Fourteen companies have been selected for the 2025 Unreasonable Food cohort, a joint initiative by Mars Snacking and Unreasonable Group. The programme supports startups developing scalable solutions for sustainable food production.
The cohort includes ventures targeting dairy alternatives, plant-based proteins, fermentation technologies, and natural ingredient innovation. Highlights include companies producing dairy proteins without cows, animal-free casein, plant-derived sweeteners, chickpeas with higher protein, and naturally perceived food colourants. Several use artificial intelligence or continuous fermentation to increase efficiency and reduce production costs.
Participants will work with Mars teams, industry mentors, and a network of global investors to accelerate commercialisation. The initiative builds connections between emerging ventures and established industry players, aiming to address environmental and supply-chain challenges in the food sector.
Unreasonable Food was launched in 2024 to foster collaboration across startups and industry partners focused on scaling sustainable and resilient food solutions.