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Unleashing impactful innovations in pet care

woman with dog

Nestlé has launched Unleashed , a new accelerator program in petcare. The Nestlé Purina program is part of the global initiative to accelerate innovation, addressing fast-changing consumer needs and major challenges linked to the future of food and nutrition. The program aims to identify and support dynamic and creative start-ups that integrate science and technologies into innovative products and services for pets.

Unleashed leverages Nestlé Purina's Research and Development expertise and its commercial reach to foster the growth of selected start-ups. Starting in July 2020, the program gives start-ups access to pet health and nutrition expertise, proof of concept funding, as well as established commercial networks.

Dan Smith, Vice President, Research and Development, Nestlé Purina said: "Unleashed contributes to building an ecosystem in pet care where experts and innovators come together and help promote pet health and wellbeing, creating better lives for pets and the people who love them."

"In addition to support, advice and funding to prove their concept, start-ups will have access to a wide range of competences at Nestlé Purina, including training, learning and networking opportunities. We want to facilitate connections with our businesses to help the start-ups find synergies and inspiration."

Unleashed is calling for start-ups with a creative mindset and promising technologies including in the areas of personalized nutrition, proactive health & wellness and sustainable solutions including packaging.

Start-ups will be evaluated for the relevance of their business idea, scalability and business model sustainability. They will be supported by a Nestlé Purina multi-disciplinary team to help them validate their concepts within 6 months. Each selected start-up will receive funding up to CHF 50,000. Applications for the first call will close on the 31st of March 2020. The program is starting in Europe, Middle East and North Africa.

Unleashed is a spin-off from the global acceleration program that was kicked off last year with the creation of the Nestlé R&D Accelerator in Lausanne, Switzerland, that was established with the objective of rapidly translating innovative ideas and concepts into new products and services across business categories. The Nestlé R&D Accelerator provides scientists, students and start-ups access to Nestlé R&D expertise and infrastructure.