Big Idea Ventures and Mars Petcare, together with partners AAK, Bühler, and Givaudan, have selected three pioneering startups for the 2025 Next Generation Pet Food Program. The initiative identifies and accelerates breakthrough technologies in biotech-based ingredients, essential nutrients, and circular feed innovations — shaping a more sustainable and resilient future for pet nutrition.This year’s program attracted 165 applications from 39 countries — nearly half from Asia — reflecting the growing global momentum behind sustainable food development and pet care innovation. After a rigorous multistage selection process, evaluating innovation, scalability, sustainability impact, and commercial potential, three outstanding startups have been selected for this year’s cohort.
The selected companies are:
- ALT-PRO Advantage: This Canadian company is a microalgae platform using illuminated fermentation to naturally produce and optimize essential nutrients like taurine and arachidonic acid for pet food, and other feed and food applications.
- Seaqure Labs: This Swedish company is a biotech startup that develops fungi-based, circular aquafeed ingredients by upcycling industrial sidestreams via mycelium, aiming to reduce environmental impact while providing high-quality nutrition for fish and other animals.
- Terramatter: This Indian company uses industrial side streams and emissions to produce functional ingredients through fermentation. Their fermented proteins serve as sustainable alternatives for plant-based meat, pet food, aqua feed and supplements.
Together, these companies showcase how biotechnology and circular innovation can unlock new sources of essential nutrients, proteins, and functional ingredients for the pet food industry.
“Pet nutrition is evolving through science and sustainability; these startups are driving that transformation,” said Andrew D. Ive, Founder and general managing partner at Big Idea Ventures. “At Big Idea Ventures, we help founders turn big ideas into global breakthroughs by working with Mars Petcare and our partners around the world. Together, we will work to develop innovative ingredients that have a more positive impact on pets, people, and the environment.”
“Reimagining the future of pet food demands bold innovation. Each of the startups bring cutting-edge solutions to the pet food industry, delivering solutions that can reduce environmental impact and address concerns about ingredient accessibility and security. I’m eager to witness the breakthroughs these forward-thinking partnerships will deliver,” said Elisabetta Pierangelo, global vice president R&D, Mars Pet Nutrition.
The startups will benefit from world class mentorship, access to cutting edge R&D facilities, and tailored opportunities for strategic partnerships with Mars Petcare, Big Idea Ventures, AAK, Bühler, and Givaudan. Together, they will work to refine their solutions and accelerate their path to market.
The program will culminate at the Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit in Singapore (November 4-6, 2025), where the cohort will pitch on stage to an international audience of industry leaders, investors, and decision makers, with a goal of opening doors to global visibility, investment, and commercial growth.
For more information about the Next Generation Pet Food Program, visit bigideaventures.com/
