Whole Foods Selected Ten Brands for 2026 LEAP Cohort

The grocer has picked new early-stage brands to receive mentorship and potential entry into store aisles.

Updated on Sept. 24, 2026 in Organic Food

Screen-print poster illustration of a woven produce basket filled with seasonal fruits, representing growth in the food retail industry. — Whole Foods Market selected 10 early-stage brands for its 2026 LEAP cohort, providing mentorship to prepare them for potential national retail distribution. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you prefer to try new, emerging food brands over established grocery store products?

Whole Foods Market has selected 10 brands for its 2026 LEAP Early Growth cohort from a pool of over 2,000 applicants. None of the selected participants are currently sold in the company's stores.

Why it matters

The program helps early-stage companies transition from promising concepts to retail-ready products. This initiative serves as a primary pipeline for the grocer to discover and support emerging brands.

The LEAP program offers graduates the opportunity to receive a $25,000 equity investment. This cohort marks five years of the initiative, which has supported 40 brands in total since 2022.

The players

Whole Foods Market

An American multinational supermarket chain headquartered in Austin, Texas, that specializes in selling products free from hydrogenated fats and artificial colors.

The details

Selected participants undergo a 12-week curriculum that includes mentorship and access to industry connections. Products are evaluated for potential placement on store shelves following the completion of the program.

2022: Total of 40 brands have participated in LEAP since this year.
2025: Nine of 10 cohort brands earned store shelf space.
2026: Whole Foods selected the 2026 LEAP Early Growth cohort.
November 2026: Final brand from the 2025 cohort is expected to launch.

Culture Shift

The rise of corporate-run brand incubators mirrors a shift toward curated, small-batch product discovery in the mainstream grocery sector. This model positions retailers to capture emerging consumer preferences before they reach larger markets.

Shoppers can expect to see new, niche products hitting store shelves as successful cohort members gain national distribution. These additions reflect a growing trend of retailers vetting small-batch goods through specialized development programs.

The takeaway

The LEAP program demonstrates how major retailers use internal mentorship to diversify their inventory with emerging brands. Aspiring food entrepreneurs often look to such cohorts as a primary pathway for scaling their businesses into national retail chains.