Chobani announces 7 new startups in Food Incubator program, funds $175K total

Emily Rella
Updated ·2 min read

Becoming a successful entrepreneur can be quite a struggle— There’s no way around it.

Ask anyone who’s started their own company, and they’ll probably tell you the two things you need to get your company off the ground: Capital and mentorship.

SEE ALSO: Chobani mentors six startups to nearly $3M in revenue, showcases in 'Expo West'

Of course, one has to be passionate about what they’re doing, believe in their brand fully amongst myriad other factors that all play a major role in turning a new company into a widespread success.

But when a company can combine all these factors — passion, funding, mentorship, support and talent — with a message and product that’s sure to resonate amongst consumers everywhere, there’s no telling just how successful that company can become.

The Chobani Food Incubator program provides just that (and then some) to seven startups hoping to make waves in the food industry.

The program, which had its inaugural year in 2016, selected seven independent food brands that “are disrupting, innovating and inspiring new food categories in the U.S.”

Take a look at this year’s class:

Each company will receive $25K in funding from Chobani, no strings attached.

Not bad, right?

If you wish it existed, these are the companies that are probably creating it — from vegan ice cream to low calorie alcohol.

Hamdi Ulukaya, CEO of Chobani, explained the process of choosing the companies:

"To select our second next class, we tasted hundreds of products and met with entrepreneurs across the country and the world. These seven companies each have something special and unique. In selecting this class, we looked at what categories—and what teams of people—have the ability to make big changes in American supermarkets and give more people better options. I can't wait to have these companies at Chobani to see how we can help them on their journey and welcome them to our family."

Here’s a visual look at how applicants were selected and what top trends were:

This year’s class will run from September 2017 until December 2017 at Chobani’s offices in New York, NY.

RELATED: Chobani Food Incubator, 2016