Nexture opens 2026 startup call across five food-ingredient domains

At a Glance

Nexture, the Italian food-ingredients holding company, has launched a 2026 open call through its Generate innovation hub, inviting food-tech and ingredient-tech startups to apply between March 16 and May 4, 2026. The program offers tailored 12-to-18-month partnerships providing access to R&D facilities, commercial support, and industrial scale-up across Nexture's ecosystem of brands. This year's call targets five strategic domains: bakery evolution, oils and texturization, alternative carbohydrates and proteins, nutrition solutions, and future-proofing ingredients.

Key Details

• Generate's 2026 program focuses on innovations including advanced freshness enzymes, palm oil replacements, fiber enrichment, sugar reduction technologies, GLP-1 boosting ingredients, and cocoa replacements.
• The scouting and evaluation process will again be conducted in partnership with URIKA Partners, a firm specializing in agri-food and climate innovation strategy.
• Nexture operates in over 120 countries with 24 production plants, 20 innovation centers, and more than 2,700 employees, encompassing brands such as CSM Ingredients, HIFOOD, Frulact, Vitalfood by Italcanditi, Comprital, and Prodotti Rubicone.
• Previous Generate cohorts have included startups such as Green-On, Kokomodo, YEAP, PoLoPo, Ingrediome, and ImaginDairy.
• Nexture is indirectly held by an independently managed investment company affiliated with Investindustrial and is headquartered in Milan.

Top Quote

"The 2026 Open Call reflects the strategic areas where we see the strongest need for transformation – from healthier formulations and advanced functionality to resilient supply chains and sustainable fat solutions. We are looking for bold, science-driven startups ready to scale their impact together with us." — Emanuele Pizzigalli, Chief Innovation Officer at Nexture