Italian confectionery major Loacker has backed Danish alternative chocolate start-up Endless Food Co.
The chocolate wafers producer has committed to investing €1m ($1.2m) a year in a new corporate-venture programme.
In a social media post on LinkedIn, the business said it is "backing high-growth startups that are ready to transform the food ecosystem".
Copenhagen-based Endless, which produces a chocolate alternative from upcycled ingredients like spent grain from breweries and cacao shells, is one of two businesses that have received backing from Loacker.
The second is an Italian tech start-up called Dr Taste, which is building a predictive platform that uses market, sensory and neuroscientific data it says helps food businesses understand consumer responses to products.
Loacker added in its post: "Our focus centres on key areas of strategic synergy: pioneering natural ingredients, developing balanced nutrition without compromising on taste, driving circular economy solutions and enhancing supply chain transparency through smart data."
Just Food has appraoched Loacker for more information on the investment programme.