PARSIPPANY, N.J.—DSM Nutritional Products, a global manufacturer and marketer of nutritional ingredients, selected 10 new businesses to work with and mentor during its 2014 Innovation Partnering Conference on June 25-26.

More than 60 new companies submitted applications, and DSM sought entries for various products and technologies, including cognition, sustained energy, lowering blood glucose and digestive health. DSM selected companies that had similar objectives and innovativeness of its own products.

Each of the companies was assigned a mentor from the Nutrition Capital Network and DSM to help develop the company’s presentation before the conference. Each presentation was judged by a panel of DSM senior executives who are responsible for marketing, research and development, innovation, and venturing for human nutrition and health.

Additionally, all of the companies were able to participate in a half-day educational course that featured five DSM executives representing the major phases of nutritional product development – innovation, research and development, regulatory affairs, sales and marketing, and venturing.

“We are very excited about the caliber of the companies that presented. There are some in particular that met a number of our interest criteria, including safety, efficacy, cost, regulatory considerations, IP and consumer research, which all interplay in determining the potential for marketplace viability," said Rob Beudeker, vice president of innovation for DSM Human Nutrition and Health area.

The selected 10 companies will be offered collaborative opportunities with different DSM business units, and some will be evaluated for investment by DSM Venturing.

The conference was held a few days after DSM showcased its new clear carotenoid solution at the IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo in New Orleans, which creates nature-identical colorants.