertise, and strategic partners, we can help de-risk promising innovations, validate their commercial potential, and accelerate their path into real-world supply chains. Together with Mars Petcare and our partners around the world, we’re helping build the capabilities needed to scale the future of pet food,” said Andrew D. Ive, Founder and Managing General Partner at Big Idea Ventures.
More information is available at bigideaventures.com/pet-food-program.