Mission Ventures, the UK-based accelerator operator, has launched a programme geared toward supporting nascent meals corporations providing better-for-you-products.
The Good Meals Programme (GFP) will assist ten healthier-option challenger manufacturers with the intention of serving to them attain grocery store cabinets at an inexpensive value level.
Mission Ventures is in search of functions from UK or EU corporations which have created, or which have the potential to develop, merchandise more healthy than current choices.
The accelerator was established by three entrepreneurs from the UK meals sector: Plum Child co-founder Paddy Willis; John Stapleton, co-founder of New Covent Backyard Soup and Little Dish; and Nigel Parrott, co-founder of Ape Snacks.
Mission Ventures has backed SME meals companies in its personal proper, together with through a earlier programme geared toward tackling childhood weight problems via supporting fledgling more healthy meals corporations. The accelerator additionally teamed up with UK bakery main Warburtons in July 2020 to type Batch Ventures, which backs bakery sector start-ups.
For its new programme, Mission Ventures has joined forces with Impression on City Well being (IoUH), a part of Man’s & St. Thomas’ Basis.
It follows a pilot that was launched in 2020 and culminated earlier this yr. 13 more healthy challenger manufacturers underwent an accelerator programme and/or acquired funding through the investor-backed Good Meals Fund. Half of the manufacturers have since secured grocery store listings, Mission Ventures mentioned.
The cohort included more healthy doughnut agency City Legend, Rootle’s vegetable and chocolate biscuits, Jim Jams’ chocolate unfold and Insane Grain’s grain crisps.
The programme is geared toward making more healthy meals choices extra broadly out there and accessible, notably to households on decrease incomes. Mission Ventures mentioned.
Ten founders of “progressive” foods and drinks start-ups will profit from as much as GBP15,000 (US$17,593) of equity-free funding and two years of name and enterprise assist to speed up progress.
The programme will begin this autumn and run for 2 years till the identical time in 2024.
Louis Bedwell, managing director at Mission Ventures, mentioned: “We all know customers need the choice to purchase more healthy meals however they have to be inexpensive and interesting. This programme proves it’s attainable.
“Investing in more healthy challenger manufacturers and making their merchandise extra broadly out there on cabinets is one answer to serving to households devour a greater weight-reduction plan, moderately than anticipating them to alter entrenched procuring habits or ignore the fixed onslaught of promotions for unhealthy merchandise.
“Whereas HFSS rules are going some approach to sort out this, it actually is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how trade may also help meaningfully enhance the nation’s well being.”
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