Healthy challenger brands receive vital support from new accelerator programme

The successful applications for a new accelerator programme hosted by the Good Food Fund have been announced.

Back in March, food and drink start-ups were invited to apply for a cut of the £1.8m accelerator and venture fund. Supported by accelerator Mission Ventures, the programme sought healthier challenger brands that were committed to tackling childhood obesity through products that appeal to all consumer demographics.

After receiving over 120 applications from UK-based healthy food and drinks brands, the programme has selected its seven winning brands, where after-school snacking was a key focus.

The winning brands will now receive vital support and funding to help bring their healthier options to the market, with the long-term aim being to transform the options available to families by supporting healthier challenger brands to retail at an affordable price point.

“From a very strong field, we’ve selected seven young brands for our initial intake that represent a great cross-section of healthier snacking options for young children,” Mission Ventures director and co-founder John Stapleton said. “We’re excited to start working with them straight away to help direct their appeal to low-income families as part of shaping an overall market proposition that accelerates scale-up.”

The selected brands are at various stages of their business: winners at the Pre-revenue stage including quinoa crisp makers Nombots; healthy marshmallow crispy squares by Lexi’s Treats; and Rootles, which develops light and crispy biscuits covered in Belgian chocolate. Brands in the Just Launched/Limited Distribution phase include Insane Grain, which creates puff nutritious snacks and healthy oat cookies brand, Snackzilla. Winning brands that have been in the market for a few years include Jim Jams low-sugar chocolate dippers and Naturelly, which makes sugar-free, fruity juicy jelly.

Created by the people behind The Grocery Accelerator, Mission Ventures has been billed by Nigel Parrott, MissionMap director and co-founder, as “an accelerator that’s run by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs”. Rather than teaching the programme in a cohort, the accelerator works with entrepreneurs in a one-to-one process to help then gain a deeper insight into the business, industry and market, from understanding the consumer needs, to delivering on those needs through product benefits and developing marketing strategies.