Bühler, Cargill, Givaudan, and PURIS have joined forces to help accelerate startups that are innovating in sustainable plant-based proteins and provide them with the opportunity to bring their projects to market more quickly, with a new pitching contest called The Scale It Up Innovation Challenge.
The Scale It Up Innovation Challenge is taking idea submissions until this Wednesday, August 4th. Companies wishing to enter the challenge can register at scale-it-up.org. On August 6, the top 15 projects will be selected by a panel of experts from the four partner companies. One winner and one runner-up will be chosen and provided ongoing support that will help them scale their product for market introduction.
The Scale It Up Innovation Challenge will provide resources, mentorship, and expertise to startups which register and submit their project in order to gain visibility in the plant-based protein ecosystem and network with others on a similar journey. The top 15 startups selected in the first round will pitch their proposals to the partner companies virtually and five companies will gain access to the partner companies’ testing and scale up piloting facilities in Minneapolis.
“All four companies are dedicated to helping solve the coming protein gap,” says Yannick Gaechter, Director of Bühler’s Food Application Center. “The Scale It Up Innovation Challenge is designed to really accelerate those start-ups who are also working to close that gap.”
“Many of these start-ups struggle when it comes the critical stage of getting to market,” says Chris Thoen, Bühler’s North American Innovation Director. “We created this challenge to help them bridge the gap to commercialization.”
“This challenge, and this partnership between our companies, is unique in this industry,” says Julie Mann, PURIS Chief Innovation Officer. “Innovating a sustainable food supply is at the core of the PURIS mission. This challenge provides an excellent opportunity for a start-up to work alongside a like-minded leader in the food industry.”
Start-ups wishing to participate in the Scale It Up Innovation Challenge should visit scale-it-up.org and sign up before the August 4 deadline
