Pepsi has extended its start-up competition to Europe from the US.
The PepsiCo10 programme, which already collaborates with venture capital firm Highland Capital Partners, OMD and technology publications Wired and Mashable, plans to work with 10 technology start-ups to help its drinks brands.
The company said it was looking for companies and start-ups with a ready-to-go product or service technology in social media and/or community-based marketing, mobile marketing, tablets, location-based marketing, digital video, gaming and/or learning.
PepsiCo will provide £10,000 and matching the winners with mentors who will provide support and guidance.
Bonin Bough, PepsiCo’s global director of digital and social media, said: "We had a fantastic response to the inaugural PepsiCo10 last year [in the US], with more than 400 innovative entries and we are excited to be rolling out the initiative across Europe."
PepsiCo10’s pilot in the US include Tongal, a video sharing platform that is currently sourcing animation video for the Brisk Tea brand; BreakOut Band, a collaboration music platform that worked with Pepsi MAX to execute at the 2011 South by Southwest Interactive and Music conference; and Evil Genius Designs, a mobile gaming platform with which PepsiCo has worked to develop a virtual reality video game featuring products across the PepsiCo portfolio.