Accelerate Sustainability, Drive Innovation

Tell us about the Greenhouse Accelerator program and how it has helped previous winners.
The PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator is a global mentor-led accelerator program that helps startups grow through collaboration, investment and fostering innovation. Launched in Europe in 2017, the PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator program, which has rolled out five editions, sees 48 emerging start-up brands collectively achieve more than his $20 million in revenue growth. I’m here.

Over the past five years in other markets, the program has invited 48 companies to participate in a six-month mentorship experience. One company gets her $100,000 each year.

In partnership with the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Climate Change and the Environment (MOCCAE) and the Food Tech Valley, the first MENA edition will launch in November 2021, with 10 companies in the region sharing the company’s vision for a more sustainable food system. supported In his 2021-2022 edition of this year’s Greenhouse Accelerator program, PepsiCo has adopted an approach that works with small businesses to champion sustainability and drive innovation.

As one of the largest food and beverage companies in the region, we play a key role in helping build a circular and inclusive value chain that encourages people to make positive choices for the planet. is aware of Innovation is a key part of our efforts to build a more sustainable food system. We want to nurture the next generation of innovators by helping start-ups and entrepreneurs launch and grow new businesses that will change the future of the global food supply chain.

Why is it important to work with startups, especially in areas such as sustainability, agriculture and the circular economy?
At PepsiCo, we believe that great solutions are built and started together. Through PepsiCo Positive (pep+), our global end-to-end strategic framework, by contributing to a more circular, inclusive and sustainable packaging supply chain, with our vision that plastic never becomes waste. , strives to build a positive value chain. Bringing the Greenhouse Accelerator program to the region and setting the first edition’s theme around the circular economy was a natural step in this journey.

An interesting MAGNiTT study I read recently found that startups in the region raised over $1.2 billion in the first half of 2021. This presents the potential to drive broader economic growth.

Collaborating with start-ups is a great way to engage directly with founders who are driving the sustainability agenda with their innovative perspectives and ideas. As we strive to drive a circular economy in the region, this program will be agile and empower stakeholders across the value chain to create systems and proactive initiatives that truly drive this forward. It has helped us identify like-minded partners who can create meaningful incentives. Change.

Who can apply?
We encouraged early stage growth start-ups and SMEs from across the region to apply. There were some minimum requirements such as:

• They had to be a licensed business in one of the participating MENA region countries
• Final fiscal year sales must be within a certain range or you must have a validated prototype ready for market use within the next six months.
• They had to be willing to work with the leadership of PepsiCo’s Greenhouse Accelerator.
• They had to have ideas and innovations that could meet the edition specified for them

What did you look for in a startup that won the latest MENA edition?
The winners were selected by a diverse judging panel that included senior partners at Global Ventures, senior officials from Saudi Arabia-based SABIC’s Technology & Innovation Department, co-founders of VentureSouq, and chief sustainability officers at Bee’ah. I was. , is a representative of the Arab Youth Council for Climate Change and leads sustainability for PepsiCo in the region.

They tracked several things, including growth in startup revenue volume compared to last year, most effective use of the first $20,000 grant, working with mentors over the last six months, and progress based on the top two goals. We considered the key criteria of

But I think what made the winners, Nadeera, stand out is that they are trying to change the way waste is recycled in their communities. The most important issue in advancing the circular economy is finding ways to encourage consumers to recycle more and responsibly sort their waste.

READ: UAE startup Nadeera receives $100,000 grant from PepsiCo to expand circular economy solutions

Nadeera’s product ‘Yalla Return’ is the first ‘Trash for Cash’ system in the MENA region, offering cash rewards based on the number of recyclable items collected by customers.

Supporting great initiatives such as Yalla Return is integral to our pep+ journey and was realized in Lebanon earlier this year. This is a great partnership to help build a circular economy, provide innovative solutions for plastic waste collection and recycling, and support local communities.

When will you announce the next cohort?
The Greenhouse Accelerator MENA Sustainability Edition program is a three-year initiative that will ultimately help PepsiCo achieve zero net emissions by 2040 and be net water positive in line with pep+ goals by 2030 Identify solutions for agriculture and water management. Details of the next event will be announced soon, so please look forward to it.