Mondelēz International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MDLZ) announced 10 companies selected for its second CoLab Tech program, an accelerator led by the global snack company’s research and development team. This year’s cohort represents technologies that can help advance the future of snacking in areas such as cocoa processing solutions, well-being snacks and ingredients, more sustainable packaging and manufacturing, and elevated sensory experiences.
Development of innovative technologies is important as consumers increasingly prioritize snacking. Mondelēz’s 2024 State of Snacking Report revealed that, over the last five years, six in 10 consumers increasingly prefer snacks to traditional meals. With demand for snacking anticipated to continue to grow, new, innovative technologies are important catalysts to help maintain and drive continued growth. CoLab Tech was created to help Mondelēz advance its “Vision 2030” growth agenda by identifying emerging technologies with new capabilities and helping accelerate and scale those technologies for possible future use by the company in its mission to lead the future of snacking.
“As one of the world’s largest snack companies, we are thinking creatively – including by seeking access to the newest technologies – to be ready and able to meet the opportunities we see coming in snacking,” said Ian Noble, Vice President for Global Ingredient Research & Development at Mondelēz International. “This year’s CoLab Tech cohort brings exciting, disruptive technologies across the entire value chain. We are very eager to work with and learn from them, while also providing the resources and expertise that can help enable them to grow and scale.”
This year’s CoLab Tech program received nearly 100 applications from all over the globe. The 10 companies selected were:
- Enginzyme: This Sweden-based company uses enzyme technology to create a prebiotic trisaccharide, or ‘gut friendly sugar’ that can also lower overall sugar content and calories without compromising the taste and texture of the end product.
- Bread Free: This Spain-based company developed technology in the gluten free category that essentially neutralizes the gluten in wheat flour to deliver the same eating experience as mainstream baked goods and snacks, but without gluten.
- Enjay Systems: This Sweden-based company is the first in the world to create a system that can recover and recycle waste heat generated by manufacturing facilities, restaurants and other exhaust sources, and then re-introduce it into the production cycle as a new energy/heating source that also lowers CO2 emissions.
- hs-tumbler GmbH: This Germany-based company has created a ‘new age industrial mixer’ that is a faster, gentler way of stirring, rolling and mixing ingredients. It can be programmed to the specific ingredients used to deliver more consistent, smooth end products.
- Kokomondo: This Israel-based company uses cell-cultured technology to create more sustainable, premium cocoa powder. Kokomondo is unique in its large collection of seeds, and ability to extract cells from premium varieties of cacao that are specifically chosen for the desired flavor and aroma.
- Luminescent: This Israel-based company uses an isothermal technology that uses liquid instead of gas to convert heat into zero-emission electricity. In addition to being a more sustainable energy source, this system doubles efficiency while cutting costs in half.
- Outlander Materials: This Netherlands-based company has created a technology that upcycles food industry waste into a flexible, lightweight packaging alternative to single-use plastics. The company’s product, “Unplastic,” is compostable, toxin free and has a 70% lower carbon footprint than conventional films.
- Savor: This United States-based company’s technology can produce fat and oil molecules using 1,000 times less energy than commodity agricultural production, and at economic parity with the production of tropical oils such as coconut and palm. Savor is able to use its process to deliver net-zero, deforestation-free fats.
- Tasteomics: This Switzerland-based company has created “Peakaroma” – a plant-based product that takes the Kokumi flavor and sensory experience to new, novel levels. Kokumi is a compound that enhances flavor intensity and mouthfeel of packaged foods. Peakaroma can take that sensation beyond current levels, with the added potential of reducing MSG, fat and calories with no impact on the flavor.
- Yangi: This Sweden-based company’s dry foaming technology can produce 3D packaging that can be better molded to the product, requires no added water, and uses less energy. This creates a better user experience while reducing CO2 by 75 percent.
About Mondelēz International
Mondelēz International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MDLZ) empowers people to snack right in over 150 countries around the world. With 2023 net revenues of approximately $36 billion, MDLZ is leading the future of snacking with iconic global and local brands such as OREO, RITZ, LU, CLIF BAR and TATE'S BAKE SHOP biscuits and baked snacks, as well as CADBURY DAIRY MILK, MILKA and TOBLERONE chocolate. Mondelēz International is a proud member of the Standard and Poor's 500, Nasdaq 100 and Dow Jones Sustainability Index.