PepsiCo has announced the 10 finalists chosen to participate in the Greenhouse Accelerator Program: Juntos Crecemos (Together We Grow) Edition. The program is focused on supporting emerging Hispanic businesses that provide products, services, and technology solutions across the food and beverage industry.
The finalists represent emerging businesses in the categories of CPG products, beverages, market analytics and technology, sustainable packaging, and environmental impact and waste reduction. They include:
CHUZA Inc: (San Diego) CHUZA is a maker of fruits and vegetable snacks using Mexican spices made with no added colors or artificial flavors. The company was founded to share authentic Mexican culture, flavors, and flair with the world.
Date Better Snacks: (Los Angeles) Date Better Snacks was built as an alternative to the traditional candy bar. The Latina-owned company makes the product from scratch using Medjool dates and rainforest alliance certified 85% organic chocolate. The vegan and gluten-free snacks have less than one gram of added sugar per serving and no artificial ingredients.
Dathic: (New York) Dathic is an AI-powered platform that provides Hispanic market insights and analytics to CPG brands to help them grow sales. The company provides actionable data to help companies understand market opportunities, optimize distribution, and create authentic cultural connections with multicultural consumers.
FoodWare: (Bay Area, California) FoodWare is powering the circular economy via a tech-enabled reusables tracking system and impact accounting platform. Its mission is to eliminate all single-use food packaging - one of the biggest causes of climate change and environmental pollution.
Hyfé: (Chicago) Hyfé is a Latina-founded company that repurposes food supply chain wastewater. The company uses nutrients washed away in trillions of gallons of food manufacturing wastewater to power the creation of carbon-negative essential goods like foods, materials, and chemicals to improve the profitability and eco-friendliness of food and beverage manufacturers.
I Eat My Greens: (San Diego) I Eat My Greens provides chef-crafted, plant-based soups made with fresh, whole-food ingredients.
Katrina Brewing Co: (Miami) Katrina Brewing Co is the first craft non-alcoholic beer that brings an authentic artisanal Mexican option to the emerging non-alcoholic beer sector.
Pisqueya: (Brooklyn, New York) Pisqueya is a first-generation, woman-owned, Latinx-American food company that offers a premium line of hot sauces and seasonings.
Tia Lupita Foods: (Los Angeles) Tia Lupita Foods is the first brand in the United States to introduce nopales (cactus) as an alternative functional and sustainable ingredient in its line of grain-free tortilla chips and tortillas. The line of low glycemic products helps reduce water waste and food production carbon footprint.
True Spirit Beverage Company: (Tucson, Arizona) Hispanic-founded PARCH is the world's first line of non-alcoholic, vegan, gluten-free, all-natural agave cocktails infused with desert botanicals and adaptogens.
This edition of the Greenhouse Accelerator has partnered with PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos - a multifaceted platform designed to provide short and long-term support to Hispanic small businesses over five years.
These businesses were chosen through a selection process that evaluated their potential to bring forth innovative packaged goods and transformative solutions to improve consumer experience, sustainability, and efficiency across the food and beverage industry.
"We're excited to continue helping to fuel the growth of these Hispanic small businesses, not only through financial support, but also by providing them access to top-of-the-line mentorship and business resources," said Esperanza Teasdale, vice president and general manager of Hispanic Business Unit, PepsiCo Beverages North America, in a statement. “Through the Greenhouse Accelerator Program: Juntos Crecemos Edition, we're committed to helping even more businesses grow faster and sustain their long-term performance."
In addition to receiving the $20,000 grant and mentorship, the finalists will have an opportunity to recieve more funding later this year. In August, each will have a chance to showcase the progress made as a result of the support received from the Greenhouse Accelerator via a virtual event in front of an evaluation committee. In November, a selection committee will award the business with the highest potential an additional $100,000 to continue its expansion and opportunities to work with PepsiCo and Juntos Crecemos.
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