Tetra Pak Call for pilot projects 2024 – Innovative food ingredients
Are you a food tech innovator looking to take your groundbreaking ingredient to the next level?
Tetra Pak Processing Solutions & Equipment (PSE) is offering an incredible opportunity for startups to partner with us on exciting pilot projects aimed at reshaping the future of sustainable food systems.
Why Collaborate with Tetra Pak?
At Tetra Pak, we understand the challenges faced by startups because we began as one ourselves.
Today, we lead the way in food processing and packaging for over 5,000 global customers, including giants like Nestlé, Danone, and PepsiCo.
But we’re not stopping there—our vision is to create a truly sustainable food system for the future. We can’t achieve this alone, which is why we need YOU.
Looking towards 2030, we have ambitious targets related to sustainability, food safety, and health. We’re looking for startups that are ready to begin pilot projects focused on food ingredients.
Whether you're working on an affordable cocoa powder replacement or creating nutraceutical ingredients for fitness and performance, this is your chance to collaborate with a global leader and make a real impact.
Current Opportunities
We are currently seeking pilot projects in the following areas:
✓ Affordable Cocoa Powder Replacements: Must deliver great taste at a lower cost, with bonus points for upcycled ingredients.
✓ Nutraceutical Ingredients for Fitness Performance: Applications for ambient beverages, including:
- Weight loss bioactive compounds
- Muscle recovery and performance
- Hydration Cellular nutrition
- Boosting endurance
What’s in it for You?
Fast-Track Your Development
✓ Work side-by-side with Tetra Pak’s world-class engineers, food technologists, and process specialists to refine and scale your solution.
✓ Through Tetra Pak’s core technology get access to industrial-size test lines and cutting-edge equipment to mix, heat, cool, homogenize, and more.
✓ Use our Product Development Centers (PDCs) located worldwide, and leverage our technical infrastructure to accelerate your growth.
Unlock New Business Opportunities
✓ Challenge your solution with insights from business development and sales experts.
✓ Gain access to Tetra Pak’s global network of partners, customers, and suppliers, opening doors to exciting market opportunities.
✓ Position your startup as a preferred supplier in a fast-growing, high-demand industry.
Retain Control of Your IP
✓ Your intellectual property stays 100% yours. Tetra Pak in this project is focused on collaboration, not acquisition, so you can innovate freely with the peace of mind that your ideas are protected.
Why Now?
The future of food depends on innovation—and innovation thrives on collaboration. With Tetra Pak covering the production cost of the pilot project and offering access to world-class facilities and a global network, this is an opportunity you simply can’t miss.
In the past four years, with the support from Accelerace, Tetra Pak Processing held 25 explorations, 13 of which resulted in multiple pilots. Some startups even became direct suppliers to Tetra Pak customers, benefiting from product development at our PDCs and access to market knowledge and industry insights from our experts.
Why is Tetra Pak PSE an interesting partner for you?
We provide advanced food manufacturing solutions that complete Tetra Pak’s end-to-end offering to the food and beverage industry, fulfilling our commitment to “make food safe and available, everywhere”. Our food processing equipment covers applications such as dairy, cheese, ice cream, beverages, powder, and prepared food, serving over 5000 customers worldwide including Fortune 5000 companies. Committing to ‘Protect What’s Good’, we aim to continue pushing for sustainable food systems.
How to Apply
Don’t wait—this is your moment to accelerate your business. Tetra Pak is reviewing applications on an ongoing basis. The sooner you apply, the higher your chances of receiving application feedback. Submit your application now and get ready to transform the future of food.
November 22
Application deadline.
November 29
Selected startups will be notified and need to send product samples (if relevant) to Accelerace (Fruebjergvej 3, 2100 Copenhagen) by December 13.
December 17 (10:00–15:00 CET)
Selection Day (online), where selected startups will pitch their ideas to Tetra Pak’s higher management team.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Tetra Pak covers all production-related costs, but startup companies are still responsible for providing their ingredient, including the cost of the ingredient and its delivery. Additionally, startups must cover any travel expenses on their end, such as attending in-person trials if they choose to do so. Online is preferred option.
No, Tetra Pak does not take equity in participating startups. This pilot project is for collaboration, not investment.
Yes, all intellectual property related to the ingredient remains with the startups. Tetra Pak ensures IP protection by signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) before any detailed discussions.
Tetra Pak has Product Development Centers (PDCs) worldwide, including in Asia, Europe, and North America. Startups can participate remotely through live broadcasting, allowing for real-time trials without needing to travel.
Best startups should be at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 or higher, with sufficient volume of your ingredient to run a pilot trial of 300kg product batch size. The required volume of the ingredient, however, depends on the recipe.
We are only looking for ingredients that can be applied to new food products. If the startup produces supplement powder for the consumers (B2C) we need to evaluate if it’s applicable to beverages, but these can be included.
Tetra Pak offers extensive support, including access to process engineers, food technologists, and state-of-the-art pilot processing, packaging and lab facilities. Startups will also benefit from Tetra Pak’s global network of suppliers and customers, if relevant.
Tetra Pak is committed to creating sustainable solutions for the global food industry. Partnering with startups helps us explore innovative ingredients that align with our vision of a more sustainable food system.
Startups are selected based on their innovation potential, alignment with Tetra Pak’s goals, and readiness for a pilot project. Once selected, startups will work with our team to define the scope and objectives of the pilot.
While sustainability is a key focus, it’s not mandatory. Ingredients that contribute to solving sustainability challenges are highly valued.
Innovations that we create and will collaborate together on will be shown at different conferences and to our global customer base.
Accelerace helps Tetra Pak identify and connect with the most relevant startups. However, the final selection of startups and any further discussions regarding the collaboration are handled solely between Tetra Pak and the startup.
After the pilot, startups may continue working with Tetra Pak through further product development or by joining our supplier network. The next steps will be mutually agreed upon based on the success of the pilot. Successful pilots can lead to long-term collaborations.