Two Aussie startups join PepsiCo's Greenhouse Program

PepsiCo has announced the next edition of its regional innovation platform with the launch of the PepsiCo Greenhouse Program APAC 2026: The IMPACT Edition, marking a shift from pilot-led experimentation to structured integration of startup solutions into its supply chain.

This year’s cohort is made up of five selections, including two Sydney based startups — Adiona and X-Centric — who have been invited to join the seven-month program.

• Working with PepsiCo since 2023, Adiona is an AI-powered logistics optimisation platform improving route planning and fleet efficiency. Early deployments have delivered a 19% reduction in fleet distance travelled, with potential to reduce Scope 3 emissions across bottler networks.
• X-Centric has worked with PepsiCo since 2024 and is a digital soil analytics platform enabling more precise soil health measurement, helping optimise inputs. This has the potential to support PepsiCo’s regenerative agriculture and Scope 3 ambitions.

Now in its fourth year in APAC, the program builds on its track record of launching more than 22 pilots from over 30 startups, reflecting PepsiCo’s focus on testing emerging solutions within its operations. The 2026 IMPACT Edition marks a clear evolution in this approach: from introducing new concepts for validation to advancing demonstrated solutions towards commercial deployment and scale.

To enable this, PepsiCo has introduced a more structured operating model via its IMPACT Framework, which brings together cross-functional teams earlier in the process, spanning sustainability, supply chain, procurement, R&D and operations. Rather than working sequentially, these teams align upfront on business priorities, technical feasibility and commercial pathways, identifying whether a solution works and whether it can be deployed within PepsiCo’s system to deliver measurable impact.

“In Asia–Pacific, the next wave of competitive advantage will come from how quickly we can turn practical innovation into scaled commercial outcomes. Our priority is to focus on solutions that strengthen resilience in our value chain, accelerate execution in the market, and advance pep+ in ways that are measurable for both our business and our partners. This edition reflects a deliberate shift from exploring ideas broadly to backing the solutions most capable of creating strategic advantage across the region,” said Anne Tse, Chief Executive Officer, Asia Pacific, PepsiCo.

This year’s program is further strengthened by an expanded network of partners across venture capital, agriculture and innovation, including Artesian, AgriFutures Australia (growAG and evokeAG), AgFunder Asia and SAIL (Nanyang Technological University Singapore), alongside returning partners Circulate Capital, GC Ventures and CM Venture Capital.

Joining the two Australian startups in this year’s program are three other candidates, including:

• Bali Waste Cycle (Indonesia, 2025 alumni): a decentralised waste processing model enabling the recovery of low-value plastics, supporting Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) readiness, and strengthening recycling supply chains.
• Beijing AIForce Tech (China, 2025 alumni): an electric agricultural machinery that automates key farming processes, enabling reductions in emissions and labour dependency while improving productivity for growers.
• Takachar (Thailand, 2024 alumni): a mobile technology that converts crop residues into biochar, reducing open burning while improving soil health, and enables carbon sequestration across agricultural supply chains.

The program will culminate in a final showcase in October in Singapore.

Image credit: iStock.com/kzenon