Sparkalis, a new venture that will support innovation in the food tech sector, was launched on March 11. Puratos, the international manufacturer of ingredients for the bakery, patisserie and chocolate sectors is launching Sparkalis to support the development of ground-breaking products, services and ingredients, and drive collaboration with start-ups and SMEs.

Sparkalis will both be a start-up incubator and provide direct investments. Its flexible approach means it can offer scalable support to accelerate business growth for food tech innovators. Even start-ups with the most exciting new innovations often lack support in the ‘seed’ or ‘pre-seed’ phase to turn their ideas into scalable products. As hinted by its name, Sparkalis will be the spark that gives a great innovation its own wings so it can go from the chrysalis stage to flying on its own. Through these collaborations, Sparkalis will focus on making baked goods healthier and more sustainable. Investments will include projects on plant-based products, fermentation and digitalization. The venture will also support manufacturing ideas.

Building on Puratos’ rich history and experience, Sparkalis will be able to quickly kick-start innovative ideas and bring them to market to the benefit of bakers, pâtissiers and chocolatiers around the world. A global network of almost 100 experts is ready to quickly assess projects and personally mentor the most promising start-ups. Each supported project will be mentored by a dedicated Puratos specialist to maximize the chances of turning innovative ideas into concrete successes. The new venture will provide holistic expertise in product development, global scaling of market-ready solutions, support on regulatory requirements, and training opportunities. Sparkalis will also provide partners access to Puratos’ own Taste Tomorrow research program, the world’s largest ‘always-on’ program for in-depth insights into global and local consumer behaviours in bakery, patisserie and chocolate.

Innovation is in Puratos’ DNA. The family company began in a Belgian garage over 100 years ago with the innovative ambition of simplifying the lives of bakers and confectioners. A century later that ambition remains unchanged. Sparkalis underscores the company’s commitment to innovation, which in recent years has seen the development of projects like Bakeronline, a start-up that that allows bakers to create free personalized web shops.

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’ continued commitment to driving innovation to create a healthier and more sustainable ‘foodprint’ around the world."

Sophie Blum, managing partner at Sparkalis and chief marketing officer at Puratos commented: “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’ century-long R&D, network and consumer understanding.”