PITTSBURGH & CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Today The Kraft Heinz Company announced the launch of Springboard, a platform dedicated to nurturing, scaling, and accelerating growth of disruptive US brands within the food and beverage space.

The Springboard platform is seeking opportunities to develop brands with authentic propositions and inspired founders within one of four pillars that are shaping the future of the food and beverage space: Natural & Organic, Specialty & Craft, Health & Performance and Experiential brands. Founders will be encouraged to continue leading their businesses with support and expertise from Kraft Heinz in go-to-market capabilities, research and development and consumer insights.

“We are committed to support and partner with teams that will impact the future of our industry,” said Sergio Eleuterio, General Manager, Springboard Brands. “We are actively searching for emergent, authentic brands that can expand into new categories, and are looking to build a network of founders to help shape the future of foods and beverages.”

Springboard is also launching an incubator program, focused on nurturing food and beverage startups at a pre-valuation stage in a dynamic 16-week sprint in Chicago.

Starting today through April 5, the Springboard will accept applications for first-to-market, disruptive food and beverage startups. Companies selected to participate in the Springboard Incubator Program will have the opportunity to receive financial support to build brands and guidance to raise additional funding. The Incubator’s infrastructure will provide program participants with a collaborative work environment and invaluable business resources including dedicated workspace, state-of-the-art pilot plants and commercial kitchens at Kraft Heinz Innovation Center in Glenview, IL. Each participant will have the opportunity to learn from The Kraft Heinz Company’s world-class management practices, global operating scale, and extensive food safety and quality capabilities.

For additional information on Springboard and to apply to the Springboard Incubator, visit www.springboardbrands.com.

About The Kraft Heinz Company

The Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ:KHC) is the fifth-largest food and beverage company in the world. A globally trusted producer of delicious foods, The Kraft Heinz Company provides high quality, great taste and nutrition for all eating occasions whether at home, in restaurants or on the go. The Company's iconic brands include Kraft, Heinz, ABC, Capri Sun, Classico, Jell-O, Kool-Aid, Lunchables, Maxwell House, Ore-Ida, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Planters, Plasmon, Quero, Smart Ones and Velveeta. The Kraft Heinz Company is dedicated to the sustainable health of our people, our planet and our Company. For more information, visit www.kraftheinzcompany.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains a number of forward-looking statements. Words such as "launch," "grow," "will," "encourage," "continue," "lead," "invest," "accelerate," "launch," “opportunity,” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company's plans, objectives, Springboard investments, developments, opportunities, and growth. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and beyond the Company's control.

Important factors that may affect the Company's business and operations and that may cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, operating in a highly competitive industry; changes in the retail landscape or the loss of key retail customers; the Company’s ability to maintain, extend and expand its reputation and brand image; the impacts of the Company’s international operations; the Company’s ability to leverage its brand value; the Company’s ability to predict, identify and interpret changes in consumer preferences and demand; the Company’s ability to drive revenue growth in its key product categories, increase its market share, or add products; an impairment of the carrying value of goodwill or other indefinite-lived intangible assets; volatility in commodity, energy and other input costs; changes in the Company’s management team or other key personnel; the Company’s ability to realize the anticipated benefits from its cost savings initiatives; changes in relationships with significant customers and suppliers; the execution of the Company’s international expansion strategy; tax law changes or interpretations; legal claims or other regulatory enforcement actions; product recalls or product liability claims; unanticipated business disruptions; the Company’s ability to complete or realize the benefits from potential and completed acquisitions, alliances, divestitures or joint ventures; economic and political conditions in the United States and in various other nations in which we operate; the volatility of capital markets; increased pension, labor and people-related expenses; volatility in the market value of all or a portion of the derivatives we use; exchange rate fluctuations; risks associated with information technology and systems, including service interruptions, misappropriation of data or breaches of security; the Company’s ability to protect intellectual property rights; impacts of natural events in the locations in which we or the Company’s customers, suppliers or regulators operate; the Company’s indebtedness and ability to pay such indebtedness; the Company’s ownership structure; the impact of future sales of its common stock in the public markets; the Company’s ability to continue to pay a regular dividend; changes in laws and regulations; restatements of the Company’s consolidated financial statements; and other factors. For additional information on these and other factors that could affect the Company's forward-looking statements, see the Company's risk factors, as they may be amended from time to time, set forth in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission). The Company disclaims and does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement in this press release, except as required by applicable law or regulation.

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