A panel of industry experts chose Avoke as the startup to win Ganeden's Probiotic Innovation Jumpstart program for its vegan, avocado-based smoothie bowls with probiotics.

The award includes $25,000 to support the launch of the Spoonables line, which will be the first of its kind on the market. Each smoothie bowl will come packaged and ready-to-eat in a half avocado-shaped stackable cup that includes a pop-out, eco-friendly spoon. The concept was created by two New York-based sisters as a fun and healthy alternative to yogurt and other plant-based beverages and snacks.

Avoke's spoonable smoothie bowls come in four varieties - berry mint, greens & ginger, spicy carrot, & coconut curry - and include half an avocado, two servings of fruits and vegetables, a toasted quinoa topping and 1 billion CFU of Ganeden's patented strain of probiotic, GanedenBC30.

"The use of avocados as a healthy snack is growing immensely in popularity, yet there continues to be a huge void in ready-to-go avocado products in retail," said Daniel Karsevar, consulting COO for Avoke. "Avoke Spoonables provide a solution by offering a healthy, vegan snack with a unique design that is convenient for on-the-go lifestyles, and we are proud that Ganeden and the industry experts see the value. Ganeden's additional financial support and expertise will be extremely beneficial for the launch."

Ganeden's leaders created this first-of-its-kind program to give back to the industry and help startups and entrepreneurs enter the probiotic market, which is expected to reach $36.7 billion during the next five years. From many impressive entries, judges selected three finalists for in-person presentations: Avoke, SimplyFUEL and Red Lotus Foods LLC. On July 16, the finalists presented their probiotic food concepts to a panel of industry experts.

"Our goal for Probiotic Innovation Jumpstart was to encourage startups with unique ideas for novelty foods and beverages to join the probiotic space - an industry that has helped us grow exponentially throughout the years," said Andy Lefkowitz, CEO of Ganeden. "The line of Avoke Spoonables is going to be a game-changer in the healthy snack category and we plan to put our full support behind this impressive company and launch."

Ganeden and Avoke will work closely to finalize details for the launch, which is scheduled for this fall. The Spoonables will join the more than 500-plus international product SKUs that include GanedenBC30.