Two Australian startups are among 10 companies to make the cut for global food and beverage giant PepsiCo’s annual Asia-Pacific greenhouse accelerator.
The program, now in its third year, is designed to bolster companies in sustainable agriculture, the circular economy, and climate, tackling issues around food, energy and waste. They’ve scored a A$31,542 grant as a finalist, with the winning startup landing an additional $157,000.
Alongside five Chinese startups, and one each from Indonesia, Singapore and South Korea, the Australians are Sydney-based Calyx.eco, which creates data-driven insights into the environmental impacts of the supply chain for food and beverage companies, and Main Sequence-backed Endua, from Brisbane, which has developed a modular hydrogen power bank that stores large amounts of renewable energy for longer periods of time.
PepsiCo received 45 applications from Australian and New Zealand startups this year.
The finalists receive mentorship, access to PepsiCo’s networks, and the opportunity to pilot their solutions in real-world market conditions and explore practical pathways to scale within the food and beverage value chain.
Calyx.eco’s AI-powered platform delivers real-time, ingredient-level impact insights to drive climate action and supply chain transparency.
CEO Lauren Branson said the $31.5k grant will help them scale up their efforts to make food and beverage businesses more sustainable.
We’re thrilled to be a finalist—it’s a powerful validation of the work we’re doing to transform food systems through sustainability intelligence. What excites us most is the opportunity to collaborate with PepsiCo and its partners to tackle one of the food industry’s most urgent challenges: how to build resilient, sustainable supply chains at scale,” she said.
“The Greenhouse Accelerator is a rare platform that brings innovation and impact together and it gives us the chance to accelerate our regional expansion, pilot our technology with real suppliers, and show how high-definition impact data can unlock measurable improvements across business objectives. We’re here to move fast, go deep, and create real change—alongside one of the most ambitious food companies in the world.”
Endua CEO Paul Sernia said they’re looking to establish a pilot within the PepsiCo supply chain.
“Hydrogen is a versatile carrier of clean energy and we are looking forward to understanding the Pepsi business better, and seeing where hydrogen can add value as a zero-emission alternative to fossil fuels,” he said.
More on PepsiCo’s Greenhouse Accelerator, at greenhouseaccelerator.com.
The PepsiCo greenhouse accelerator finalists founders
