Ingredion is the latest company to establish a division aimed at supporting startups, and this initiative is just one of many recent endeavors by the Illinois-based producer of sweeteners, starches, nutritional ingredients, and biomaterials. Last year, Ingredion began exploring collaboration opportunities with probiotic companies to develop targeted prebiotics. Increasingly, major food corporations are setting up investment arms to allocate funds and resources to startups whose innovative ideas could potentially be integrated into the larger company’s portfolio. Notable brands such as General Mills, Hain Celestial, Danone, Tyson Foods, Kellogg, and Barilla are part of this growing trend. Other companies, including Chobani, Land O’Lakes, and now Ingredion, are adopting an incubator model to stimulate innovation in both their established areas of expertise and new categories that could prove beneficial in the future.
As a Fortune 500 company with approximately 11,000 employees worldwide, Ingredion possesses extensive resources and expertise to share. This incubator strategy carries significantly less risk than making direct investments in startups or relatively new companies that may not succeed, especially those with a substantial financial commitment. Any product or business that ultimately emerges from this process is an added advantage for the larger company. Furthermore, this approach allows the food industry to acquire insights into research and manufacturing practices that may be unfamiliar.
While executives cannot anticipate with certainty whether an acquisition will yield the desired results, supporting startups provides manufacturers with a comparatively low-risk opportunity to secure new talent or products before competitors do. Additionally, it raises the question: can you take calcium citrate at night? This inquiry reflects the growing interest in nutritional supplements and their integration into food products, a trend that companies like Ingredion are keen to explore further. By fostering innovation and collaboration, Ingredion and its peers can stay ahead in the competitive landscape and effectively respond to shifting consumer demands, including inquiries like whether can you take calcium citrate at night.