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AREAS OF INTEREST

BENEFITS

TIMELINE

RULES

Empowering Startups. Fueling Innovation. Advancing Dairy.

Midwest Dairy, in partnership with VentureFuel, is on a mission to support food and beverage entrepreneurs who are innovating with real dairy.  

The Midwest Dairy Accelerator is a premier 8-week virtual program designed to fast-track the growth of startups building innovative products made with dairy by equipping them with the mentorship, strategic industry connections and essential resources needed to scale.  

Midwest Dairy, in partnership with VentureFuel, is on a mission to support food and beverage entrepreneurs who are innovating with real dairy.  

The Midwest Dairy Accelerator is a premier 8-week virtual program designed to fast-track the growth of startups building innovative products made with dairy by equipping them with the mentorship, strategic industry connections and essential resources needed to scale.  

Empowering Startups. Fueling Innovation. Advancing Dairy.

Midwest Dairy, in partnership with VentureFuel, is on a mission to support food and beverage entrepreneurs who are innovating with real dairy.

The Midwest Dairy Accelerator is a premier 8-week virtual program designed to fast-track the growth of startups building innovative products made with dairy by equipping them with the mentorship, strategic industry connections and essential resources needed to scale.

 PROGRAM-BENEFITS

MEET THE 2026 COHORT

MEET THE 2026 COHORT

DISCO COW v1

Disco Cow

Represented by Kate Colehour, Founder 

Reimagining cottage cheese through whipped, protein packed dips and spreads that combine convenience, flavor, and nutrition for everyday snacking occasions. 

DRIPPY v1

Drippy Dip

Represented by Brooks Schmitt, Operations, Co-Founder 

Reinventing cheese dip with a shelf-stable product made from real cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses, featuring clean ingredients with no seed oils, artificial dyes, or unnecessary additives.

MOOJ FOODS v1

MOOJ Foods

Represented by Ritu Sreenivasan, Co-Founder 

Modernizing traditional paneer with a high protein, lower fat dairy product designed for everyday cooking across a wide range of cuisines and consumer preferences.

PRETTY COOL v1

Pretty Cool Ice Cream

Represented by Dana Cree, Owner 

Creating chef driven gourmet frozen novelties featuring premium dairy ingredients, innovative flavors, and artisan craftsmanship inspired by her award-winning pastry background.

(P)RIND v1

(P)RiND

Represented by Matteo Caoia, Founder

Redefining protein snacking with cheese pops made from just cheese and four simple ingredients, delivering 30 grams of protein in a naturally lactose free, gluten free format.

YOTOPIA v1

Yotopia

Represented by Veronica Tessler, Founder, Co-Owner, and CEO

Bringing probiotic rich frozen yogurt to consumers with premium frozen desserts made from locally sourced dairy that deliver both indulgence and functional benefits.

 

 

 

THE FINAL PITCH EVENT

MIDWEST DAIRY ACCELERATOR PITCH DAY

EMPOWERING STARTUPS. FUELING INNOVATION. ADVANCING DAIRY.
EMPOWERING STARTUPS. FUELING INNOVATION. ADVANCING DAIRY.

Apply to join us on Wednesday, September 16 in Eden Prairie, Minnesota for an incredible final pitch event celebrating the 2026 cohort of the Midwest Dairy Accelerator, six emerging startups reimagining what’s possible with dairy.

During this event, each startup will pitch to a panel of expert judges, competing for a $20,000 grand prize and a $10,000 runner-up prize.

Expect dynamic presentations, valuable insights, and plenty of opportunities to connect with fellow industry leaders, collaborators, and innovators in food and dairy.

  • Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis between now and September 9, 2026.  

  • Confirmation emails will be sent, upon acceptance, including final event details. 

     

     

 APPLY TODAY!

EMPOWERING STARTUPS. FUELING INNOVATION. ADVANCING DAIRY.

Midwest Dairy, in partnership with VentureFuel, is on a mission to support food and beverage entrepreneurs innovating with real dairy.

The Midwest Dairy Accelerator is a premier 10-week virtual program that helps grow innovative businesses and products using dairy as a key ingredient—offering dedicated mentorship, industry connections, and resources to help them scale.

  • Industry-Leading Mentors
  • Pitch Guidance
  • Networking
  • Business Coaching
  • Marketing
  • Cash Prizes

STAY IN TOUCH!

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

We’re looking for startups and businesses that meet the following criteria:

  • Headquartered in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, or Eastern Oklahoma
  • Have a consumable product that is commercialized and ready to scale
  • Use real cow's milk or dairy as a key ingredient in the product
  • Are currently generating revenue
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AREAS OF INTEREST

We're interested in startups across a wide range of categories, including but not limited to:

  • Beverages
  • Cheeses (Hard/Soft)
  • Frozen/Ice cream
  • Yogurt
  • Snacks
  • Butter & spreads
  • Ready-to-eat or instant meals
  • Dressing, sauces, and condiments
  • Confectionery
  • Dry or powered food products
The sky is the limit! We know innovation comes in many forms. If your product is not one of the specified examples but uses dairy or milk as a key ingredient, we encourage you to apply!
midwest-dairy-home-healthy-benefits-768x512

AREAS OF INTEREST

We're interested in startups across a wide range of categories, including but not limited to:

  • Beverages
  • Cheeses
  • Ice Cream
  • Yogurt
  • Snacks
  • Butter & Spreads
  • Ready-to-eat or instant meals
  • Dressing, sauces, and condiments
  • Confectionery
  • Dry or powered food products
midwest-dairy-home-healthy-benefits-768x512

WHY APPLY?

Accelerate Your Growth – Gain access to expert coaching, commercialization strategies, and industry connections designed to help you scale.

Curated Business Support - Programming and content will be tailored to applicants' specific needs, covering topics such as consumer messaging, insights strategy, packaging design, retailer and supplier relationships, and more.

Boost and Amplify Your Brand – Receive support in developing professional video commercials and sales sheets and gain visibility in press releases and media activities.

Master Your Pitch – Receive hands-on coaching to refine your pitch, culminating in a high-stakes final pitch competition.

Earn Industry Recognition – Build credibility and expand your network through mentorship and coaching sessions with top dairy industry experts, then showcase your startup in a high-profile pitch event.

Compete for up to $20,000 in Cash Prizes – $20,000 for the first-place winner and $10,000 for the runner-up.

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Thank you for the opportunity to be involved in this program and for all the support. It was incredibly valuable!

Samuel Rose
Sam Rose
Rosebud Ice Cream
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Thanks so much to the whole team. The information and connections made available through this program are invaluable!

Sophia Moss
Sophie Moss
Sugar Witch
midwest-dairy-home-healthy-benefits-768x512

AREAS OF INTEREST

We are looking for startups across a wide range of categories, including but not limited to:

🐮 Beverages
🐮 Cheeses
🐮 Ice Cream
🐮 Yogurt
🐮 Butter & Spreads
🐮 Snacks
🐮 Ready-to-eat or instant meals
🐮 Dressings, sauces, and condiments
🐮 Confectionery
🐮 Dry or powdered food products

PROGRAM TIMELINE

March 16, 2026 Applications Open
April 28, 2026 Virtual Info Session
May 5, 2026 Applications Close
June 15 - July 6, 2026 Cohort Selection & Onboarding 
July 6 - September 16, 2026 Accelerator Program
September 16, 2026 Final Pitch Event in Minneapolis, MN

 

PROGRAM TIMELINE

 

March 16, 2026

Applications Open

April 28, 2026

Virtual Info Session

May 5, 2026

Applications Close

June 15 - July 6, 2026

Cohort Selection & Onboarding

July 6 - September 16, 2026

Accelerator Program

September 16, 2025

Final Pitch Event in Minneapolis, MN

MEET THE PROGRAM LEADS

Beth Bruck-Upton

Beth Bruck-Upton

Senior Vice President, Sales & Partnerships, Midwest Dairy

Michelle Watson

Michelle Watson

Vice President of Research & Innovation, Sales/Partnership Division, Midwest Dairy

Sidney Herr

Sidney Herr

Research & Innovations Manager, Midwest Dairy

Breana Cappuccilli

Breana Leiva

Senior Manager of Innovation & Partnerships, VentureFuel

Have Questions? Contact us at midwestdairy@venturefuel.net

IN THE PRESS

marketing

About Midwest Dairy

Midwest Dairy® represents 3,600 dairy farm families and works on their behalf to build dairy demand by inspiring consumer confidence in our products and production practices. We are committed to Bringing Dairy to Life! by giving Consumers an Excellent Dairy Experience and are funded by farmers across a 10-state region, including Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, and eastern Oklahoma. For more information, visit MidwestDairy.com, and follow us on Facebook and YouTube.

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About VentureFuel

VentureFuel is an independent innovation advisory firm that helps the world's best organizations commercialize innovation to ignite change by working with startups. Its innovation programs help enterprise organizations learn, test, build and invest in emerging technology to solve their biggest problems today and unlock new sources of growth. VentureFuel provides organizations like Hershey's, Comcast, Dick's Sporting Goods, AARP Foundation and the State of California the tools to drive transformative change with less risk, more speed, and greater proximity to the consumer than traditional innovation models. Learn more at: www.venturefuel.net, LinkedIn, X, and Instagram. You can listen to The VentureFuel Visionaries podcast on Apple, Spotify, Simplecast or wherever you get your podcasts.