wave 1 · applications open 29.10.2026 - 01.12.2026

We invest in startups shaping the future of food.

Loacker Group CVC invites startups from around the world to address emerging challenges and explore new opportunities in the food industry - twice a year and within the Group's innovative areas and expertise.

Apply to Wave 1 Explore the challenges

Program Overview

An industrial venture partner, not just a cheque.

A dedicated fund, regular scouting waves and access to Loacker Group's industrial ecosystem to test, validate and scale your solution.

  • €1M/year

    Investment capacity

    Our annual CVC budget

  • 2/year

    Scouting waves

    A new call for startups every six months

  • TRL 3-7

    Target maturity

    Seed and Series A - Remaining open to early stage startups (Pre-Seed)

  • €100k-300k

    Average ticket

    A guideline assessed on a case-by-case basis

wave 1 challenges

Four challenges to address in the current wave.

Each challenge focuses on an evolving industry need in which we see potential shaping the future together.

  • Open

    Alternative ingredients

    Fat replacers

    Ingredients and technologies that reduce or replace conventional fats without compromising taste, texture and functionality in wafer and filled confectionery products.

  • Open

    Automation & data

    Automation & robotics

    Intelligent automation solutions and robotic technologies that improve the flexibility, efficiency and integration in wafer and confectionery production lines.

  • Open

    Alternative ingredients

    Sugar alternatives

    Ingredients and technologies that reduce or replace sugar while maintaining sweetness, texture, mouthfeel and the functional properties required in confectionery products.

  • Open

    Health & nutrition

    Protein ingredients

    Next-generation protein ingredients that improve the nutritional value of wafer and confectionery products without compromising taste, texture and indulgence.

Why partner with us

A century of confectionery production, an open ecosystem to scale your food vision

The Loacker Group unites entities rooted in a long-standing family business tradition and a shared long-term vision. Building on Loacker’s heritage, which began in Bolzano in 1925, the Group combines confectionery leadership and a fully integrated agricultural supply chain with industrial expertise, market insight, and engagement with new business ecosystems to create enduring value.

  • Investment

    Patient capital from a family-owned group with a long-term view.

  • Know-how

    Expertise in ingredients, formulation, quality and manufacturing.

  • Pilots

    Test your solution in real industrial conditions, at scale.

  • Synergies

    Access to potential industrial and technology collaborations.

how it works

From application to portfolio company.

A clear six-step journey from first contact to collaboration. All applicants will hear back by end of January 2027

  1. 29.10.2026 - 01.12.2026

    01 Application

    By applying through an appropriate form, tell us about your startup, solution, maturity, team, fundraising status, traction and how your approach connects to the selected challenge.

  2. JANUARY 2027

    02 Application Review

    Our CVC team, together with experts across Loacker Group, takes a closer look at each application, considering strategic fit, technology maturity, team, traction and investment potential.

  3. FEBRUARY 2027

    03 Pitch session

    Selected startups will present their solution to Loacker Group's CVC team and subject matter experts, receiving feedback and exploring potential opportunities for potential investment.

  4. MARCH/APRIL 2027

    04 Detailed analysis

    Within Loacker Group's ecosystem, we explore your startup’s solution in the context of a selected challenge, considering its business model and potential applications.

  5. MAY/JULY 2027

    05 Due diligence

    Following a successful detailed analysis, we conduct a comprehensive due diligence process and negotiate the terms of a potential investment.

  6. -

    06 Portfolio company

    Loacker Group joins you as a strategic investor, bringing industrial know-how, its network and, where there is a fit, a commercial partnership.

our portfolio

The startups already collaborating with us.

Every partnership starts with a challenge and evolves through applied real-world validation.

  • Ferm Labs

    Ferm Labs AG, the Italian-Swiss ingredient innovator driving flavor and function solutions that "Cut costs, not taste. Naturally!". It scales its bioprocessing platform across the €45B global clean-label ingredient market - led by its flagship flavor builder Kokumesan®.

    View startup

  • Endless Food

    Copenhagen-based Endless Food Co. transforms food industry side streams into THIC® - clean-label chocolate and cocoa alternatives that build supply resilience without compromising flavour.

    View startup

  • Dr. Taste

    Dr. Taste is developing a proprietary predictive platform that integrates neuroscience, sensory, and market data to help food companies understand and anticipate consumer responses, test new product ideas, and optimize existing products.

    View startup

Good to know

FAQs

Who can apply?

Startups addressing one of our open challenges, typically from seed stage onwards and with a maturity level of TRL 3-7. Earlier-stage startups may also be considered in exceptional cases.

What do startups gain beyond investment?

Beyond capital, startups may benefit from access to Loacker Group's industrial expertise, opportunities to test and validate solutions in real production environments, and the potential to explore commercial collaborations within our ecosystem.

Can startups from outside Italy apply?

Yes. The call is open to startups from any country. Applications are in English, and pitch sessions can be held online.

How is IP and confidential information handled by Loacker Group?

All submitted information is used solely to evaluate collaboration opportunities and is accessible only to relevant personnel involved in the review process. Intellectual property rights remain with their respective owners, and no IP rights are transferred to Loacker Group through the application process. We encourage applicants to share only non-confidential information at this initial stage.

Can we apply to more than one challenge?

Each application can be submitted for one challenge only. If your solution addresses multiple challenges, we recommend selecting the one that best aligns with your startup's core technology and offering.

Is investment guaranteed after successful validation?

No. Successful validation does not guarantee an investment. Any investment decision remains subject to due diligence, strategic fit, internal approvals and agreement on terms.

What kind of investment do you make?

We are quite flexible and adjust it to the needs of the startup.

What if my startup doesn't fit any challenge?

Our investment opportunities are currently focused on the challenges outlined in each call. If your solution doesn't align with an active challenge, we encourage you to explore next calls, as our innovation priorities may evolve over time.

Open

Fat replacers

Ingredients and technologies that reduce or replace conventional fats without compromising taste, texture and functionality in wafer and filled confectionery products.

strategic vertical
Alternative Ingredients
applications
29.10.2026 – 01.12.2026
target profile
Seed and beyond, TRL 3-7

The context

Fat plays a critical role in taste, texture, structure stability of wafer and confectionery products. Taste neutrality, regulatory compliance and ingredient consistency remain significant challenges. We are looking for scalable alternatives that can improve the nutritional or sustainability profile of products without compromising their indulgence or industrial performance.

What we are looking for

  • Neutral-taste alternatives for fillings, spreadable creams and similar applications
  • Fermentation-derived alternatives to conventional tropical fats
  • Technologies that improve fat structure, quality, stability and functionality
  • Health-aligned fats with a lower saturated-fat content or additional nutritional benefits
  • Solutions with a credible mid-to-long-term pathway to cost competitiveness, clean-label positioning and industrial-scale production

Out of scope

  • Alternatives creating detectable off-flavors that compromise Loacker's sensory standards
  • Highly refined or artificial fat mimetics
  • Expensive or niche ingredients without a realistic industrial-scale pathway
  • Solutions without a credible mid-to-long-term pathway to regulatory clearance in Loacker's relevant markets

How we evaluate

  1. 01 Taste neutrality and sensory performance
  2. 02 Industrial scalability and ingredient consistency
  3. 03 Regulatory compliance and cost competitiveness

Open

Automation & Robotics

Intelligent automation solutions and robotic technologies that improve the flexibility, efficiency and integration in wafer and confectionery production lines.

strategic vertical
Automation & Data
applications
29.10.2026 – 01.12.2026
target profile
Seed and beyond, TRL 3-7

The context

Automation and robotics can support Loacker in monitoring, managing and optimizing production processes while improving operational efficiency, consistency and product integrity. Relevant directions include adaptive machine steering, AI-powered production scheduling, digital twins, automated transport of semi-finished and finished products, production-data integration, robot training and flexible manufacturing.

What we are looking for

  • Adaptive machine steering based on real-time production information
  • AI-powered production planning and scheduling
  • Digital twins for production or maintenance optimization
  • Robotics for manufacturing activities and internal transport of materials and products
  • Integrated IoT, data hubs and intelligent production-control systems
  • Technologies supporting production know-how and knowledge transfer
  • Flexible automation enabling personalization, rapid format changes and manufacturing on demand

Out of scope

  • Standard industrial machinery without proprietary or differentiated technology
  • Incremental equipment upgrades without a defensible innovation component
  • Stand-alone solutions that cannot integrate with Loacker's existing production environment
  • Technologies without demonstrated relevance to industrial food production

How we evaluate

  1. 01 Operational impact and reduction of inefficiencies
  2. 02 Integration with existing machines, systems and data
  3. 03 Industrial maturity, reliability and scalability
  4. 04 Flexibility across lines, products and production formats

Open

Sugar alternatives

Ingredients and technologies that reduce or replace sugar while maintaining sweetness, texture, mouthfeel and the functional properties required in confectionery products.

strategic vertical
Alternative ingredients
applications
29.10.2026 – 01.12.2026
target profile
Seed and beyond, TRL 3-7

The context

Sugar provides more than sweetness. It also contributes bulk, texture and structure to wafer, cream and confectionery formulations. However, flavour masking, digestive effects, labelling complexity and cost continue to limit many available solutions. We are looking for alternatives that combine sensory quality with the technical functionality required for industrial applications.

What we are looking for

  • Natural-origin ingredients combining sweetness with an improved nutritional profile
  • Solutions combining sweetness with effective bulking functionality
  • Alternatives that maintain taste, texture and mouthfeel at industrial scale, with no off flavor
  • Alternatives of natural origin
  • Clean and label friendly ingredients

Out of scope

  • Solutions creating strong aftertaste or flavour-masking effects
  • Bulking systems that compromise texture or mouthfeel
  • Alternatives causing significant digestive side effects at the required dosage
  • Ingredients without a viable cost profile for scaled use

How we evaluate

  1. 01 Sensory quality and absence of aftertaste
  2. 02 Sweetness, bulking and technical functionality
  3. 03 Regulatory and labelling readiness
  4. 04 Cost per kilogram at target volumes

Open

Protein ingredients

Next-generation protein ingredients that improve the nutritional value of wafer and confectionery products without compromising taste, texture and indulgence.

strategic vertical
Health & Nutrition
applications
29.10.2026 – 01.12.2026
target profile
Seed and beyond, TRL 3-7

The context

Protein is moving beyond sports nutrition and becoming increasingly relevant in everyday snacking. However, adding protein to wafer, cream and confectionery products can negatively affect taste, texture, colour and overall product enjoyment. We are looking for differentiated protein ingredients that deliver meaningful nutritional value while remaining suitable for indulgent products and industrial-scale manufacturing.

What we are looking for

  • Neutral-taste protein ingredients suitable for wafers, fillings and sweet snacks
  • High-quality proteins with good digestibility and a balanced nutritional profile
  • Proteins from differentiated sources (such as yeast, unconventional vegetable sources: watermelon seeds, coconut, sunflower, etc.)
  • Advanced processing or fermentation technologies that improve taste, texture and functionality
  • Upcycled proteins recovered from food industry side streams
  • Ingredients that combine nutritional value with strong performance in sweet applications

Out of scope

  • Finished high-protein products or consumer brands
  • Commodity protein powders without proprietary or differentiated technology
  • Ingredients primarily developed for sports supplements or clinical nutrition
  • Solutions that significantly compromise taste, colour, texture or indulgence
  • Ingredients without a credible regulatory and industrial scale-up pathway

How we evaluate

  1. 01 Taste and texture performance in sweet applications
  2. 02 Protein quality, digestibility and nutritional contribution
  3. 03 Clean-label profile and regulatory readiness
  4. 04 Industrial scalability, supply security and cost

open

Submit your startup

Tell us about your startup and how your solution addresses one of our current challenges. The application consists of five steps and takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. Have your pitch deck (PDF) ready. Applications in English language only.

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