Food and beverage giant PepsiCo has announced the names of the 10 startups selected to participate in the first edition of its Greenhouse Accelerator programme in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, following a meticulous multi-stage judging process.
The programme was formalised in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry, PepsiCo, and Dubai’s ambitious Food Tech Valley, a project aimed at tripling UAE’s food production and positioning it as a global destination for the industry. The ceremony was attended by high-ranking government officials, including HE Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment. With this PepsiCo became the first global company to enter into a partnership with Food Tech Valley.
A specially curated selection committee of all the three partners ranked the startups across key criteria including sustainability alignment to PepsiCo Positive (pep+) – the company’s strategic end-to-end transformation framework – scalability, relevance to the MENA region, and potential for breakthrough.
Startup companies that are accelerating environmental sustainability in the food and beverage industry through disruptive technologies by way of sustainable packaging alternatives, reduced packaging, recycling processes, and sustainable recycling behaviour medication were the most sought after.
The programme, active globally since 2017, has already received around 70 applications from aspiring startups in the MENA region for the six-month initiative seeking to enhance innovation and sustainability through collaboration with purpose-driven brands from the MENA startup ecosystem that shares PepsiCo’s vision for a more sustainable food system.
The 10 chosen companies will receive a cash grant of $20,000 to support their businesses, and individual guidance from experts from PepsiCo and the Food Tech Valley project. At the end of the programme, the winning startup will receive a grant of $100,000 from PepsiCo, as well as gain access to a growing network of experts, investors, and logistical facilities to support its growth by building its capabilities.
Climate Change and Environment Minister Almheiri spoke of her delight to support PepsiCo’s programme. “Innovative entrepreneurs are proving their worth in addressing growing global challenges, and their startups are rich sources of innovative solutions to pressing economic and environmental sustainability issues. The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment is pleased to be a key partner of the Greenhouse Accelerator programme, which aims to harness the efforts of startups in favour of the sustainability of the food sector. This initiative is in line with the UAE’s transformation towards a circular economy, setting a leading example of the contributions provided by the Food Tech Valley project and PepsiCo in this transformation that has a positive impact for the good of humanity and the planet.”
Aamer Sheikh, CEO of PepsiCo Middle East, says, “The PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator is a living example of our efforts to build a positive value chain and prioritize diversity and recycling through PepsiCo Positive (pep+), our strategic framework for comprehensive transformation. We have received many requests from a distinguished group of startups innovating in the field of sustainable packaging, and we look forward to providing them with all the necessary support over the next six months to enable them to reach their fullest potential, in line with the region’s efforts to grow new and cutting-edge businesses. In this context, we are pleased to welcome the support of the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and Food Tech Valley for this prominent edition of the Greenhouse Accelerator programme.”
Hesham Abdulla Al Qassim, CEO of wasl Asset Management Group and developer of Food Tech Valley project, adds, “The small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the MENA region continues to record remarkable growth with many innovative businesses taking their work to new levels. We are proud to sign this MoU to support PepsiCo’s Greenhouse Accelerator programme and assist innovative businesses in the region. We see this type of initiatives as an important tool to support our country and the economic diversification plans that our government aspires to, as it gives individuals and pioneering startups the opportunity to showcase their innovative solutions to build a sustainable future. We pledge to do our utmost to support the winning companies, and we look forward to seeing their future sustainable ideas.”
The programme includes a one-on-one mentorship session that allows entrepreneurs to benefit from PepsiCo and the Food Tech Valley project, who will share their expertise and guidance on research and development, business models, product development, regulatory practices, and market activation. Their expertise can also be used to overcome obstacles companies face at the level of supply chain, marketing, distribution, manufacturing, packaging, labelling, acquiring franchises, and other elements of their operations.
The selected startups had the opportunity to showcase their innovations to seasoned professionals in the technology industry at Step Conference, a major regional event which celebrated its 10-year anniversary with the Step Conference 2022, held in-person on 23-24 February, 2022, in Dubai with PepsiCo’s sponsorship and participation.
