Ten start-ups have been selected for PepsiCo’s APAC Greenhouse Accelerator Program 2024. Designed to align to PepsiCo’s pep+ sustainability initiative, the 10 finalists deliver solutions in sustainable agriculture, circular economy, and climate action.
The 2023 APAC edition saw seven pilots across the PepsiCo network, which drove 110 per cent growth in six months and US$1.5 million in sales growth for the finalists.
This year, PepsiCo expanded the program to include sustainable agriculture. The company said two of the finalists were “trailblazing start-ups” in the field.
PepsiCo national EHS and sustainability manager ANZ, Brent Gapes, said the company was proud to be supporting start-ups that were actively driving innovation.
“The commitment of these brands, in driving impactful and sustainable solutions, aligns with our vision of driving a more resilient and environmentally conscious future for people and the planet.
“We look forward to continuing to collaborate with such innovators to create real change and tackle pivotal issues within the circular economy, sustainable agriculture, and climate change,” Gapes said.
The finalists (descriptions supplied)
ELIoT Energy, Australia
ELIoT Energy is decarbonising the food & beverage industry by tackling Scope-3 emissions through cutting-edge energy-shifting devices that optimise green energy usage in point-of-sale cooling appliances. With their innovative plug’n’play batteries, ELIoT is revolutionising the way energy is consumed in refrigeration systems. With ELIoT Energy, every chill is a conscious choice towards a greener, brighter future.
Wildfire Energy, Australia
An innovative Australian company developing a revolutionary gasification technology for biomass and waste to energy applications. Wildfire has developed a novel, proprietary gasification process to enable cost effective conversion of low value biomass and waste feedstocks into high quality syngas for electricity generation and production of fuels and chemicals.
X-Centric, Australia
X-Centric is developing high performance soil testing instruments for accurate, precise, and low-cost soil characterisation. Think about it like taking an “X-ray” of your soil to assess its health. X-Centric’s instrumentation, coupled with their mobile app and dashboard provide a fast one stop shop solution to your soil characterisation needs.
Captivate Technology, New Zealand
Captivate’s MUF-16 technology is revolutionising carbon capture. Solid-state adsorbents are selective and stable with a low energy penalty. Captivate’s patented MUF-16 material reduces CAPEX and OPEX costs in modular capture units. MUF-16 stacks up both technically and financially, delivering both environmental and economic benefits.
AIIEV, Thailand
AIIEV is revolutionising transportation in Thailand. They empower businesses in Thailand to achieve sustainability and cost savings through a game-changing subscription model for electric conversions, extending the life of existing commercial vehicles.
CIRAC, Thailand
CIRAC provides a breakthrough technology for recycling one of the most difficult to be recycled packaging waste, aluminium laminated plastic packaging. CIRAC’s technology recycles aluminium laminated plastic into sustainable aluminium and heavy oil.
Alternō, Vietnam
Alternō is dedicated to pioneering sustainable solutions that significantly reduce carbon emissions in the sectors of agriculture, industry, and residential heating. Alternō was founded with a vision to create Asia's first low-cost thermal energy storage solution for renewable energy, to be deployed widely across the region by 2050.
Grac, Vietnam
Grac provides affordable waste and recycling solutions for local governments, businesses seeking a smarter, sustainable alternative. Grac was born to design the most suitable waste management model in Vietnam and developing countries. Grac makes an important contribution to reducing waste, separating waste at source, reducing GHG emissions and building a circular economy.
Mi Terro, China
Mi Terro engineers low-value biomass waste into high-value hydrophilic and hydrophobic biomaterials to end microplastics and hunger at cheaper price than conventional plastic. Mi Terro uses a selection of biopolymers and natural fibres to maximise the use of agricultural side streams (non-food feedstock) and certified biomasses.
Takachar, the Philippines
Takachar enables communities to turn their crop and forest residues into higher-value, carbon-negative bioproducts such as fertilisers, chemicals, and biofuels in a small-scale, decentralised, self-sufficient manner, thereby uniquely advancing climate justice. They develop small-scale, low-cost, portable systems that latch onto the back of tractors and pick-up trucks and deploy to rural, hard-to-access regions, enabling self-sufficient rural bioeconomies, and preventing air pollution and carbon footprint associated with open-air biomass burning.
PepsiCo said integrating the finalists work into its global value chain was central to the project.
“By 2025, PepsiCo aims to ensure all packaging is recyclable, compostable, biodegradable, or reusable, alongside a targeted 40 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030,” Gapes said.
The program connects finalists with an extensive network of mentors, industry experts, and resources. This framework is designed to foster development, accelerate market readiness, and enhance the scalability of their solutions, PepsiCo said.
