Mondelēz International’s innovation and venture hub, SnackFutures, has seleced the nine winning start-up companies of its CoLab program, an engagement scheme for early-stage snack brands with health and wellness positionings. 

The winners will receive US$20,000, along with customized support, collaboration with experts and mentorship for their challenges and growth priorities. 

Launched earlier this year, the CoLab initiative aims to drive entrepreneurship in the healthy snacking segment by “pairing big and small” and providing new companies with the technology and networks they need to progress. 

Speaking to NutritionInsight, Laura Schulman, the president and founder of Future Food Strategies, a consultancy firm involved in the program, says the objective is to “create a snacking world that is good for people, kind to the planet and deliciously fun.”

“We received nearly 200 applications from really great start-ups around the US with some really innovative snack ideas. We vetted them through our criteria of well-being, revenue, distribution and ensuring they could benefit from Mondelēz expertise.”

The winning start-ups include: 

12 Tides Kelp Chips 
Founded by former seafood industry players Pat Schnettler and Lindsey Palmer, 12 Tides’ flagship project is marketed as the “world’s first regenerative snack from the ocean,” the Puffed Kelp Chip. 

Palmer tells NutritionInsight the snack’s “ultra sustainable and nutrient-dense” properties make it a “market first.” 

“Kelp is a zero input crop that requires no pesticides, no fertilizers, no arable land and no fresh water, making it one of the most resource-efficient foods on the planet. It also removes carbon dioxide from our oceans, improving the water quality for marine life.”

Schnettler’s work with large-scale commercial fishing and aquaculture made him witness first-hand the negative impact humans are having on the oceans, Palmer says – namely overfishing, pollution and coastline destruction. 

“With 12 Tides, we set out to make foods that have a positive impact on our oceans, rather than a negative one.”

Numa 
Numa, which means “daughter and mother” in Chinese, was created by the duo Jane Xie and Joyce Zhu “to honor heritage through healthier versions of their favorite childhood candies from Asia.”

The pair are now making traditional Asian candy from a small facility in Pennsylvania, US, after creating ideas in their home kitchen. An autoimmune disorder that forces them to eat clean, limited sugar foods also drove their desire to reimagine Asian candy. 

“We are proud to honor traditional production methods in our small-batch facility in Pennsylvania and be an equal opportunity employer, opening up opportunities to all, especially disadvantaged immigrant women,” they write. 

NuSkool’s MCT bars, promoting the keto diet as an answer to cardiovascular diseases.Current products include handmade taffy, nougat and peanut butter bars. 

Sourse
Declaring that the supplement industry is “broken,” the founders of Sourse, a vitamin-infused candy business, say they are working to make supplementation more accessible to everyday consumers. 

In the company’s first product range are Hype Bites, are dark chocolates containing 250 mcg of vitamin B12 to improve mood, energy and brain function. Also, Glow Bites, infused with plant-based collagen, are positioned to improve skin quality. 

NuSkool 
Founded by two friends as a response to the impact of obesity and heart disease on their friends and family, NuSkool is a healthy snacking company promoting keto-certified, gluten-free, low-carb snack bars. 

Available in various natural flavors, each product is made with fruits, spices, nut butter and medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). 

“We know that making big changes can feel daunting and overwhelming. But we also know that little changes can make a huge impact over time,” say the founders. 

Snacking surges 
The CoLab program lands as industry is seeing a steady surge in popularity, with a rise in health and wellness NPD. 

FoodIngredientsFirst reported last year that the COVID-19 pandemic has driven consumption of snacking products, with Mondelēz research showing 40 percent of people have been eating more snack foods since the outbreak began. 

Meanwhile, 25 percent of those are finding comfort in chocolate, 25 percent are drinking more soda, and 20 percent are consuming more alcohol.

Similarly, Innova Market Insights has found that busy lifestyles are leading to a “fourth meal” culture of on-the-go snacking, with 63 percent of Millennials reporting they replac meals with snacks because they are busy. 

According to the market researcher, this is creating an increasingly lucrative space for wholesome, healthy snacking options.