Conscious Consumer Grant

About this grant

Korys is the entrepreneurial investment company of the Colruyt family, focused on making a positive contribution to human and planetary well-being through long-term active investment partnerships. The 'Conscious Consumer' investment theme is one of three core focus areas for Korys, targeting companies that help consumers make authentic, convenient, and responsible choices from social, environmental, and health perspectives. Under the Conscious Consumer theme, Korys invests in companies scaling alternative proteins, local food, healthy leisure, innovative retail initiatives, and new platforms and technologies for sustainable consumption. The goal is to make a conscious way of living accessible and practical for everyone. Korys typically partners with growing and mature businesses that have significant commercial traction and are profitable. They take an active, entrepreneurial role as investors, leveraging their expertise and long-term perspective to build authentic partnerships and a complementary ecosystem across their portfolio companies. This is an investment programme rather than a traditional grant, and Korys makes direct participations as well as investments through private equity funds and liquid investments. The Colruyt family's values of sustainability and resourcefulness are core to their investment philosophy, which has been centred on sustainability since 2000.

Eligibility

Applicants should be companies committed to supporting consumers in reconciling their search for convenience with health and ecological and social awareness. Korys typically looks for growing and mature businesses with significant commercial traction that are profitable. There is no explicit geographic restriction stated for the Conscious Consumer theme, though the Energy Transition and Healthy Living themes reference European-based companies. Companies should be offering products or services relevant to alternative proteins, local food, healthy leisure, innovative retail, or sustainable consumption platforms and technologies.

How it's scored

Korys evaluates potential partners based on alignment with the Conscious Consumer investment theme, commercial traction, profitability, and the company's genuine commitment to sustainable and responsible consumer solutions. Long-term vision, shared values around sustainability, and the potential for complementary fit within Korys's existing portfolio ecosystem are also key considerations. No formal scoring rubric or panel composition is described.

Key requirements

• ✓Significant commercial traction and profitable or path to profitability
• ✓Business model enables convenient, healthy, and ecologically/socially responsible consumer choices
• ✓Operating in focus areas: alternative proteins, local food, healthy leisure, innovative retail, or sustainable consumption platforms

Recent past awardees

Knowing who's won the last rounds tells you whether you're in the strike zone.

• Newpharma · 2022
• Bio-Life · 2020
• D-drinks · 2019

Frequently asked questions

Who can apply for Conscious Consumer?

Eligibility covers organisations in GLOBAL; startup, sme, large-company, social-enterprise. See the eligibility criteria above for the full conditions.

Relevant sectors

About this sector

Alternative protein funding backs plant-based, fermentation-derived and cultivated proteins, along with the ingredients and processing they depend on. Support includes research grants, scale-up programmes and investment from specialist funds. Calls usually look for regulatory awareness, a route to lower production cost and partnerships with food manufacturers.