Big Idea Ventures and Mars Petcare have launched the third edition of the Next Generation Pet Food Program, with applications open to companies worldwide, particularly those with scalable solutions in or targeting the Asia-Pacific region. The program places a greater emphasis on the APAC region this year, offering selected startups the opportunity to present at the Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit in Singapore, along with $15,000 in funding and access to expert guidance and potential commercial partnerships. The program focuses on alternative proteins, novel fats and oils, and other low-carbon ingredients for pet food, bridging the gap between the human food and pet food sectors to accelerate adoption and create a more efficient path to commercial reality.

The program has seen early-stage results over the past two years, with alumni companies testing sustainable pet food formulations. Mars Petcare's Raws4Paws Accelerator is involved in sourcing next-generation ingredients for pet food to address sustainability and shifting consumer expectations in the industry. Elisabetta Pierangelo, VP R&D at Mars Pet Nutrition, expressed commitment to exploring new technologies and scaling innovation to reduce the environmental impact of pet food, building on the momentum from previous cohorts and looking forward to the breakthroughs that the 2026 program will bring. Applications for the third cohort are open through the Big Idea Ventures website for interested companies.