Kraft Heinz Invests in Five Vegan Startups

Food company Kraft Heinz recently unveiled the five startups it will support during its Springboard program … and all of them are vegan. The 16-week program will take place in Chicago and is designed to support the startups in their endeavors with mentorship and networking opportunities, access to the Kraft kitchen and production plants, and $50,000 in starting capital—with a chance to earn another $50,000 during the program. This year’s participating startups include lupini-bean snack brand BRAMI; cold-pressed almond juice brand Origin Almond; vegan protein bar brand Blake’s Seed Based; coconut-based yogurt brand Tiny Giants; and Ka-Pop!—makers of ancient-grain based chips in flavors such as vegan Dairy-Free Cheddar. “We had an incredibly competitive group of applicants,” Kelly Reinke, Springboard incubator lead, told media outlet Baking Business. “All five companies in our second Incubator class offer delicious products that cater to the better-for-you offerings consumers are demanding. Springboard exists to help shape the future of food, and we are confident our next class does just that.”