From climate-resilient grains to functional nutrition, Vcrave Singapore is rethinking what plant-based milk can offer. Through ProVeg Incubator’s Fast-track To Impact program, the Singapore-based startup refined its commercial strategy and strengthened its approach to bringing its innovation to market.
What if the future of plant-based nutrition lies in crops we have overlooked for generations? For Vcrave Singapore, the answer starts with millets. Founded by Suhail Jindran, the Singapore-based foodtech startup is developing Power Millet Milk™, a dairy alternative made from six climate-resilient millets. Combining specialized enzyme-assisted processing with research into gut microbiome health, Vcrave aims to bring together sustainable agriculture, functional nutrition and everyday convenience.
But developing an innovative product is only part of building a successful foodtech business. Turning that innovation into a commercially viable product requires a clear understanding of customers, manufacturing and market demand.
That is where ProVeg Incubator’s Fast-track To Impact program played an important role.
In this interview, Gabrielle Meyer, Marketing Manager at ProVeg Incubator, speaks with Suhail Jindran, about the lessons he took from the program, the science behind Power Millet Milk™, and the next steps towards commercialisation.
From overlooked grains to functional nutrition
Vcrave Singapore was founded to address a gap in the food system: the underutilisation of climate-resilient, nutritious crops in modern food innovation.
Although millets have nourished communities for generations, their potential remains largely untapped in mainstream plant-based beverages. Vcrave sees an opportunity to combine this traditional agricultural resource with modern food science to develop products that balance taste, functionality and sustainability.
Its flagship product, Power Millet Milk™, combines six millets with specialized enzyme-assisted processing to create a dairy alternative designed for everyday use, including in coffee. The formulation aims to deliver a creamy texture, neutral flavor and stable microfoam, with early prototypes demonstrating foam stability of up to 30 minutes.
Vcrave is also exploring the functional nutrition potential of its product through laboratory-based gut microbiome research. Its initial research has reported encouraging changes in certain microbial populations, including Bifidobacterium species. These findings provide a basis for further investigation, rather than definitive evidence of health benefits.
For Suhail, this combination of agricultural potential and nutritional science is central to the company’s wider ambition.
“Our mission is simple: ‘From Farmers to Guts’ — transforming climate-resilient crops into accessible, science-backed functional foods that support a healthier and more sustainable food system.”
How Fast-track To Impact helped Vcrave sharpen its commercial strategy
For early-stage foodtech startups, technical progress does not automatically translate into market success. A promising formulation still needs to meet customer expectations, work reliably at scale and make commercial sense.
During ProVeg Incubator’s Fast-track To Impact program, Vcrave’s biggest shift was not a complete product reformulation, but a change in how the team approached commercialisation.
“We evolved from being primarily focused on developing an innovative millet-based dairy alternative to building a science-backed functional nutrition platform with a clearer commercialisation pathway,” Suhail explains.
Through mentorship, financial modeling and go-to-market exercises, the team recognized the importance of prioritizing commercial validation alongside technological development.
This helped Vcrave sharpen its initial focus on B2B customers, including cafés, speciality coffee operators and hospitality partners. For these customers, product performance matters, but so do consistency, price and the ability to integrate into existing operations.
The program encouraged the team to connect its scientific ambitions with these practical market requirements, taking a more disciplined approach to pilot production, customer validation, repeat purchasing and scalable manufacturing.
As Suhail puts it:
“The most valuable lesson I took away from ProVeg’s mentorship and pitch coaching was that innovation alone does not build a successful food-tech company — scientific differentiation must translate into a compelling customer proposition and a commercially viable business.”
It is a lesson that extends beyond Vcrave’s product development. It has also shaped the way the team approaches its go-to-market strategy, investor storytelling and commercial priorities.
More than mentorship: the value of the ProVeg Incubator network
Building a foodtech startup means navigating multiple challenges at once, from scientific validation and manufacturing to regulatory requirements, fundraising and market adoption.
For Suhail, one of the program’s strengths was its combination of practical guidance and access to people with relevant experience.
“What makes ProVeg’s Fast-track To Impact program valuable is that it goes beyond conventional startup education. It brings together experienced mentors, industry specialists, investors and fellow founders who understand the unique challenges of transforming food innovation into a viable business.”
Gabrielle asked what he would tell other early-stage foodtech founders considering the program, Suhail encourages them to approach it with an open mind.
“Come prepared to challenge your assumptions, be open to feedback and actively engage with the ecosystem. The value extends well beyond the program itself.”
He sums up the program’s value in one sentence:
“ProVeg helped transform our ambition into a clearer path to market, connecting innovation with the mentorship, networks and opportunities needed to grow.”
From promising research to commercial production
With a clearer commercialisation strategy, Vcrave is now working towards the next stage of development: moving Power Millet Milk™ from pilot-scale innovation towards commercially reproducible production.
One of its biggest technical challenges is achieving consistent, aseptic manufacturing while preserving the product’s sensory qualities and functional properties. Millet-based beverages can present processing challenges involving viscosity, sedimentation, emulsion stability and performance under heat treatment.
Vcrave is working to optimize its processing conditions, with the objective of achieving consistent barista performance and a validated 12-month ambient shelf life.
The company is targeting a US$750,000 pre-seed investment round to support process validation, manufacturing optimisation, intellectual property development and initial commercial partnerships. It is also seeking aseptic beverage co-manufacturing partners, alongside cafés, hospitality groups and foodservice distributors.
Its initial commercial focus is Singapore and India, with potential opportunities to expand into Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
These next steps reflect the shift that emerged during the Fast-track To Impact program: pairing scientific ambition with the practical milestones required to build a scalable business.
A future built on crops we’ve overlooked
Looking ahead, Suhail believes millets have an important role to play in the future of food. Their potential extends beyond replacing conventional dairy ingredients; they offer an opportunity to connect climate-resilient agriculture with more accessible nutrition.
For him, the wider challenge is ensuring that sustainable, nutritious food is not reserved for consumers who can afford premium products.
“If I could change one thing overnight, it would be to create a food system where healthy, climate-friendly food is the most accessible and affordable choice for everyone, while farmers are fairly rewarded for producing it.”
His message to investors and potential partners is that Vcrave is not simply developing another plant-based milk. It is exploring how overlooked grains can become the foundation for a broader functional food platform.
Selected to Pitch at ProVeg Incubator Demo Day
Vcrave Foods was selected to pitch at the ProVeg Incubator Demo Day following its participation in Cohort 1 of the Fast-track To Impact program.
ProVeg Incubator Demo Day will take place at The New Food Paradigm 2026, hosted by ShakeUp Factory.
