USA- SnackFutures, the innovation and venture hub at Mondelez International, Inc., has opened applications for its startup engagement program, CoLab 2023 which aims to foster “disruptively delicious” snack businesses.
CoLab 2023, now in its third year, will concentrate on early-stage companies that are according to the firm, “pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in making a snack delicious, from flavors to experience to sustainability to packaging.”
All participants must fit within the SnackFutures ethos of being “good for people, kind to the planet, and deliciously fun.”
Additionally, candidates must be based in the United States, have annual revenue of at least US$1 million and significant room for expansion, and support the innovation priorities of Mondelez International.
Brigette Wolf, VP and global head of SnackFutures, commented that CoLab is building on its successful track record of providing emerging brands with the tools, resources, and technologies they may not otherwise have access to.
She noted that it also introduces Mondelēz, a global snacking giant to new insights, capabilities, and prospective investments.
“To be launching a third class of CoLab demonstrates Mondelēz International’s commitment to thinking and behaving as a consumer-centric, future-forward leader in snacking,” said Wolf.
Companies selected for the program will also receive a US$20,000 grant and applications are open now through December 2022 with the program beginning in April 2023.
In 2021, Mondelēz more than doubled its progress toward its goal to establish Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation Systems (CLMRS) in all its Cocoa Life communities in West Africa by 2025.
Recently, Mondelēz International released its annual Human Rights Due Diligence and Modern Slavery report for 2021.
The report demonstrated the progress made toward the company’s goals to prevent, identify, and address potential human rights and modern slavery risks in its own operations and supply chains.
In 2021, Mondelēz more than doubled its progress toward its goal to establish Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation Systems (CLMRS) in all its Cocoa Life communities in West Africa by 2025.
The program expanded coverage to 1,548 communities, reaching 61% coverage in West Africa.
In 2021, the umbrella International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) reached 590,000 households across Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana with systems that help prevent and address child labor.
The Human Rights Due Diligence and Modern Slavery report is part of Mondelēz International’s ongoing evaluation and review of best practices in enhancing its approach to respecting human rights through identifying human rights risks and mitigating them.
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