YSpace, York University’s innovation hub, is excited to welcome the 12 participating companies in the third cohort of its Food Accelerator program, which begins this month. A first-of-its-kind initiative in the GTA, the Food Accelerator supports promising food and beverage consumer-packaged goods (CPG) ventures as they build their strategy, grow their network and scale their business.
Launched in partnership with the Regional Municipality of York Region and the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative, the five-month Food Accelerator program helps scale high growth food and beverage ventures through customized workshops, expert mentorship and peer-to-peer circles.
Meet the new cohort of food ventures below.
Algi Foods creates delicious, purpose-driven food products centred around algae. Its introductory product, the IMPACT Bar, is an unprocessed plant-based energy bar made with spirulina algae. Algi Foods’ mission is to redefine the food landscape by creating a wide variety of algae-based food products that make it easy for consumers to get great-tasting, nutritious and sustainable food products centred around algae.
Appleflats Foods is commercializing a forgotten Canadian heritage, crabapple, into a variety of products. The company’s crabapple jelly and mixers provide healthy foodies with delicious mixed drinks and natural jams made with simple ingredients.
Bro Dough is introducing a healthier way to indulge in your favourite childhood treat with its 100 per cent vegan, egg-free and zero-guilt edible cookie dough. With added protein, it makes the perfect post-workout snack. Dip it, scoop it, spread it; have your dough – your way Bro.
The Little Red Bake Shop is a cookie subscription business that helps customers celebrate the beautiful in every single day by bringing delicious homemade cookies right to their doorstep each month. The team also offers custom sugar cookies that can be ordered for special events, because no event should go without a little extra sweetness.
Metavo, produced by SP Nutraceuticals, is a natural supplement that contains AvoB, a powerful bioactive found in avocados that helps promote good health. This product maintains normal blood sugar levels and helps support a healthy metabolism.
More Granola is a gourmet granola brand setting out to make healthy eating more indulgent. Its dessert-inspired granola flavours are made with simple, good-for-you ingredients. More Granola is bridging the gap between granola cereal and granola bars, because they believe you should have it all. So why settle for less, when you can have More.
Nola Baking Co. is a Canadian company focused on creating healthy food products with clean, all-natural ingredients. Products are made with 100 per cent real food and contain no gluten, dairy, eggs, refined sugar or artificial preservatives.
Neophyto Foods seeks to make plant-based versions of everyone’s favourite foods without compromising on taste, texture or sustainability. Its newest product, Neokit, is the first plant-based meat kit made here. With only five ingredients, Neokit is shelf stable without preservatives, and it can be used just like ground meat.
Oatsy Bar is on a mission to end Canada’s addiction to candy-like energy bars. Its bars are half the sugar (none refined) of the leading energy bar brand. Their low glycemic load reduces blood sugar spikes, leading to better recovery, less hunger, and improved energy. Finally, they contain nutrient-dense whole foods to achieve an incredible macro and micronutrient profile full of fibre, protein and omega 3s.
It’s Souper is an Afro-fusion soup and sauce line that’s shaking up the food and beverage industry with hearty, spicy, and flavourful African-inspired recipes. Over 60 per cent of Black immigrants moving annually to Canada are of African descent, yet less than 2 per cent of products available in the mainstream grocery store cater to their needs. It’s Souper was launched to solve this problem by creating nostalgia through food and catering to the diverse culinary needs of Canadians.
Taltis Foods Inc. is bringing African-oriented food products to Canadians everywhere, allowing food adventurers to experience the uniqueness of African cuisine. The team combines local African ingredients to make cultural and delicious beverages and sauces such as the lemongrass drink, the Baobab drink, the Hibiscus drink and the popular Jollof sauce originally from Senegal.
Zing is a pandemic-born food brand that makes small batch, chef-prepared pantry shortcuts. Its vegan and gluten-free condiments and seasoning salts are designed to be home cooking hacks: just add Zing (and if you want, nothing else!) to any recipe for a punch of flavour without the extra effort.