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Mars and Unreasonable Group Expand Unreasonable Food™ Initiative

On September 11, 2025, Mars and the Unreasonable Group have announced the addition of fourteen new companies to their innovative partnership known as Unreasonable Food™. This collaboration is designed to help streamline the transition toward a more sustainable food system. The initiative embodies the concept that evolving the food system is a vital means to foster a resilient future and a thriving economy.

The Unreasonable Food initiative, which began in 2024, aims to support entrepreneurs tackling pressing challenges within the food supply chain while transforming them into unprecedented opportunities. Amanda Davies, the Chief RD and Sustainability Officer at Mars Snacking, emphasized that challenges in the food system surpass the capabilities of a single organization. The collaboration's core mission is to build a cooperative ecosystem that connects brilliant minds behind groundbreaking companies with established industry leaders to unlock new avenues and accelerate the transition to a more sustainable future.

The fourteen companies added to the Unreasonable Food group for 2025 represent the next evolution of sustainability initiatives. These ventures will leverage innovative technologies and sustainable practices to address critical issues like emission reductions in dairy farming and scaling sustainable ingredients. Let us delve into the profiles of these exciting new additions:

1. Alpine Bio: This company utilizes genetically modified plants such as soybeans to produce milk proteins, achieving the same melt-in-your-mouth, stretchability, and creaminess without cows.

2. Standing Ovation: Pioneers in producing animal-free casein through precision fermentation, this company aims to deliver authentic dairy textures for cheese and other food products.

3. Oobli: They are known for leveraging sweet proteins from plants to create a sugar-like taste without actual sugar, emphasizing scalability through fermentation.

4. Debut Biotechnology: They focus on fermenting high-quality ingredients, including natural color alternatives, to replace unsustainable or synthetic sources.

5. Octarine Bio: Through fermentation, they produce a vibrant range of natural colors that serve as reliable and sustainable options for food and textiles.

6. DE3PBIO: This company employs AI and biotechnology to harness plant-based functional ingredients, ensuring cleaner, healthier, and more nutritious food products.

7. NuCicer: Their focus lies in breeding new varieties of chickpeas that are up to 75% higher in protein while improving taste, texture, and climate resilience.

8. Plantible Foods: They extract Rubi protein from Lemna (water lentils), a highly sustainable plant, which can serve as a substitute for eggs, dairy, and additives.

9. Hydrosome Labs: Utilizing ultra-fine bubbles during fermentation, they enhance yield and nutrient intake, making biological manufacturing more efficient.

10. Pow.bio: A trailblazing firm in continuous fermentation technology that reduces costs and increases the capacity for biobased production.

The inaugural cohort from 2024 displayed the incredible potential of supporting high-growth companies through a connected ecosystem centered around shared sustainability goals. Since joining the program, they generated nearly $200 million in additional revenue, avoided the emission of 140,000 tons of CO₂e, saved 310 million liters of water, and sold 1.14 million kilograms of food. Moreover, they provided safe, nutritious food to an additional 24 million people and educated 2 million individuals on climate action and adaptation, all while enhancing job opportunities and improving working conditions in their communities.

Daniel Epstein, CEO of the Unreasonable Group, expressed pride in welcoming these entrepreneurs into the Unreasonable Food family. Their work aligns with the mission to advance the food system sustainably and inclusively. By collaborating with Mars, this initiative will offer mentorship, foster stakeholder relationships, and uncover opportunities to expedite their development related to reimaging supply chains and shaping the future of food.

The shared cohorts of 2024 and 2025 will collaborate with Mars teams across the company, alongside mentors from Unreasonable Food and a global network of investors, to continue supporting their transformative efforts.

To learn more about the Unreasonable Food initiative and the new cohort, visit Unreasonable Food’s official page.

About Mars, Incorporated

Mars, Incorporated is motivated by the belief that the world we aspire to create begins with how we conduct business today. As a family-owned company with around $55 billion in revenue, they support pets and their families globally with a diverse portfolio of leading pet care products and veterinary services. Their high-quality snacks and foods delight millions of people daily, representing some of the world's most beloved brands like ROYAL CANIN®, PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, among many others. Mars is committed to fostering a better world for people, pets, and the planet, guided by five principles: Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency, and Freedom.

About Unreasonable Group

Unreasonable Group is an international organization based in Colorado that supports growth-stage entrepreneurs through a fellowship program, connecting exclusive deal flows with investors and collaborating with leading brands to ensure a more equitable future. Its 501 Unreasonable Fellowship companies operate across more than 180 countries, generating significant revenues and positively impacting millions worldwide. Unreasonable champions a vision to reshape capitalism, embracing the idea that unreasonable ideas can drive meaningful change.