Mondelēz International’s innovation and venture hub SnackFutures has made a seed investment in Torr, an early stage Israeli food-tech company.

Torr’s proprietary technology brings “real and simple” ingredients together to offer multi-textural, sensorial experiences. Terms of the investment have not been disclosed.

SnackFutures made the investment in Torr alongside The Kitchen, Israel’s first food-tech-focused incubator powered by Strauss Group.

“Our investment in Torr validates Mondelēz International’s venture approach that began almost two years’ ago with the launch of our SnackFutures model,” says Rob Hargrove, executive vice president of research, development and quality for Mondelēz. 

“Ventures and partnerships with new, innovative organizations enable us to secure future growth, and we will continue to expand our SnackFutures approach into new markets in the future.”

Torr was founded by food scientists and culinary experts Gil De Picciotto and Yoel Benesh, and Roy Naaman, who serves as the company’s CEO.

“Through The Kitchen’s and SnackFutures’ investment, we have the opportunity to accelerate our technology platform and expand its application,” says Naaman.

“The Israeli food-tech sector is one of the most dynamic and exciting ecosystems in the world,” adds Jonathan Berger, CEO of The Kitchen.Torr’s proprietary technology brings “real and simple” ingredients together to offer multi-textural, sensorial experiences.

SnackFutures targets
In 2018, it was announced that Mondelēz was benchmarking SnackFutures to contribute US$100 million to revenue growth by 2022.

The hub is now looking to collaborate in key strategic areas of well-being snacks and related capabilities, as well as digital platforms, notes Mondelēz.

SnackFutures is behind emerging brands such as Dirt Kitchen, which specializes in vegetable snacking and CaPao, which uses cacao fruit to create smoothie balls and jerky strips in collaboration with Barry Callebaut.

Hungry for functional snacking
While out-of-home channels have taken a battering by the pandemic, the company recently highlighted the surge in sales for the at-home snacking market.

ongoing anxiety stemming from the COVID-19 outbreak will encourage consumers to prioritize their immune health into 2021, according to Innova Market Insights. The market researcher has crowned “In Tune with Immune” as its fifth Top Trend for 2021.

According to the Innova Consumer Survey 2020, six out of ten global consumers are increasingly looking for F&B products that support immune health, with one in three saying that concerns about immune health increased in 2020 compared to 2019. 

Before the pandemic, snacking and quick meals were already gaining ground through the trending “Fourth Meal” culture.