AB InBev 100 Accelerator partners with The Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive and Unilever for Sustainable Startup Innovation

NEW YORK, April 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, The Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive Company and Unilever have joined the Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) 100+ Accelerator to fund and pilot sustainable innovation in supply chains.

Launched in 2018, the 100+ Accelerator is a global incubator program that works to solve supply chain challenges across water stewardship, circular economy, sustainable agriculture and climate action. Over the last two years, the program has accelerated 36 companies in 16 countries. The 100+ Accelerator offers size and scale to passionate entrepreneurs to help bring their solutions to market faster. These startups have raised more than $200 million and are scaling globally to achieve the program’s mission: to accelerate the world’s shift toward sustainable solutions and to do business the right way, not the easy way.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have The Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive and Unilever join us as founding partners in the 100+ Accelerator,” said Tony Milikin, chief procurement, sustainability and circular ventures officer of AB InBev. “Together, we are striving to supercharge adoption of sustainable solutions by funding and accelerating fantastic innovations that will change the world by making all of our businesses more sustainable. Sustainable business is smart business, and we are working to solve huge problems that no one company can handle alone. With our combined global reach, we can accelerate progress towards a more sustainable future.”

In addition to funding pilot programs, the 100+ Accelerator provides ‘hands-on’ support to startups by assigning dedicated teams to help test out their new technologies in a large global supply chain. The addition of The Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive and Unilever will expand this unique approach and will further establish the value proposition of the AB InBev 100+ Accelerator brand and mission.

“Sustainability is foundational to how we conduct business and shape our strategies,” said Brian Smith, president and chief operating officer of The Coca-Cola Company. “We are committed to working with partners including innovators to bring more sustainable solutions to market by leveraging our size and scale. We are pleased to be a partner of the 100+ Accelerator.”

The 100+ Accelerator’s startup innovations have already created tremendous impact. Examples include:

• The implementation of green cleaning solutions to reduce water and energy use in brewing operations in Colombia
• Solutions delivering traceability and insurance for smallholder farmers in Africa and South America
• The collection of more than 1,000 tons of glass waste in Brazil
• Piloting returnable packaging in the United States
• Recycled electric vehicle batteries that store renewable electricity in China
• The ability to upcycle saved grains from the brewing process to produce nutritious foods in the United States
• The first solar thermal system to be installed at an AB InBev plant

“Colgate’s purpose is clear -- we are reimagining a healthier future for all people, their pets, and our planet,” said Patricia Verduin, chief technology officer of Colgate. “And we know that we can achieve our purpose faster and more effectively with equally committed partners like AB InBev, Coca-Cola and Unilever. By becoming a founding member of the 100+ Accelerator, we are elevating sustainability, expediting the innovation process and ultimately maximizing our collective impact.”

Embedded within the program is also a focus on social challenges, which are inextricably linked to progress on the environment. From its infancy, the 100+ Accelerator has developed global partnerships including One Young World and Female Founders Alliance as well as dozens of local and regional relationships to build a pipeline of diverse founders.

Marc Engel, chief supply chain officer of Unilever added, “The 100+ Accelerator allows industries to work together to propel sustainable innovation. Partnerships like these are critical for transforming global supply chains towards a greener future. The program’s social inequality component is also aligned with Unilever’s values; this year, we made commitments to ensure that everyone who directly provides us with goods and services receives a living wage by 2030, we’re increasing our spend with suppliers from underrepresented groups and committed to train 10 million young people. Through the power of our companies combined, I’m excited about the impact that the program will bring. We need to tackle climate change and social inequality to provide a world that is positive and healthy for people and the planet.”

The applications for the 3rd cohort of the accelerator will open April 22 - May 31 at www.100accelerator.com.

About Anheuser-Busch InBev

Anheuser-Busch InBev is a publicly traded company (Euronext: ABI) based in Leuven, Belgium, with secondary listings on the Mexico (MEXBOL: ANB) and South Africa (JSE: ANH) stock exchanges and with American Depositary Receipts on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BUD). Our Dream is to bring people together for a better world. Beer, the original social network, has been bringing people together for thousands of years. We are committed to building great brands that stand the test of time and to brewing the best beers using the finest natural ingredients. Our diverse portfolio of well over 500 beer brands includes global brands Budweiser®, Corona® and Stella Artois®; multi-country brands Beck’s®, Hoegaarden®, Leffe® and Michelob Ultra®; and local champions such as Aguila®, Antarctica®, Bud Light®, Brahma®, Cass®, Castle®, Castle Lite®, Cristal®, Harbin®, Jupiler®, Modelo Especial®, Quilmes®, Victoria®, Sedrin®, and Skol®. Our brewing heritage dates back more than 600 years, spanning continents and generations. From our European roots at the Den Hoorn brewery in Leuven, Belgium. To the pioneering spirit of the Anheuser & Co brewery in St. Louis, US. To the creation of the Castle Brewery in South Africa during the Johannesburg gold rush. To Bohemia, the first brewery in Brazil. Geographically diversified with a balanced exposure to developed and developing markets, we leverage the collective strengths of approximately 164,000 employees based in nearly 50 countries worldwide. For 2020, AB InBev’s reported revenue was 46.8 billion USD (excluding JVs and associates).

About The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company with products sold in more than 200 countries and territories. Our company’s purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference. Our portfolio of brands includes Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta and other sparkling soft drinks. Our hydration, sports, coffee and tea brands include Dasani, smartwater, vitaminwater, Topo Chico, Powerade, Costa, Georgia, Gold Peak, Honest and Ayataka. Our nutrition, juice, dairy and plant-based beverage brands include Minute Maid, Simply, innocent, Del Valle, fairlife and AdeS. We’re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We seek to positively impact people’s lives, communities and the planet through water replenishment, packaging recycling, sustainable sourcing practices and carbon emissions reductions across our value chain. Together with our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, helping bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide.

About Colgate-Palmolive

Colgate-Palmolive Company is a caring, innovative growth company reimagining a healthier future for people, their pets and our planet. Focused on Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care and Pet Nutrition and reaching more than 200 countries and territories, Colgate teams are developing and selling health and hygiene products and pet nutrition offerings essential to society through brands such as Colgate, Palmolive, elmex, meridol, Tom’s of Maine, hello, Sorriso, Speed Stick, Softsoap, Irish Spring, Protex, Sanex, Filorga, eltaMD, PCA Skin, Ajax, Axion, Fabuloso, Soupline and Suavitel, as well as Hill’s Science Diet and Hill’s Prescription Diet. Colgate seeks to deliver strong, consistent business results and superior shareholder returns and to provide Colgate people with an innovative and inclusive work environment. Colgate does this by developing and selling products globally that make people’s lives healthier and more enjoyable and by embracing its sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion and social responsibility strategies across the organization. For more information about Colgate’s global business, its efforts to improve the oral health of children through its Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program and how the Company is building a future to smile about, visit www.colgatepalmolive.com.

About Unilever

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods & Refreshment products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 2.5 billion people every day. We have 149,000 employees and generated sales of €50.7 billion in 2020. Over half of our footprint is in developing and emerging markets. We have around 400 brands found in homes all over the world – including iconic global brands like Dove, Lifebuoy, Knorr, Magnum, OMO and Surf; and other brands such as Love Beauty & Planet, Hourglass, Seventh Generation and The Vegetarian Butcher.

Our vision is to be the global leader in sustainable business and to demonstrate how our purpose-led, future-fit business model drives superior performance. We have a long tradition of being a progressive, responsible business. It goes back to the days of our founder William Lever, who launched the world’s first purposeful brand, Sunlight Soap, more than 100 years ago, and it’s at the heart of how we run our company today.

The Unilever Compass, our sustainable business strategy, is set out to help us deliver superior performance and drive sustainable and responsible growth, while:

- improving the health of the planet;

- improving people's health, confidence and wellbeing; and

- contributing to a fairer and more socially inclusive world.

While there is still more to do, we are proud to have been recognised in 2020 as a sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and - for the tenth-consecutive year - as the top ranked company in the 2020 GlobeScan/SustainAbility Sustainability Leaders survey. For more information about Unilever and our brands, please visit www.unilever.com.

This release contains “forward-looking statements”. These statements are based on the current expectations and views of future events and developments of the management of AB InBev and are naturally subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. The forward-looking statements contained in this release include statements other than historical facts and include statements typically containing words such as “will”, “may”, “should”, “believe”, “intends”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “targets”, “estimates”, “likely”, “foresees”, “preparing”, “striving” and words of similar import. All statements other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect the current views of the management of AB InBev, are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties about AB InBev and are dependent on many factors, some of which are outside of AB InBev’s control. There are important factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to be materially different, including, but not limited to, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainties about its impact and duration and the risks and uncertainties relating to AB InBev described under Item 3.D of AB InBev’s Annual Report on Form 20-F (“Form 20-F”) filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on 19 March 2021. Other unknown or unpredictable factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included elsewhere, including AB InBev’s most recent Form 20-F and other reports furnished on Form 6-K, and any other documents that AB InBev has made public. Any forward-looking statements made in this communication are qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements and there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments anticipated by AB InBev will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, AB InBev or its business or operations. Except as required by law, AB InBev undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.