Belgium: Puratos launches bakery-focused foodtech incubator Sparkalis

  • 11 March 2021
  • Food corporation
As well as being a start-up incubator, Sparkalis will provide direct investments to start-ups with bakery, patisserie and chocolate innovations

Puratos, the manufacturer of ingredients for the bakery, patisserie and chocolate sectors, today launched its Sparkalis incubator to support the development of products, services and ingredients in the foodtech sector, and drive collaboration with start-ups and SMEs.

As well as being a start-up incubator, Sparkalis will provide direct investments. Puratos will offer scalable support to accelerate business growth for foodtech innovators and Sparkalis will also focus on making baked goods healthier and more sustainable.

Investments will include projects on plant-based products, fermentation and digitalisation. The venture will also support manufacturing ideas.

Filip Arnaut, managing director of Sparkalis and R&D director at Puratos said: “Sparkalis was born out of a deep desire to support inspiring food tech pioneers and build success stories together. Sparkalis underscores Puratos’s continued commitment to driving innovation to create a healthier and more sustainable foodprint around the world.”

Puratos said Sparkalis will be able to kick-start innovative ideas quickly and bring them to market to benefit bakers, pâtissiers and chocolatiers around the world.

Industry network

The Belgian bakery giant claims to have a global network of almost 100 experts ready to assess projects and mentor the most promising start-ups. Each supported project will be mentored by a dedicated Puratos specialist to maximise the chances of successes.

The new venture will provide expertise in product development, global scaling of market-ready solutions, support on regulatory requirements, and training opportunities.

Sparkalis will also provide access to Puratos’s research programme for insights into global and local consumer trends in bakery, patisserie and chocolate.

Sophie Blum, managing partner at Sparkalis and chief marketing officer at Puratos, said: “Sparkalis is looking for the future changemakers among start-ups in the bakery, patisserie and chocolate sectors.

“Our team of global experts, each with their own professional background, is excited to transform their visions into successful business realities. This venture provides the perfect growing soil to discover the next big innovation in food while relying on Puratos’s century-long R&D, network and consumer understanding.”

Puratos’ initiative follows a similar path taken by the UK bakery giant Warburtons, although in-house. Warburtons teamed up with accelerator Mission Ventures and launched last year the joint venture Batch Ventures to support businesses producing innovative bakery-led products.

In April The Artful Baker received Batch Venture’s first investment.