Mars, Unreasonable Group Welcome 2025 cohort to food program

U.S.A – Mars, in partnership with Unreasonable Group, has announced the latest group of innovative companies joining its Unreasonable Food™ collaboration. 

The program, launched in 2024, brings together entrepreneurs and industry leaders to address some of the most pressing challenges in the global food system.

The initiative reflects a shared belief that while building a sustainable and resilient food system is not easy, it is one of the most practical ways to secure a healthier future and a stronger economy.

“Addressing the challenges in our food system is a task bigger than any one organization,” said Amanda Davies, Chief R&D, Procurement and Sustainability Officer for Mars Snacking. 

She emphasized the importance of collaboration, noting that connecting entrepreneurs with large-scale companies can unlock new possibilities and accelerate progress toward a resilient food future.

For 2025, Mars and Unreasonable Group have selected 14 ventures whose work focuses on key sustainability areas, including reducing emissions from dairy farming, scaling sustainable ingredients, and exploring natural color alternatives.

Among the new cohort are Alpine Bio, which engineers soybeans to produce dairy proteins; Standing Ovation, a company creating animal-free casein through precision fermentation; and Oobli, which uses plant proteins to replicate the sweetness of sugar without the calories. 

Other companies, such as Debut Biotechnology and Octarine Bio, are developing sustainable natural colors through fermentation, while DE3PBIO is applying artificial intelligence to unlock new plant-based ingredients.

NuCicer is working to improve chickpeas with higher protein levels and climate resilience, while Plantible Foods is tapping duckweed as a sustainable protein source. 

Hydrosome Labs and Pow.bio are advancing fermentation technology to make biomanufacturing more efficient and scalable.

These companies join a growing network of entrepreneurs supported by the program. The first cohort, launched in 2024, has already shown the potential impact of this collaborative approach. 

In just one year, those ventures reported nearly US$200 million in new revenue, avoided 140,000 tons of carbon emissions, conserved 310 million liters of water, and delivered over one million kilograms of food. 

They also expanded access to nutritious products, reaching an additional 24 million people and educating two million more on climate change adaptation and mitigation.

“We’re honored to welcome these entrepreneurs to the Unreasonable Food family,” said Daniel Epstein, CEO of Unreasonable Group. “Their work reflects our shared ambition to evolve the food system in ways that are sustainable and inclusive. Together with Mars, we aim to provide mentorship, connect them with stakeholders, and surface opportunities to accelerate their impact.”

The 2025 class will collaborate with Mars teams, Unreasonable mentors, and a global investor network, focusing on two key priorities: transforming the food supply chain and shaping the future of food.

About Unreasonable Group

Unreasonable Group, based in Colorado, is an international organization that supports growth-stage entrepreneurs through its fellowship model. Its network of more than 500 ventures spans over 180 countries and has collectively generated $20 billion in revenue, raised $20 billion in financing, and positively impacted over 1.4 billion lives.

With Mars’ backing, the Unreasonable Food program is positioning itself as a leading platform for scaling sustainable innovations that could reshape how food is produced and consumed worldwide.

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