Big Idea Ventures and Mars Petcare pick three startups to reshape pet food ingredients

Big Idea Ventures and Mars Petcare have selected three startups working across side-stream valorization, insect biotechnology and fermentation for the 2026 Next Generation Pet Food Program, following 83 applications from 33 countries.

• EcoBean, Loopworm and Space Ark Biomedical were selected from 83 applications spanning 33 countries for the third edition of the pet food innovation program.
• The three startups are developing ingredients from spent coffee grounds, silkworms, okara and brewer's spent grain, targeting new protein, fat and functional ingredient sources.
• Each company will receive technical and commercial support, access to R&D facilities and a US$15,000 cash prize before pitching in Singapore in October.

Run in collaboration with AAK, Bühler, Givaudan and Ingredion, the program is intended to accelerate proteins, fats, oils and other ingredients with the potential to reduce the environmental footprint of pet food.

This year's application pool reflected a push toward technologies with greater commercial maturity. According to the organizers, applicants faced stricter entry criteria, with the program looking beyond proof-of-concept technologies toward ventures demonstrating greater readiness for integration into supply chains.

Almost half of the applications came from the Asia-Pacific region following the program's expansion in Asia. More than half of all submissions focused on dry proteins, around one-third targeted wet proteins, with the remainder covering fats and oils.

Technologies represented across the applications included plant-based processing, fermentation, insect farming and other emerging production methods.

Following a multistage selection process assessing innovation, scalability, potential sustainability benefits and commercial potential, the organizers chose three companies representing different approaches to sourcing ingredients.

Poland-based EcoBean valorizes spent coffee grounds from industrial production, turning the side stream into ingredients for applications including cosmetics, food and pet products.

Indian insect biotechnology company Loopworm produces protein and fat ingredients from silkworms using its proprietary processing technology.

Taiwan's Space Ark Biomedical, meanwhile, combines enzyme technology and precision fermentation to upcycle okara and brewer's spent grain into functional protein ingredients. Okara is the fiber-rich pulp left after the production of soy milk and tofu.

Together, the three businesses reflect growing interest in using underused industrial side streams and alternative biological production systems as potential sources of pet food ingredients.

"This program is a powerful opportunity to bring together ingredient innovators, scientists, manufacturers and industry experts around a common goal," said Elisabetta Pierangelo, VP R&D, Mars Pet Nutrition. "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."

The involvement of AAK, Bühler, Givaudan and Ingredion gives the selected companies access to expertise spanning ingredient development, processing, flavor and formulation alongside the support of Mars Petcare and Big Idea Ventures.

"The next generation of pet nutrition will be shaped by technologies that have the potential to reduce environmental impacts while maintaining performance," said Andrew D. Ive, Founder and Managing General Partner at Big Idea Ventures.

"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."

Each startup will receive expert guidance, access to R&D facilities and tailored development opportunities during the program, as well as a US$15,000 cash prize to support further refinement of its technology and route to market.

The 2026 program will conclude at the Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit in Singapore from October 27-29, where EcoBean, Loopworm and Space Ark Biomedical will pitch their technologies to an international audience of industry executives, investors and other decision makers.

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